Now that we have that out of the way...
From the NCDistorter: Women Priests Demonstrate Profound Faithfulness to God by Jamie Manson [my comments]
Late last week, a new iPhone app designed to help Catholics prepare for the confessional made its debut. The app tailors its questions to a person’s gender and vocation. So if you punch in both “female” and “priest,” you immediately receive the message “sex and vocation are incompatible.”The women and men featured in the new documentary Pink Smoke would beg to differ. [Let 'em beg - their entitled to their opinion.]
This weekend Pink Smoke had its debut as part of the Athena film festival hosted by Barnard College in New York. The film had been screened previously at the national Call to Action conference last November. The documentary chronicles the fight against the injustice of the ban on women’s ordination in the Roman Catholic Church. [I haven't seen the film, but without needing to see it, I know it doesn't chronicle any injustice - it chronicles the sad and pitiable attempt of some in the Church who are upset they aren't getting their way.]
The film’s title refers to the action taken by the Women’s Ordination Conference in the days leading to the elevation of Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI. Imitating the Vatican’s symbol of white smoke sent into the air after the election of a pope, the activists burned Pink Smoke to raise awareness of the critical lack of women in the papal election process. ["critical lack of women"? Jamie, dear, there's a "critical lack" of married men from the Midwest included in the papal process, too - but you don't see us burning barbecue smoke. This isn't about justice - it's just.plain.selfish.]
Attendees at the Barnard screening were treated not only to the film, but also to a panel discussion featuring filmmaker Jules Hart, Good Catholic Girls author Angela Bonovoglia, Roman Catholic Womenpriest (RCWP) Jean Marchant, and Maryknoll Fr. Roy Bourgeois, who received a letter from the Vatican's Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith in 2008 warning him of excommunication for refusing to recant support for women’s ordination. [which to them, it's a badge of honor.]
These latter three panelists are also featured in Hart’s film, along with a variety of players in the women’s ordination movement. Interestingly, Hart herself is not a Catholic. [heh - neither are the "catholycs"...]
For those who have invested time and energy into supporting the movement, the film serves as a helpful review of the highlights in the struggle for women’s ordination. Those who are less knowledgeable about its history will benefit greatly from this hour-long introduction into the key historical moments and theological convictions behind the effort to achieve the full inclusion of women in the Roman Catholic priesthood. [In other words - if only more poorly catechized Catholics would see this film, they would rise up and support this movement. As if that would change anything. Having more supporters of a wrong idea doesn't make the idea right - it just means more people are wrong.]
The film touches on the verse from Romans 16:7 where Paul refers to a woman named Junia as an apostle. Archeologist (sic) Dorothy Irvin’s explorations into the evidence of women “presbytera” in the early church, found in frescos in catacombs, is also highlighted briefly. [This is what their movement is hinged on? A verse where Paul refers to a woman as an apostle? Bwahahahaha!!! Well, I reject their interpretation, just as Catholycs reject the interpretation that Paul really meant homosexuals in 1 Tim 1:10 and 1 Cor 6:9. And those frescoes? So what? Someday, 1700 years from now, someone will see photos of these women playing at priest, and some will come to the incorrect conclusion that the Church ordained women.]
Irvin’s research indicates that images of women in ministerial positions were eradicated after Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire in 313 CE. [Red flag: CE instead of AD. These folks really are anti-Catholic at heart.]
A segment is also dedicated to Ludmila Javorová, who was secretly ordained in 1970 by Bishop Felix Maria Davidék so that she could serve the underground Roman Catholic Church during Czechoslovakia’s communist rule.Javorova remained silent about her ordination until 1995 -- six years after the fall of communism -- when she told her story to Miriam Therese Winters who published the interview in the book Out of the Depths.
