Pope Francis and Women – The future of the church is female
Catholic women pay church tax just like Catholic men. But women are not allowed to become priests, bishops or even popes. Is that fair? Is that in line with the teachings of Jesus, for whom women were naturally equal?
When he was elected, Pope Francis was considered a church reformer. He convened a World Synod in the Vatican, which is now coming to an end. The aim of this Catholic world assembly was to discuss and debate the position of women in the church. At least this time, women were invited to this synod for the first time. Until now, Catholic men have always been among themselves. Women make up 15 percent of the participants in the current synod, with men making up 85 percent.
On 3 June 2016, Pope Francis had announced a sensation: Jesus‘ companion and confidante Mary Magdalene was the “apostle to the apostles” (’Apostolorum Apostola”). Thus, the Pope made it clear that a woman was de facto the first female pope, the apostle to the apostles. Mary Magdalene – a woman, the true founder of the church!
In the first official statement by the Vatican on this surprising papal declaration, it was summarised as follows: ‘Mary Magdalene is an example and model for every woman in the Church.’ Thus, the apostle of the apostles opens up a more female-friendly and life-friendly church for us. This reparation to Jesus‘ companion, who has been controversial for 2,000 years – she was humiliated to a prostitute – is probably the most consequential and powerful decision of Pope Francis’ entire pontificate.
For a while it seemed as if the Catholic Church and this Pope would finally recognise the equality of women. But now it turns out that this Pope is also giving no chance to the committed women in his church. At this synod, Pope Francis also made it clear that women still have no chance of a consecrated office. They were allowed to participate in the discussions at the synod, but not to participate in decision-making. As always, only the Pope can do that. And he showed them the stop sign by excluding the ‘women’s issue’ and referring it to a commission.
The Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote: Although women delivered the best speeches at this synod, according to some male observers, women want more. But the traditionalists in the Vatican say: That’s not possible.
The important role played by the companion of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, in the early church in the first 300 years of Christianity as ‘apostle to the apostles’ and which is documented in detail and convincingly in the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, is completely disregarded and suppressed. This gospel was found in the Egyptian desert sand in 1896, but has not been officially recognised by the church to this day. It is the only gospel named after a woman, and is now on display in the Egyptian Museum in Berlin. In it, the woman from Magdala is not a whore, as she was described by Pope Gregory the Great in the seventh century, but the closest companion and friend of Jesus. The Gospel of Mary Magdalene clearly shows that Jesus trusted and confided in this woman far more than he did in his male apostles.
At least the chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference, Georg Bätzing of Limburg, demanded at the synod that women should be ordained deacons. But even this first step towards ordained ministry remains closed to women. Many synod members were outraged, and many women who feel called to be priests wept in Rome. The “women’s issue” is off the table once again – for now.
In Germany, hundreds of thousands of members leave the Catholic Church every year – mostly women. If this wave of resignations continues, the Catholic Church in this country will have zero members in about 50 years. This church of men is not a loss. But the message of Jesus is.
A society’s and a church’s relationship to women is an indicator of their level of maturity and civilisation. The ‘reforming Pope’ also hides behind pious phrases. Just recently, in Belgium, he said: ‘A woman is fertile receptivity, care, living devotion – that is why a woman is more important than a man.’ Except in the Catholic Church.
In his new encyclical ‘Dilexit nos – He loved us’, Pope Francis himself rules out the ordination of female deacons. Dilexit nos: The most beautiful quotes from the encyclical