Synod Response
Identifying ways in which CWLANZ could make a unique contribution to the Mission of the Church
April 2024
During the past month, in my position as National President of CWLANZ, I have attended CWL conferences in all our dioceses. At each conference I have posed and facilitated the three questions regarding women in the Mission of the Church. I have been overwhelmed by the interest generated and responses received from members throughout the country. I believe this has developed from the facilitation of the Synod last year and members feel that their opinions do matter and they are ready to continue on this synodal journey.
How can we as women and members of CWL enhance the Mission of the Church?
Mission is the Heart of the Church.
Pope Francis, in his new year address, says “The Church needs Mary to recover her feminine face. The church is female. Mother church. If we do not understand what a woman is, what the theology of a woman is, we will never understand what the Church is.”
In order for women to fully participate in the Mission of the Church we need to promote full involvement in the life of the church. Women need to use their professional expertise, to treasure and use their God-given gifts. We need to work together for the Church and community, hosting combined social occasions and working together on projects. We have many highly qualified women in positions of leadership locally, nationally and globally who enhance the mission of the Church by their faith in action. We need to support them in this mission, working together and alongside one another.
The credibility of women needs to be acknowledged and valued. Often women feel under-rated or under pressure from men in leadership positions in the Church and do not participate in Church affairs because of this. Support is necessary for those women who put themselves forwards to take their turn. Women should be encouraged to participate in the Church to the best of their ability, to lead prayer groups, discussions and formation programmes e.g. Baptism, First Communion, Marriage Preparation, prayer groups, Lenten discussions, Gospel discussions etc. (Why do we make it so difficult for families and other interested persons to enter the Church through Baptism? Why do we not welcome them with open arms? We don’t teach a baby to cry but we do teach them to laugh and smile. Surely that is what baptism is about.)
Some women may feel they have the call to the deaconate and are ready to give sermons. Others have no wish to enter this field but treasure their involvement in the ministries of the church as readers, ministers of communion, administering to the sick, sacristans and taking Services of the Word with Holy Communion when a Priest is unavailable.
Women can enhance their mission by providing support for young men who are called to the priesthood, mutually affirming their calling. The formation programme for seminarians desperately needs input from women so that our young priests understand where women are coming from and the problems they face as women and mothers. Priests from Asian countries appear to have very limited knowledge of how NZ women function.
As members of CWL, our mission is spiritual growth, social justice and charitable works. We have an obligation to always seek a deeper and more personal relationship with God.
How can we make it possible to promote co-responsibility between women and leadership in the church?
“Church Leadership needs to open up greater spaces and roles of responsibility for women in the church in the 21st century. The church needs to look at mothers and to all women in order to find peace, to emerge from the spiral of violence and hatred and once more see things with genuinely human hearts and minds”.
Women must have a voice in Church matters.
The Assembly asks that we avoid repeating the mistake of talking about women as an issue or a problem. Instead, we desire to promote a Church in which men and women dialogue together.
We need to identify ways where women can make a unique contribution in the Mission of the church. Co-responsibility would hopefully lead to the respect of human dignity. By reaching out and dialoguing we can inspire meaning and purpose to make a better world.
Women need to identify what leadership roles they would like to undertake, and determine whether there is training available. (Unfortunately there appears to be a discrepancy and lack of cohesiveness in the Dioceses (for example) whereby some Parishes allow women to give a homily, others may not tolerate this practice whatsoever.)
Some members feel the need to “lobby” for the return of Parish Councils. There is a feeling of lack of communication in some aspects of church management. A Parish Council representative of all the Church communities with equal membership of men and women would help in achieving more cohesiveness. There are also parishes where members are not permitted to advertise CWL activities or speak about them in church. This is a great pity as we have so much to offer.
In order to increase knowledge, women should be encouraged to research what other Catholic women in the world (WUCWO) desire from the Church and encourage reading of bona fide resources such as the Vatican website. They need also to be aware of misinformation.
The contribution of women must be recognised and valued in pastoral leadership through co-responsibility. Unfortunately some women still feel undermined in their parishes. We should endeavour to have proportionate or equal membership of men and women on Pastoral Councils. Some Priests prefer to have men only on their leadership teams, making for disproportions. Leadership teams need to be representative of the various communities in the Parish.
Many Priests make changes in their Parishes as soon as they arrive. It is imperative to have a ‘settling in period’ whereby they listen to all members of the parish and avoid upsetting the community. Priests come and go but communities remain static. When in Rome do as the Roman do. Priests who have come from other countries often have different views as to how the Church should be run. In some countries Women are often thought of as ‘second class citizens’ and should do what they are told — Not so in NZ. Priests must be made aware of this in their seminarian formation. They need to be given a wider view of matters relating specifically to women, from a woman’s perspective. Outdated rules and regulations regarding birth control etc. need to be urgently reviewed and updated. Many women have left the Church having been confronted by a Priest’s lack of knowledge and empathy.
How can we fully participate in the mission of the church?
Mission can be defined as — sending out, reaching out, teaching, evangelizing, social justice work, spreading the Good News, and Ecumenism, and in the case of CWL inviting more women to come on board with us and to increase membership where possible. The ultimate would be a CWL group in every parish in NZ.