But the heart of the film really belongs to the Roman Catholic Womenpriests. Their movement is traced back to the 2002 ordination of seven women on a boat that sailed the Danube River, avoiding the jurisdictions of German and Austrian bishops. [Okay, so here's the thing. If they were avoiding those jurisdictions, that means they didn't want to be part of their dioceses. So why are they so intent on getting the Church hierarchy to recognize them as valid priests, if they don't like the hierarchy in the first place? If they were to be recognized and accepted as priests by the Catholic Church, then they would have to be - gasp! - obedient to a bishop! Oh noes! Not that! Not obedience to a....man!!! That won't work, not for these liberated gals. Which sort of proves the whole charade.]
One year later, an unidentified male bishop in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church [unsuccessfully] ordained two of the original seven women as bishops. The RCWP believe that their ordinations are valid because of their unbroken line of apostolic succession within the Roman Catholic Church. [Except women can't be ordained, just like you can't build a rocket ship out of dust bunnies and expect it to reach the moon. So it doesn't matter what they believe - the objective fact is, nothing happened to those women. They may love Jesus, they may be nice people, but they ain't part of any unbroken apostolic line. Apoplectic line, maybe - but not Apostolic.]The RCWP believe that, because their [fake] ordinations were performed by bishops, they were [not] ordained in a line of unbroken apostolic succession. The [fake] ordinations continued -- in 2005 on the St. Lawrence Seaway, which borders the U.S. and Canada, and then on the three rivers in Pittsburgh in 2006.
Several of the women who were [not] ordained in these ceremonies, including Victoria Rue and Juanita Cordero, are interviewed in the film. Cordero’s late husband, former Jesuit Don Cordero, also lends humor and wisdom throughout the film.
Interestingly, the voice that is probably heard most throughout the documentary belongs to a male [ex-communicated] Catholic priest.
Bourgeois speaks movingly about his calling to follow his conscience when a long time friend and fellow activist, Janice Sevre-Duszynska, decided to pursue her life-long call to ordination through the RCWP. Bourgeois concedes that many priests fear losing their jobs, pensions and sacramental power if they speak out about the ordination of women. [Not to mention their souls, but hey - pensions? Come on now, we're talking pensions here. Hmmm - didn't that Jesus guy say something about God and mammon?]But says Bourgeois: “I’d rather eat at a soup kitchen and be free rather than not do something that I’m called to do.” [It doesn't take denying Church teaching to eat at a soup kitchen and be free (free to do what - promote license and fraud?) - but it certainly helps sell how eeeeeevilllll the hierarchy is for only doing its job.]
During the panel discussion after the screening, Bourgeois admitted that he is embarrassed that it took him so long to speak out against this injustice. He says that he longs to speak about it to his priest friends and to bishops. But when he raises the issue, they immediately shut him down and refuse to talk about it.
“It is a power issue for them…there is a fear of losing privilege,” says Bourgeois. [Maybe for some of them - we don't know for sure. But I would like to think that most priests and bishops remain faithful to Church teaching because it's true, not because they fear losing privilege. A reminder to always pray for our priests and bishops - especially the ex-communicated ones.]
One of the film’s finest contributions is the way it evokes the sorrow of women who have been denied the ability to fully serve the church that they call home. Without a hint of anger, it depicts the longings of these women -- longings that can only come out of a deep commitment and even deeper love for the church. [Thus, it's about feelings. I think everyone has had disappointments in life to one degree or another - it's a common experience. This, though, is mere exploitation. The women aren't being denied anything that is rightfully theirs. They're refusing to accept truth - and have resigned to live in the fantasy world of "only if" and "the day will come". How tragic.]
[...]
The one weakness of the film is its lack of younger voices. With the exception of a few scenes of an interview with NCR columnist Nicole Sotelo, who speaks powerfully about the importance of struggling for justice in the Catholic Church, all other interviewees appear to be baby boomers or older. [Gee, I wonder why. I mean, who wouldn't jump at the chance to live with deep sorrow about being denied their dream? That's essentially their marketing slogan: "Join our movement - go nowhere and be sad on the way!" Doesn't sound too compelling.]When I asked Marchant about the interest in the RCWP among young Catholic women, she said that she get many inquiries from newer generations. [Yeah, sure. Prove it.]
