FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 8, 2008
Contact: Sr. Christine Schenk
216-228-0869; 216-513-3647 (cell)
Ms. Barbara Litrell (Sedona, AZ)
928-649-0135 (h)
928-300-5839 (cell)
Cleveland, OH “The Vatican is to be congratulated for including three women biblical scholars and three other women specialists to serve as experts at October’s Synod on the Word,” said FutureChurch director, Sr. Christine Schenk. “This is especially gratifying since no women experts were included at the 2005 Synod on the Eucharist. We are hopeful that all the international scholars selected (both male and female) are representative of the full spectrum of perspectives about women’s biblical leadership. While we’re glad that FutureChurch’s first objective for the synod has been met, we look forward to the day when half of the designated experts are women rather than 15%. And now we want synod leaders to address our other three very important requests, “ said Schenk
For the past two years, the Cleveland-based FutureChurch spearheaded a “Women and the Word” campaign asking the Vatican to include female biblical scholars October’s Synod on the Word. At least 18,000 postcards and emailed requests were sent to U.S. and Canadian Bishops, asking synod leaders to also expand opportunities for women to preach, give greater pastoral attention to Jesus and St. Paul’s inclusion of women leaders, and restore deleted women leaders to the Catholic lectionary.
“Many mistakenly believe Jesus called only men and that Paul was anti-women,” said Schenk. “This is due in part to the fact that texts referring to female disciples and coworkers are never read on a Sunday. This creates significant pastoral challenges to evangelizing 21st century women and men who are accustomed to seeing women serving in civil and corporate leadership roles alongside men.”
“If we want to reach the next generation of Catholics, there is a need for Catholic preaching and reflection on the Word to reflect the gender balance found in Jesus and St. Paul's counter cultural practices. FutureChurch's work in our Women and the Word: Synod 2008 campaign arose directly from the need to find solutions to such important pastoral challenges,” said Schenk
A fascinating 1996 analysis by Sr. Ruth Fox OSB found a disproportionate number of passages about women had in fact been deleted from the lectionary, a book of biblical passages carefully chosen for church proclamation. (available for free download at http://www.futurechurch.org/watw/womeninbibleandlectionary.htm)
In July and August FutureChurch sent a packet of materials to all the English speaking bishop delegates to the Synod, including clerics in the U.S. the UK, Ireland, Australia, the Philippines, Canada, India and Africa. The packet included a list of 23 female biblical scholars available to serve at the synod and copious background materials about lectionary omissions regarding women leaders.
Concerned Catholic advocates sought and in some cases received meetings with US and Canadian synod delegates. FutureChurch director, Sr. Christine Schenk is following up with Bishop delegates and will be in Rome while the Synod is in process.
“Unfortunately, for centuries, Mary of Magdala’s leadership and that of many other biblical women, has been minimized or excised from the official lectionary used in both Catholic and Protestant churches,” said FutureChurch Board Member, Barbara Litrell.
“For example, even though all four gospels name Mary of Magdala as the first witness to the Resurrection, Jesus’ commission asking her to proclaim it to the male disciples is never read on Sunday, yet we hear about doubting Thomas every single year. And Phoebe, an important leader at the Church of Cenchrae, is completely excised from the lectionary text of Paul’s letter to the Romans, as are Lois and Eunice from the letter to Timothy. We want Church officials to correct that,” she concluded.
Campaign accomplishments:
At least 18,000 paper and electronic postcards were sent to US bishops, the Pope and Vatican officials asking for attention to women's biblical leadership and experience in church preaching and scripture proclamation at the October Synod.
In 2007 and 2008 , hundreds of organizers at over 600 Mary of Magdala celebrations in the US , Canada, Austalia and six other countries incorporated a special prayer service celebrating the hidden women of the lectionary and distributed hundreds of postcards and forwarded e-postcard appeals.
Many leaders of men’s and women’s religious orders spoke or wrote personal letters to their bishops asking for female biblical experts to serve as consultants at the Synod.
A number of bishops and Cardinals wrote in support of the campaign, or have privately expressed their support of it.
For the past eleven years FutureChurch has sponsored annual celebrations of the Feast of St. Mary of Magdala to promote understanding of Jesus’ inclusive practice and provide a place for women to serve in visible liturgical roles.
For more on the Woman and the Word: Synod 2008 campaign visit http://www.futurechurch.org/watw/
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FutureChurch, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is a U.S. coalition of 5,000 parish centered
Catholics striving to educate fellow Catholics about the seriousness of the priest shortage, the centrality of the Eucharist (the Mass), and the systemic inequality of women in the Catholic Church. FutureChurch makes presentations throughout the country, distributes educational and informational packets and recruits activists who call on Catholic leadership to open ordination to all baptized persons who are called to priestly ministry by God and the people of God