We need to work together on projects. Many women who are highly qualified academically have been elevated to positions locally, nationally and globally. We need to support them. Co-responsibility of men and women, offering special talents working together and alongside one another, would optimise and enhance our mission.
We see the mission of women as co-leaders in the Church as satisfying a need to speak out, raise awareness of women’s issues, be proactive, assertive, welcoming, visible by their faith in action, and to provide opportunities and resources for other women.
Proposals: Listen synodally to what others have to say, be involved in church affairs and ministries, respect opinions of others, be informed on social issues especially those affecting women and children, be informed on Church matters, read, be open minded and trust. Specific meetings should be held to include both men and women with conversations in the Spirit. Listen to concerns and desires. Be sensitive to cultural diversity. Make all welcome. Avoid a meeting just for the sake of having a meeting. Encourage ‘open’ Parish discussions or forums. Outcomes of meetings should be circulated to all Parish members and not a ‘closed shop’.
Provide care to the most marginalized, gain access to theological studies, ensure Priests are trained in understanding women’s needs. Be informed in all canonical processes at all levels of laity and the consecrated.
The use of language in Church texts, images and narratives could be more ‘user friendly’, inclusive and draw from women’s experiences. (Women are appalled at some of the translations of Church documents that require a theological doctorate to understand them.)
Make a difference through compassion and solidarity. Assist the poor, uplift communities. Promote wellbeing. Become informed on health care, aged care community welfare. Encourage ecumenism.
Welcome all. Improve welcoming practices. (The Catholic Church is not seen as a welcoming church by others.) Strengthen links with the housebound. Reach out to marginalised groups. Maintain strong links for fostering humanism. Live out our motto of faith and service. Engage all ethnicities. Serve on senior leadership teams, finance committees, liturgy teams. Be informed.
Educate communities from both feminine and masculine viewpoints. Together we live out our baptism. Create valuable roles and educate ministries in the church for women. Women are well educated in faith and social issues. What if we allowed spaces for women to preach? Equality within the church is not focused on priesthood but on equality for all. Women’s gifts and talents are a vital element in the Church. The talents of each person, male and female, should not be judged according to, or limited by, gender diversity but by unity. Diversity of culture, cultural traditions, language, and values are ways of celebrating the multicultural way within the framework of the church, spreading ecumenism and learning from each other.
As Women — How can we participate fully in the Mission of the church?
As women, our Mission to ourselves is that — we are faithful friends who stand together, care for each other, live out our Faith through our actions and face the world with love and gratitude.
We participate in the Mission of the Church through discussions — such as these synodal discussions. We promote the idea of men and women deacons in the Church. Both men and women are capable of carrying out all tasks except of course, the Consecration. Women are prepared and equipped to serve in senior partnership, on finance councils etc. We endeavour to create awareness and interact with other women. There may be stumbling blocks but we can do it together. Kia Mahi Tahi.
Women are not always recognised by men as being able to participate. Opportunities should be more available for training, leadership and theology sessions. Sermons must be relevant to the Gospel and local needs enhancing the mission of the Church, providing a stimulant for the forthcoming week.
CWL is about faith and service, works of mercy. We support the Leadership of our Church as a two-way engagement. We invite newcomers, and try to be vital, visible and vibrant. We include all parishioners in activities. We will continue to serve in our mission communities at home and overseas and wherever there is a need. We continue to look for opportunities and mission. The mission of the church is Christ’s Mission.
Pope Francis says — “the Spirit exists for the sake of the mission of Jesus”. We need to evangelise, be joyful, attract and actively welcome others into the Church. Have fun!
We can enhance mission by being visible as we participate in our faith and service. There have been some big changes in the past few years. In most parishes women make themselves available for leadership roles and their parish continues to appreciate the skills of women. However this is not always the case.
By extending publicity of what we, as members of CWL are doing, we will increase our Mission in the Local church to begin with. We must advertise what we are doing and what we have achieved for all to see — Faith and service in action. Then we can put ourselves forward for consideration of other duties and be prepared to accept offers of responsibility and leadership when they arise.
We support our priests. We encourage ecumenism. We support those of the laity who put themselves forward to take their turn. We always participate in the Mission of the Church to the best of our ability. We educate ourselves through reading, attending talks, discussions and enrolling in Church courses. We try to learn something new at our meetings. Our ‘At Home’ appeal is our mission in NZ where we choose a deserving charitable organisation for an annual fund raising venture. This is often a new learning experience as well.
Synopsis
As women we can fully participate in the Mission of the Church by working together through co-responsibility and being supportive of leadership; by encouraging more communication; by encouraging ecumenism.
By being aware of — Community, Congregation, Core, and Commitment — We Pray, Participate, Promote, and Provide; and by welcoming all we will succeed in mission.
We believe that we want a Church closer to the model left by Jesus to the apostles. We continue to pray for the fulfilment of God’s Kingdom with guidance from the Holy Spirit.
We try to walk with people in their footsteps.
The Church is not a building place — the Church is a People.
Sylvia Mellish
National President, CWLANZ