Chapters: Ada María Isasi-Díaz, “Women in the Ordained Ministry of the Church and Human Liberation”, 1979

(Translation of the transcript of the talk given by Women’s Ordination Conference Developer in one of the panels organized by Women for Dialogue in Puebla, Mexico during the Latin American Bishops’ Meeting. The panel dealt with “Ministries in the Church”. Other talks in the panel dealt with an analysis of the role of women in the ministry of the early Church, new ministries that are developing now, and the role of base communities in ministry). [Translated to English in 1979]

I. Introductory Remarks

It will be convenient to start by noting that the movement for the total participation of women at all levels in the ordained ministry of the Church is not exclusively a United States of America movement. Without doubt, the United States of America is one of the places where the movement is best organized, but in Europe the movement is vigorously moving ahead–especially in the northern countries; in Asia less than a year ago the Episcopal Conference seriously considered asking Rome to ordain women to the priesthood. In the African Continent, in Australia and in Latin America there is a growing awareness of the existing need to confront the Church and demand it to end the sexual discrimination of women–discrimination already condemned by Vatican II (Gaudium et Spes #29)–discrimination which is symbolized and caused by the exclusion of women from the priesthood.

Starting with what we are all familiar with, let us think about the ministerial work in the Church done by women all over the world. We all know this; but I wonder if we have seriously reflected in the a-sacramentality of such ministry. We belong to a Christian tradition that celebrates through the sacraments the presence of God in our lives. The Church places us in a “spiritual misery”–not only us, but it also places those with whom we share our ministry, with whom we work pastorally. I do not want to do a long reflection on the sacraments, but I would like to propose that perhaps we live a historical moment in which, because the Church denies women active participation in the sacramental ministry, the sacraments become partially empty signs and symbols and the grace of God is mediated through a-sacramental celebrations that are the true celebrations of the present Christian communities.

II. To Announce the Gospel to the Church

Many people ask us what is it that we find so important in the official ordained ministry of the Church–what is it that makes us constantly work so women will be able to participate in it. First of all, we think that the Church sins when it excludes women, when it discriminates against women within the Church structures. When I talk here of the Church, I am not referring solely to the hierarchical Church, I am not talking only of the Bishops, the Pope, the Roman Curia. I refer here to the Church in a wider sense because priests, theologians and even a certain percentage of the ecclesial community participate in such discrimination.

The Church sins–the Church as I have described it, because it fails in Jesus’ justice–a justice clearly and precisely spoken, announced and lived by Jesus and which, finally in 1971, the Bishops recognized as a constitutive element of the Gospel message.

Is it not our obligation as members of the Church to demand that such a sinful situation be changed? Or is it that we only claim to be members of the Church sometimes, when it isn’t difficult? But, when we have to do the hard job of the prophet, of screaming to the religious structures, of working ceaselessly so they recognize their sin and convert–do we then ignore the Church?

I will stop here in my analysis of the pastoral ministry to the Church that we have and to which I am ready to admit, few might believe themselves called, but first let me ask that we all accept such ministry as a valid one, an important one. It is similar to the ministry of Judith, Hosea, Deborah and other Old Testament prophets who lived in their bodies, through prophetic words and actions, the calling of the religious-political structures to conversion, structures which constantly ignored their dedication to Yahweh and prostituted themselves serving the powers which were oppressing the people. It is the mission of all Christians to participate in the Gospel proclamation. Let us not forget to announce the Gospel to the Church.

III. The Church Validates and Reinforces the Discrimination Women Suffer in Society

The second point I would like to talk about has to do with the relation which exists between ideology and theology, between the practices of the Church and the practices of our society.

We know that the Church is one of the principal sources of validation in our society. The Church has enormous strength, influencing in a most impressive way the attitudes, the way of thinking and even the morality of our society. Ruling consciences, having the power of “the keys”–this is undoubtedly a very significant power the Church has.

Apart from profoundly influencing ideas and customs, ways of acting and thinking, the Church participates as a transnational institution in the socio-economic world. The Church participates because millions of its faithful participate.  But the Church also participates in a direct for because it has a significant number of properties (land, buildings, art objects, etc.). Also, the Church actually participates in practices of the infrastructure by influencing directly owners, business people who align themselves with certain sectors of the Church in order to benefit from the Church’s influence over public opinion. And, is not the socio-economic intimately linked to the political? The Church has, therefore, power to influence directly the structures that govern us. This is why our job of renewing the Church by renewing the priesthood, is an integral part of the work of liberation which demands a fundamental change of the political-socio-economic system.

We cannot but think in the Church when we demand a change in society. I believe that the popular Christian tradition lived by our peoples, is the common denominator, the common layer or substratum linking them across the nations. This is why we think that if we sisist [sic] in a conversion, in a renovation on the part of Church through a renovation of the priestly ministry–this will, without a doubt, have a positive effect on the human Christian liberation of our people.

We intend, therefore, to continue our struggle in order for women to participate fully in the official ordained ministry. We have no intention of stopping until women are ordained to a renewed priestly ministry because we know this will renew the Church which will, in turn, influence positively the transformation of society.

