Mixed Messages

Recently I have come across several articles that have left me perplex.

The first one, entitled The Feminist Case Against Abortion, was in America Magazine. As is well known, no feminist is for abortion. I have yet to meet a feminist who is pro-life, however. A feminist is pro-choice; s/he believes that a woman has the right to choose whether to have a baby or not. No woman ever takes this decision lightly and no woman ever likes to take it.

I was intrigued by this article, wondering why a woman who is pro-life would want to be seen as a feminist as well, since a ‘pro-life feminist’ today is an oxymoron.

I understand people who are pro-life. It is their right, as long as they do not try to impose their opinion on others. While both pro-choice and feminist, I am not for abortion.

I will not engage in a discussion on this topic today. I have done it many times in the past, and never seemed to go anywhere. Pro-life and pro-choice people don’t see eye to eye, and I have learned to live with that.

My second surprise has been the recent declaration of Pope Francis against gay marriage and contraception. This was not only a surprise, but a great disappointment. I feel for my brothers and sisters who long for their love to be recognized. The topic of contraception, however, riled me. To be against abortion, as I said above, I understand, but to be against contraception is an open invitation to the possibility of an abortion at a later time. This does not make sense to me.

Shortly after Pope Francis’ support of Humanae Vitae (and contraception), he came out demanding greater attention to women’s voice (see article here). “Women have a lot of things to say to us in today’s society,” said Francis in Manila.

Really, most Holy Father? To my women’s ears, your declaration sounds like a bad joke.

If truly we have something to say, why hasn’t it been heard that women and men need to use contraception when they have sex if they are not ready to have a child at this point in their life?

Those who know me have noticed my enthusiasm for Pope Francis. Other feminists have warned me that he will not do anything for women. Talk is cheap…

You see, if one is for the protection of the poor, one has to protect women, who are always the poorest of the poor. These women will be raising the children that you, Most Holy Father, want them to bear. If, unfortunately, these mothers do not have the means to raise their child, they may have to abandon her, just like the little street girl you met in Manila. You heard what happened to her and you cried…

Am I the only one to notice the disconnect between one speech and the other, between a stand against contraception and its consequences?

Pope Francis is already a hero to many of us for the Herculean task of cleaning the Vatican hierarchy, for choosing a Franciscan attire over silk and laces, for advocating the protection and the rights of the poor. For all these reasons, he is my hero too.

A last surprise. Jesus really loved women and came to their rescue again and again. Pope Francis acts prophetically in most areas of our faith. But when it comes to women, he is gender-blind.

As for my gay brothers and sisters… Agh…

Photo: Pope Francis with street children in Manila.

Pope Francis And Women In The Church

Pope Francis on the plane back from Brazil

“A church without women would be like the apostolic college without Mary. The Madonna is more important than the apostles, and the church herself is feminine, the spouse of Christ and a mother.”
“The role of women doesn’t end just with being a mother and with housework … we don’t yet have a truly deep theology of women in the church. We talk about whether they can do this or that, can they be altar boys, can they be lectors, about a woman as president of Caritas, but we don’t have a deep theology of women in the church.”
“On the ordination of women, the church has spoken and said no. John Paul II, in a definitive formulation, said that door is closed.”

Mary Hunt, Will Francis’ Statements on Women and Gays ‘Make a Mess’ Inside the Church?

Boom. This is the same old same old theology—the Virgin Mary is more important than anyone else in the story, but living women cannot make ecclesial decisions, exercise sacramental ministry, or make ethical choices. Apparently, the question of women’s ordination is so yesterday in the Vatican Francis doesn’t think it needs to be revisited.

So much for democracy and making a mess (not to say “screwing up”) when it comes to internal church matters. I shudder to think what a “deep theology of women in the church” will look like, much less who will write it. So while I am delighted to see some small movement on the part of this pope on gay issues, I think it’s crucial that he not be given a pass on issues related to women. They are all of a piece.

I have asked Google for images of Pope Francis with women. Out of the hundreds shown of the Pope, I only found three of him with a woman.

Since Pope Francis has been elected, I have been ecstatic. He is an answer to my prayers, better even than what I had dared imagine.

In India, when a shawl or a tapestry is made, the artist always makes sure to insert an error in it to keep the evil eye out. This way, no one can exclaim, Oh, what a beautiful shawl!, thus bringing it bad luck. Same for a baby. When you are in India, never tell the a child’s mother, how beautiful her child is, for from then on she will fear bad luck for the child.

Well, Pope Francis seems to be perfect on all counts until we get to women. That’s his protection against the evil eye…

Then I have this strange feeling that our wonderful Francis knows very little about women. When it comes to a “truly deep theology of women,” I have bookshelves filled with books authored by brilliant and wise women theologians. Books that he has probably never heard of.

I find myself in a strange position: On the one hand I see this wonderful new Pope who might never get to the situation of women in the Church because there is so much to do elsewhere. On the other hand, I see my feminist sisters’ growing despair and increased alienation. Wonderful people who don’t seem to be able to meet.

Even more strangely, when I think of the situation of women in the world, whether economically or politically, women are the poorest of the poor. Single mothers carry the world on their shoulders. Who will be able to bring this sort of news to Casa Santa Marta? When will there be justice for women, not only in the world [there we can act more easily], but in the Church [where we have so little access]?

Will the Blessed Virgin have to appear to Pope Francis and tell him, ¡Francisco, Querido, por favor tenga cuidado de las mujeres! (Francis, Beloved, please, take care of women!)

One with you in the Risen Christ.

Photo: Pope Francis and a woman

Some posts on the same topic:

• Iglezia Delcalzada, Pope Francis in Rio: The Good, the Not-so-good, and the Downright Ugly
• Iglezia Delcalzada, Pope Francis and the theology of women: some concerns (Brazilian theologian Ivone Gebara)
• Jamie Mason, When does our hope for Francis become denial?