On a rainy Saturday afternoon in May in Ballymena,
Co. Antrim, something happened that underlined again the immense thirst
there is among rank and file Catholics for frank and mature engagement
about the future of their Church. One hundred people turned up, 90 of them women, to discuss the vexed issue of ‘Women in the Church’. They came from parishes throughout Down and Connor including Belfast, Antrim, Glengormley, Ballycastle and Randalstown.
The majority came from the host parish, Kirkinriola, Ballymena whose parish priest, Father Paddy Delargy instigated it, after the success of Father Robert Barron’s Catholicism programme in the parish over Lent which attracted up to 80 parishioners weekly.
“It came out of a conversation we had about the role of women in the Church. We decided we had talked about this on a number of occasions so we said why not do something about it and have a conference,” Father Delargy recalled. He stressed it was really two women parishioners, Nuala O’Loan and Janice McKeith who did all the organising ensuring it was such a success on the day.
To facilitate and encourage an open exchange of views it was agreed that Chatham House rules would apply which meant that only comments of the main speakers including Baroness O’Loan, Father Delargy and guest speaker Joanna Bogle, the English Catholic writer and broadcaster, could be attributed. This created an atmosphere of trust in which people did open up quite a bit and spoke their minds.
The principal demand from the gathering was for an open discussion within the Church on the issue of women deacons with several speakers calling for the actual ordination of women deacons. One sensed a great deal of support for women deacons.
Significantly, Father Delargy, told the meeting “ordination of women deacons has to be discussed”, adding it is documented that there were women deacons in the very early Church, citing Phoebe, the deaconess mentioned by St Paul in Romans 16.1.
In a thoughtful speech, Father Delargy called for dialogue between men and women about their complementary roles in the Church and was applauded when he said they should “complement each other to build a better Church”.
It should be noted that in the entire afternoon the issue of women’s priestly ordination was not discussed. Among this group of women lay faithful at any rate there was an apparent relaxed acceptance of the Church’s traditional teaching on the issue.
Eaves-dropping on the subsequent workshop and mingling with women during the tea break it was clear that among this group of extremely faithful Catholics there was resignation and frustration at best and anger at worst at the way in which they feel their giftedness is not recognised in the Church.
In one discussion a younger participant said she looked up to people like Nuala O’Loan and Mary McAleese as role models but was disappointed the male clerical leadership of the Church did not make much use of their talents.
During the tea break one woman observed: “It is a male dominated Church and that has to change.”
Another remarked: “The Church has to change with the times and give women their place which is not just making the tea. It is this failure to respect women and give us a meaningful role that is keeping away the younger generation.”
Joanna Bogle, in a warmly received speech said “the image of a woman, Mary and her Christ- child is central to our faith”.
However, she added, Catholics often forget just how central the women martyrs and saints are and citied great figures such as Agatha, Agnes and Cecilia in the early Church and later Catherine of Sienna and Bernadette.
During an open forum one of the most passionate contributions came from a woman theology student who called for the ordination of women deacons. She said the hierarchy is “in denial” about calling of women to ministry and hoped she would not have to ultimately look to another denomination to feel properly affirmed.
Afterwards, she was prepared to be named and speak on the record. She is Donna McGuire, a former school chaplain currently researching a Masters in Theology at All Hallows College in Dublin. Her dissertation is ' The authentic call of Christian women to the diaconate' and she says she has had “an authentic calling to the diaconate for well over 20 years” but “has nowhere to go with it in the Catholic tradition at the moment”.
Ms McGuire added: “I want to preach, I want to be involved in the pastoral care of people, to be involved in sacraments as an ordained person. There have been times when I have cried because I cannot take that extra step [to an ordained ministry].”
One has the impression that Donna speaks for many women in the Church.
Participants also expressed deep concern that the Faith be passed on by parents to future generations, called for more study of the documents of Vatican II and contrasted the wide acceptance of the concept of equality in the workplace with its perceived absence in the Church.
Some men present said many of the issues raised by women also applied to them and there was a case for a similar event to discuss the role of lay men in the Church.
One woman echoed a general view by stating it was an exceptional event and there was really not enough of this sort of thing. “We really need to find out what women want, we need parish workshops, we need reflection and we need more meetings like this.”
Another added: “We need to get people together to talk in the way we are doing here today.”
Baroness O’Loan who chaired the meeting told the gathering: “This was something of an experiment on this [women’s] issue. The invitations were sent all-round the diocese and we have people here from all parts of the diocese. This was perhaps the beginning of a journey to wherever the Spirit leads.”
One woman said as she got into her car to go home: “The fact that we can at least come here today and be listened to seriously and have someone of the standing of Father Delargy say the idea of women deacons should be discussed is a big step forward. I remember a parish priest who wouldn’t even let women into the sanctuary.”
Speaking to people afterwards one sensed a broad consensus that the event had been a great success in terms of giving women an opportunity to speak honestly and openly about how they see their role in the Church though it was a pity there were so few young women present.
Coming away one could not be but reminded of a point made by Mary McAleese in the final chapter of her recent book Quo Vadis?
She wrote: “There is no forum in the Church for determining the views of the People of God on the subject of governance and collegiality or virtually anything else for that matter, despite the clear provisions of c.212.3”
Canon 212.3 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law states in part: “They [Christ’s faithful] have the right, indeed at times the duty, in keeping with their knowledge, competence and position, to manifest to the sacred Pastors their views on matters which concern the good of the Church…”
This stimulating and absorbing ad hoc gathering of the faithful in Ballymena highlighted the opportunity and indeed the necessity of such a forum but – as some may see it - the pitfalls as well.