St. John the Evangelist Parish

In his apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis’ view of women is ambiguous, showing sympathetic acknowledgement of abuse (211, 212, 214) women often face, while also becoming entangled in stereotypical generalizations elsewhere (46-49,103,139-141, 284-288) where womanhood is always associated with motherhood. The Pope says that, “the legitimate rights of women to be respected, based on the firm conviction that men and women are equal in dignity, present the Church with profound and challenging questions which cannot be lightly evaded.” However, he then goes on to affirm that “the reservation of the priesthood to males, as a sign of Christ the spouse who gives himself in the Eucharist, is not a question open to discussion.”

The Pope also says, “it can prove especially divisive if sacramental power is too closely identified with power in general.” He also notes that the idea that ordination simply confers power not only robs the Church of valuable contributions from women, it presents a misguided view of the priesthood and the sacraments. “The configuration of the priest to Christ the head – namely, as the principal source of grace – does not imply an exaltation which would set him above others,” Pope Francis writes. “In the Church, functions do not favor the superiority of some vis-a-vis the others.”

Perhaps, a problem lies in the fact that the Roman Catholic Church’s organizational structure, with the Pope as head, is a hierarchical structure and, no matter what he says about power not being “understood as domination, but the power to administer the sacrament of the Eucharist,” the exclusion of women based on their gender from being a member of the priesthood, and hence from decision making, seems to many women and men to be a problematic distortion of power.

The Pope acknowledges that “we need to create still broader opportunities for a more incisive female presence in the Church,” including “the possible role of women in decision-making in different areas of the Church’s life.” But within a hierarchical structure what does this actually mean? Women may lead Religious Education in a Parish, the Outreach Program, perhaps even the Finance Committee, but the priest is always the boss and, according to the Pope, the boss will always be male.

If we look to the Bible, we can find a very different description of the relationship between men and women.  In the Gospels, for example, women are often key figures in the evolution of Jesus’ mission.  Mary’s ‘Fiat’ and ‘Magnificat’ are key to any understanding of discipleship; her giving birth to Jesus is akin to the moment of Consecration at Mass as she brings Jesus to the world. Elizabeth’s understanding and joy as she welcomes Mary, recognizing the baby in Mary’s womb as her ‘Lord’ without doubt or hesitancy, is the blueprint for all followers of Christ.  Anna heralds Jesus. Mary encourages Jesus to begin His mission at Cana. The Syrophoenician woman challenges Jesus’ understanding of His mission. The Samaritan woman is the first person to hear Jesus say He is the Messiah and she is the first missionary. A woman anoints Jesus for His burial while His apostles are still arguing about who will be the greatest. Martha declares that Jesus is the Messiah. Women support the itinerant disciples and accompany Jesus to Jerusalem and the Cross. Women are the witnesses to (and thus the link between) His death, burial and resurrection. Mary Magdalene is the Apostle to the Apostles. Women receive the Holy Spirit along with men at Pentecost. St. Paul talks of the key leadership roles played by Prisca, Lydia, Phoebe, Chloe, and many other women. Obviously motherhood is not the only role women fulfilled in the early Church.

Interestingly Jesus said, “For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother” (Matt 12:50) and “blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it” (Luke 11:28). Mary is the mother of God, but what is most important about her is that she did the will of Jesus’ Father in heaven; she heard the word of God and observed it. Mary is important because she was a disciple and did what was asked of her.

In conclusion, where does Evangelii Gaudium leave women? I suggest that the Catholic Church will take women seriously in all their potentiality (and not just as mothers) when the Church returns to the radical urgency of the first generation of Christians. To do so we need to rid the Church of the domestication that occurred when Christians realized that the ‘Second Coming’ was not going to happen immediately. If it wasn’t coming quickly then that necessitated that the Church had to ‘fit into’ the prevailing cultural and social norms of the Roman Empire which meant taking on the prevailing cultural views of the place of women in the Church. There is nothing wrong with these traditional roles – as mother and consecrated virgin — but they can deprive the Church all the other talents that God has given women. I am reminded of the Parable of the Talents and the judgment of the servant given one talent who hid it in the ground, unused, awaiting the Master’s return.  Will the Church be judged, in a similar way, for hiding, unused, the talents of generations of women?

Pope Francis begins his Apostolic Exhortation (Evangelii Gaudium) saying that “the joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus.” But is this true? Is this your experience of the people who claim to be Christians in your life? The Pope then says that “those who accept God’s offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness,” but are the Christians you know “aglow with the Spirit,” as St. Paul puts it (Romans 12:11)? Or are they as sinful, sorrowful, empty and lonely as everyone else?

Yet the Pope himself clearly shines forth with joyfulness, as did Mother Theresa of Calcutta. When I met Jean Vanier, I felt his joy as if it were an energy filling the room. So I know that the joy, which the Pope speaks of, actually exists! But why is it not experienced in the lives of all Christians? Pope Francis is very aware of this, admitting that “there are Christians whose lives seem like Lent without Easter.”

Perhaps we once felt excited by Jesus and committed ourselves to living God’s will for us, but we now feel lifeless and end up resentful, angry and listless as Pope Francis writes? We still go to Mass, perform corporal and spiritual works of mercy, donate to Church appeals. But is being a Christian really about a ‘to do list’ where we earn heaven via those in need (on whom we perform our works of mercy)? Have we “lost our first love” (Revelation 2:4)?

The Pope’s answer is to “invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting Him encounter them.” If I don’t think I require this invitation then I need to ask myself how joyful I am. Would anyone meeting me know I was a Christian?

In case we doubt the importance of joy in the life of a Christian, the Pope gives example after example from scripture about how joy is the sign of being close to God. The Pope doesn’t quote his fellow Jesuit, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, who said “Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God,” but he could have! However Pope Francis does assure us that our joy in our relationship with God is not one sided. He reminds us that God rejoices “over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing, as on a day of festival” (Zeohaniah 3:17) or, as a scripture scholar once told me, the last segment of this quotation can also be translated as “every time God thinks of you, God dances for joy!”

What examples do we have from scripture of persons whose response to God is filled with joy? Jesus of course, but also King David! In Paul’s sermon at Antioch he refers to the statement made by God concerning David: “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will” (Acts 13:22, cf Isaiah 13:13-14). I suggest that this beautiful compliment, “a man [or woman] after My own heart,” should characterize every Christian. David sinned, but he honestly admitted his faults and returned to God asking for forgiveness. He trusted God, he was grateful; he sought out God’s will and was obedient. He was filled with joy as when he danced (2 Samuel 6:14) as the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem, much to the embarrassment of his wife! David and God were in a close relationship with each other which was constantly being renewed.

As humans we will always stray but “whenever we take a step towards Jesus, we come to realize that He is already there, waiting for us with open arms,” as Pope Francis says, “with a tenderness which never disappoints but is always capable of restoring our joy, He makes it possible for us to lift up our heads and to start anew.” As our Savior says of himself, “Behold I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5). “How good it feels to come back to Him whenever we are lost!” Pope Francis says with evident joy.

This joy is longed for by all of us! So when we feel genuine joy in someone, we are attracted, we want what they have. Joy is for sharing, joy is pure energy which makes us feel alive! Without it life is flat as if we are living by rote, existing rather than living! Evangelization is the sharing of this joy and as St. Francis of Asisi said “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” May our joy speak for us as it attracts everyone we meet to Jesus!