Letters

Women in the Church (letter)

Marie Kennedy

Contents - May 2000 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference - Michael Gilchrist Australian Catholic University student survey - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World How do we know whether a sacrament is valid or not? - Fr Peter Joseph The priesthood: John Paul II's Holy Thursday Letter sets guidelines - Pope John Paul II What are the foundations of a good Catholic education? - Dr. John J. Haldane Understanding the Incarnation - Msgr Peter J. Elliott Books: Francis Thompson: author of 'The Hound of Heaven' - Michael Daniel How the future John Paul II saved a Jewish girl's life - Zenit News Service Letters: Women's report: a reply (letter) - Dr Marie McDonald Letters: Nothing to do? (letter) - Frank Mobbs Letters: More on Adelaide (letter) - Margret E. Mills Letters: Women in the Church (letter) - Marie Kennedy Letters: 'Day of Pardon' (letter) - Paul MacLeod Letters: Reply to Fr Frank Brennan (letter) - Richard Egan Letters: God's love (letter) - Justin Ford Letters: EWTN visit (letter) - Mike Keating Letters: Mixed marriages (letter) - John Schmidt Letters: Archbishop Pell defended (letter) - Fr Kevin Ryan Letters: Year of the Lord (letter) - Fr Chrysostom Alexander Books: 'Three Inns of Everlasting Happiness' by Fr Fabian Duggan - Catherine Sheehan (reviewer) Books: 'The Wisdom of Adrian Fortescue' ed. Michael Davies - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Books: 'The Legacy of Pope John Paul II' ed. Geoffrey Gneuhs - Anthony Cappello (reviewer) Books: 'The Ever-Illuminating Wisdom of St Thomas Aquinas' by Peter Kreeft et al - Tracey Rowland (reviewer) Reflection: Mary's divine motherhood: central to God's plan of salvation - Sr Mary Augustine Lane OP

The "Participation of Women in the Church" project appears to have been instigated by a feminist lobby, wishing to establish its own agenda in the Catholic Church.

While the results of the Catholic Church Life Survey revealed 75 percent of Catholic women accepted the status quo, the report Woman and Man: One in Christ Jesus contained predominantly feminist views for presentation to the Australian hierarchy for implementation.

Having, in good faith, attended the inaugural meeting in Canberra of Participation of Women in the Church on 13 May 1997, I encountered a prevalent derision of Catholicity, extending to mockery and blasphemy. Church authority was attacked with vehemence and the Papal Nuncio declared outside the Church of Australia.

When two audience members objected to this, they were officially requested to leave. When they refused to do so, uproar ensued, leading to a temporary suspension of the meeting. In short this meeting was a farce and reports from some other venues indicated a similar state of affairs.

This is a serious situation made more difficult by the fact that the cult of feminism is being promoted by a few of the women who have been most respected in the Church community - religious sisters.

The recently formed Magdalene Foundation promotes Catholic teachings and shows consideration for the majority of women who love Christ and his Church.

MARIE KENNEDY
Goulburn, NSW

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 13 No 4 (May 2000), p. 14