THE Council for Australian Catholic Women (CACW) Perth wants the
inclusion of women in the office of deacons, women to act as marriage
celebrants and inclusive language to be used in all Church liturgy
resources and documents.
By Anthony Barich
National Reporter
At an October 17-18 meeting at Highgate celebrating 10 years since the 1999 Woman and Man: One in Christ Jesus report, the CACW Perth identified several priorities for the Church to increase women’s participation regarding liturgy, education, Canon Law, ministry, governance and priestly formation.
The Bishops’ response to the One in Christ Jesus report, the 2001 Social Justice Sunday Statement, made nine national and 31 diocesan proposals. The recommendations from CACW Perth’s October 18 meeting were:
l Liturgy: Inclusive language be used in all Church documents and liturgy resources, according to Decision 4c of the Bishops’ 2001 Social Justice Statement.
l Governance: That decision-making bodies give all members equal power of governance and not just a consultative or advisory function.
l Priestly Formation: That priests are made aware of the importance that women place on participation in the life of the Church and of positive female role models. It was also encouraged that women be involved in priestly formation and in the inculturation of foreign priests.
l Ministry: That the definition of ministries be widened; that national guidelines and accountability criteria for all ministries be established, according to Decision 3b of the Bishops’ proposal.
l Education: More professional formation for all lay ministries; and that women’s spiritual formation be relevant and empowering and be parish or region-based (Decision 6).
l Canon Law: Inclusion of women in the office of deacons and acolytes and as lay preachers (Decision 4d regarding Canon 766 and 767 concerning lay preaching); that lay people act as marriage celebrants (Proposal 22 dealing with Canon 1112) and that guidelines be established for lay people to provide rituals to be used in prisons and hospitals in the absence of a priest (Decision 4a).
A spokesperson from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) told The Record that the Bishops’ Conference has asked the Holy See “on a number of occasions” whether Catholic women can celebrate weddings etc in dioceses where priests are absent. “Although Canon Law says that in extenuating circumstances this can happen, the Vatican has said no on both occasions,” the spokesperson told The Record.
Canon Law does not allow for female deacons, but does, in specific, rare circumstances, allow for female lay preachers and wedding celebrants.
Canon 766 says: “The laity may be allowed to preach in a church or oratory if in certain circumstances it is necessary, or in particular cases it would be advantageous, according to the provisions of the Episcopal Conference and without prejudice to Canon 767.1.”
Canon 767.1 says: “The most important form of preaching is the homily, which is part of the liturgy, and is reserved to a priest or deacon.”
In regards to ‘inclusive liturgy’, the International Commission for English in the Liturgy is set to release a new Missal in 2011, which has been the subject of some debate as to what constitutes ‘inclusive’ and ‘exclusive’ language.
The October 18 meeting also recommended that the 2001 Social Justice Statement be regularly reviewed and that indicators of achievements be published every five years.
Sandie Cornish, a co-author of the One in Christ Jesus report and who was involved in the initial planning for the project and in gathering information in the oral sessions held throughout Australia, presented two seminars hosted by the Perth Catholic Social Justice Council and the CACW Perth.
She related the history of the national enquiry which is the largest undertaken by the Church in Australia.
Ms Cornish, assistant Delegate for Social Ministry for the Australian Jesuits, discussed Inspiring a Framework for Social Justice, introducing the Pastoral Spiral Theology Method of dealing with a social justice issue, incorporating the ‘see, judge, act’ method of Young Christian Workers founder Cardinal Joseph Cardijn.
Bishops can ask Rome for women marriage celebrants
By Anthony Barich
National Reporter
INDIVIDUAL Bishops can apply to the Holy See to appoint lay marriage celebrants, but it is rare and otherwise under “very controlled circumstances”, the Australian Bishops’ representative on the Council for Australian Catholic Women said.
Bishop Michael Malone of Maitland-Newcastle, NSW, told The Record that Canon Law does not permit a woman to be a deacon nor an acolyte, despite the CACW Perth requesting it as a “matter of priority”.
Canon Law permits lay marriage celebrants under rare and tightly controlled circumstances as, in the strict sense, the couple confers the sacrament on each other.
He said the Australian Episcopal Conference decided over 15 years ago that its Bishops could write to Rome individually seeking permission for their own diocese, but is unsure whether any have since taken up the opportunity.
There has, he said, long been speculation about the possibility of women deacons as the last chapter of Paul’s Letter to the Romans sees the Apostles commending to the Romans “our sister Phoebe, a deaconess of the church at Cenchreae (the seaport for Corinth in Greece), that you may receive her in the Lord as befits the saints”.
When the Woman and Man: One in Christ Jesus report was issued in 1999, the issue of women deacons was raised, but he said Australia’s Bishops do not have the authority to ordain them anyway, as Canon Law does not permit a woman to be a deacon or an acolyte.
While he said “the jury is still out” about the true origins of this scriptural reference from Paul’s Letter to the Romans, the current discipline of the Church is clear.
Women are permitted to assist at the altar, he said, but are not commissioned as acolytes as men are; and there is “no intention within the Church either” to look at the possibility of women deacons or acolytes.
Bishop Malone said that he received the Holy See’s permission 12 years ago to appoint lay ministers, but when they wrote back two years later to see how he had progressed, Vatican officials withdrew their permission as he had not yet organised them.
Bishop Malone has received nine priests from overseas over the past 10 months that has prevented the need for such an extraordinary measure as to require lay marriage celebrants or to conduct Eucharistic services without consecrating the Host.