“One of the dilemmas they face is that they are either working in the church and cannot afford to lose their jobs, or they are over-committed by their careers and raising families.” [Maybe their jobs pay better than being a womynpreest, too.]
[...]
Most womenpriests identify themselves as “worker priests.” Though they carry on their professions in fields as various as teachers, non-profit workers, artists and architects, on weekends they celebrate liturgies in homes, non-Catholic university chapels, and Protestant churches. [but...but we were told younger women aren't joining because they don't want to lose their jobs. So how is it the womynpreests have paying jobs and they play priest on the weekends? Where the heck is the 'sacrifice'?]
These womenpriests dwell in the liminal space between the established, clerical world of the church and the revolutionary, risky world of the prophet. And, like many prophets before them, they find themselves in exile from the religious structure that they call home. ["Risky world of the prophet" - that's right. Any minute now, hordes of Catholics are planning on stoning these women as soon as we find out where they live. There's nothing risky about what they're doing - save their salvation, of course. Seems to me, most have jobs. So where's the risk? Sounds sorta delusional.]
The womenpriests are manna for many Catholics who, too, are in exile; these communities of Catholics are clearly manna for the womenpriests as well. [Their exile is self-imposed. They made their choice, and they're creating an impression that they were kicked out. They knew what they were doing when they made the decision to play at priest.]
Though it does not ask the question, Pink Smoke left me wondering to what extent this liminality actually gives birth to and maintains the integrity and faithfulness of the RCWP.
In many ways, their movement reflects the early Christian Church before it was accepted by the Empire. The risks that many womenpriests take infuse their ministries with a deep sense of commitment. [because at any minute, Swiss Guards will capture them, torture them and feed them to savage beasts as Cardinals cheer on. They don't worship in secret, they don't hide in catacombs, they don't fear for their lives, they aren't declared persona non grata by the authorities, they aren't criminals. They flagrantly promote their cause in public. But besides that, they're just like the early Christians....I think they owe the martyrs an apology, don't you?]
Their willingness to sacrifice the privileges and securities of paid ministry demonstrates a profound faithfulness to the God who has called them. [Remember - many of them still have jobs.]
If womenpriests are one day permitted to reenter the established church, how much of their holy creativity and prophetic edge would be lost in the transition back into the institution? [They're not being kept out of the Church. The Church is not an institution that makes membership an impassable obstacle course. The Church does not set impossible standards for those interested in becoming Catholic. The Church does not set quotas like immigration. Her mission is to save souls - and membership is completely voluntary. The entry and exit doors are not locked to keep outsiders out and members in. Are there conditions and expectations upon coming into the Church? Yes - just like any other institution. Heaven's the same way.]
Pink Smoke leaves you hoping that all of the grace received through their living as marginal church communities will be remembered and sustained when women are welcomed finally into the priesthood of the Roman Catholic Church. [Women already share in the priesthood of Christ, by virtue of their baptism. Just like I do, as a married man. Just like my teenage sons and teenage nieces and older sisters and aged parents. But only some are called to share in His ministerial priesthood - and those some are male. Jesus' Church, Jesus' rules.]
Using pink smoke and mirrors to distort the Church's teaching on ordaining women doesn't demonstrate faithfulness. Faithfulness to God is not demonstrated by disobedience - we have Adam and Eve's example as proof of that. Faithfulness to God is not demonstrated by pride - we have Satan's example as proof of that. Faithfulness to God is demonstrated by Christ's perfect words and actions: obedience and humility. It's that simple. And that difficult.
We aren't saved by having our desires fulfilled, because our desires can deceive us, and lead us into error. We are saved by fulfilling God's desires, which are all-good and all-perfect, which lead us into Truth. And if God had desired women to be priests, He would have been pretty clear on that point, back in the beginning.