IV. Ordination to a Renewed Priestly Ministry

You will notice that I have said that we will participate in a renewed priestly ministry. I want this to be very clear, please. We do not pretend to enter in the present caste structure. Of course, without doubt, there are some women who would gladly participate in the present structure. But, as a movement in general, what we work for is a renewed priestly ministry. Some women would be ordained right away with the idea of effecting change from within the structure. Others will not do it until there exists a clear indication, a sign from the Church that the priesthood will be renewed. We do not want to have an attitude of, “We will not participate until all is perfect.”. But, yes, we need a sign of conversion on the part of the Church: a vigorous denunciation of clericalism and hierarchicalism. We believe that such a statement will go hand in hand with a denunciation of the sexism that exists in our Church. Then we will be able to respond to the call of the Spirit which we receive through the communities where we minister.

What do we understand by a renewed priestly ministry?

• We will participate in a priestly ministry that is neither clerical nor hierarchical; neither racist nor classist.
  
• It will not be a ministry that monopolizes, exhausts, chokes, controls all ministries. In the present priesthood, the priest is the preacher, the counselor of children and youth, of the elderly, of married, divorced, singles and widows. Who is the treasurer of the parish? The priest. Who prepares the couples for their weddings and the children for their First Communion? The priest. And if someone else does it, it is only “to help Father” because he has no time, or is “overworked”.
  
• It will not be a ministry that is part of a privileged caste which does not pay taxes, which the community pays for without having the right to ask the priest to be accountable. It will not be a class that profits from the goodness of the people–a people that it continues to teach that priestly ordination has made the priest someone especial, set aside, set above…teaching to which the people respond by, if need be, sacrificing their needs to give them gifts as a recognition of the superiority of the priest.
  
• It will not be a ministry which believes itself to be better or more important than the other ministries because ALL ministries are based on the gifts of the Spirit–gifts which the Spirit gives to whomever the Spirit wants. Until then are we going to continue to allow canon law and the present priesthood structure to control the Holy Spirit? Canon law attempts to limit God by telling the Spirit, “this gift or that ministry, you can only give that to men, to celibate men, to men with college education”. Until when are we going to permit this to continue?
  
• Renewed priestly ministry is not a matter of an individual understanding between God and a human being. It is a gift given by the Spirit through the Christian Community. It is through the community that the gift of ministry is given and it is the community the accepts the priestly ministry of the given individual. The universal Church, through its “elder”–the Bishop–validates the gift of the Spirit making it “catholic”–available to the universal Church.
  
• We understand the renewed priestly ministry as the ministry that facilitates and promotes, that enables the different ministries in the adult faith community. Ministry is the right and duty of all the baptized. At baptism, little girls as well as little boys, are anointed and thus are called to participate in the ministry of Christ: King, prophet and priest. The person participating in the renewed priestly ministry will work so that all ministries in the community can bring about the common good, can effectively help the establishment of the Reign of God–a reign that becomes present day after day as the poor gets food, the naked is clothed, the Gospel is preached. And it is because the priestly ministry is the one that brings together all ministries and helps them all to work for the common good–it is because of this that it belongs to the priestly ministry to celebrate the sacrament of unity: the Eucharist.
  
• The function of the renewed priestly minister will be to help the community be aware of what happens beyond it, of being sure that the community looks beyond, ahead and is “universal” in its understanding of the Gospel.
  
• And finally, we understand priestly ministry as a “being with” and not a “giving”. To give is laudable but it is NOT what priestly ministry is about, for it is not a matter of someone having and another receiving. Priestly ministry is a providing of a shared experience, starting from the reality lived by the community in which the priest participates totally, an awakening of consciences and a bringing together all the strength of the faith community The goal is a fully human existence–an existence that is possible only if we are followers of Christ who found himself by continuously giving himself to all.

I have presented without great detail some ideas of what we are about as a movement–a movement that struggles for the ordination of women to a renewed priestly ministry. We hope these thoughts I have shared will be the basis of a fruitful dialogue.

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Women in Dialogue: Inter-American Meeting. Notre Dame, Catholic Committee on Urban Ministry, 1979

January 27 to February 13, 1979, in Puebla, México, gathered the bishops of the Latin American and Caribbean Roman Catholic Church for a conclave that would decide the future of Christian commitments on the continent. Meanwhile, “an international group of Catholic women met for three intensive days in Cuernavaca, Mexico [… working] over the preliminary Working Document the bishops would be using. The sessions continued in Puebla, during which many more Latin American women participated in the dialogue” recalls Ruth McDonough in the Forward, “We named ourselves ‘Mujeres para el Diálogo’.” That group bussed to Puebla city to intervene and make sure that women would not be ignored in the episcopal conference as they had been in the past.

The English translations here were the work of The [U.S.] National Assembly of Women Religious, in collaboration with the Catholic Committee on Urban Ministry, who published this text for English-reading audiences who might join in solidarity with the women of the Latin American and Caribbean churches facing violence on all fronts.

For the story open up the first LTA boletín.