We Are Church Eucharist - 13th September 2025
With thanks to Rachael for taking notes
Introduction: A distinction has to be made between the Mary of the gospels and Mary of the fictional stories that have been created about her in devotional tradition. She needs to be liberated from the images into which she has been formed. Following Mary as she is often depicted by tradition may deter rather than challenge the radical living out of the gospel. The lack of historical evidence in the Gospels has left the imagination of Christian devotion entirely unrestrained by information. During the Liturgy we will reflect on Mary based on her Magnificat.
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Around Vatican II, when a lot of saints were being dropped, and the role of the saints and the role of Mary was diminished because they were taking a higher ground than Jesus. Now I hear of Mary as Mediator. It contradicts what was intended then. (The Church evolves).
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Mary's Magnificat today and Pope Paul's 6th letter stresses the importance of the Church's critical and transformative power in structures that demonise people. It does not apply to those within the Church. We have unjust patriarchal structures, and dehumanised women by refusal to acknowledge the full humanity and gifts and the vocations of women.
Transformation has to happen INSIDE the Church as well.
Mary has been used/abused as an oppressive figure for women, which has done a great disservice to men and women. It is unfair to Mary and damages our sisters. We hope to have full liberation. The Magnificat is a proclamation of the Gospel, and women cannot proclaim the gospel. This contradiction is significant.
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Last week, I attended a session where a Brazilian eco-feminist theologian and a young South African woman who is now a member of the Curia spoke to us. She gave an idea of the priest role of women in the Vatican, considering there are several women working in the Curia in the lines of the Synod.
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There is so much to do. And I am sure Mary is on our side.
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I recently came across a review of a book by Ally Kateusz called 'Mary and Early Christian Women: Hidden Leadership'. Ally points out that in 381, just after the Edict of Thessalonica, when the Church was being made the State Church of the Roman Emprie, there was a synod which decided what should be in the Canon of the Scripture. Ally has gone into detail on the things that were cast out and described as apocrypha. Apocrypha was then given a bad name, that it is worse than useless. Ally found that the thing that is common with Apocrypha is that it has a story of Mary, leading in prayer. But women could not be priests in the Roman Empire...might as well make a council of a horse! Ally recognising the limitation of the canon of the Scripture, they have left out anything related to women leading in prayer. Women leading in prayer have been painted over and plastered over. In one church when they chipped off the plaster several 100 years later. The church was being groomed to become the State church of Rome and they could not imagine a woman leading the Church. It is all on Wijngaards' website. You can see where the exclusion of women from priesthood arose.
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In India, not just men, but many women would oppose ordination of women, due to cultural bias and deep-set patriarchy. The inherent patriarchy in our culture is used by clergy to subdue our true Christian freedom. For example, Bishop Mulakkal of Jalandhar (who was accused of raping an nun, and was later acquitted) made statements as such:
“Should women be allowed to even exist…. “Well, if AI (artificial intelligence) is developing, and plastic dolls can produce children, then why do we need women? If women are only for sex, you don’t need them.”
Did he forget that Mary, Thecla, Phoebe, and so many saints are Women?
Further, he said “If only one finger enters the vagina, she is a virgin. Two fingers mean she’s having a relationship only with one man, her husband. But used by multiple men — that’s the three-finger position.”
Despite these statements, he continues to have great support because such statements match with people's own beliefs - even though our Supreme Court has banned the two-finger test as unscientific.
ICWM has written a petition to ask for his removal as Bishop, but will the Catholic Church do it? While we are under a right-wing government, the Church will rally behind him because of his political connections.
Is this really the Church Jesus had envisioned?
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I've always questioned clergy, especially young clergy, who seem to have extraordinary devotion to Mary, and are not really able to communicate so well with women. I had an encounter some time ago with such clergymen and yet if you have any kind of discussion with him, he was not able to look you in the eye. They are not able to cooperate with ordinary women. It makes me wonder, what image we have of Mary from childhood? Silent, obedient, demure, graceful, ladylike, and a virgin. Growing up, when I was in primary school, I had none of those qualities of Mary, as I was on the wild side, a 'tom-boy'. I didn't curse or swear, but I was whistling one day and I was told 'Mary did not whistle'. I had to develop a relationship with Mary. My mother, grandmother, and I said the rosary at night, and my mother and grandmother had a relationship with Mary, but I didn't have then, because it was not me.
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Kathleen Coyle portrays Mary as a partner with Jesus, in the redemptive mission, right up to the Cross. She starts at the wedding at Cana and accompanies him most of the time. Mary was a partner with Jesus in his mission. We need to read more about Mary, and we have to assert women's roles as partners in the mission of the Church. The Roman empire really distorted the message of Jesus by making it a religion of the empire and inserting patriarchy in the institution. It destroyed the liberative message of Jesus, making Mary look subdued, obedient, silent...until Vatican II. We need to liberate Mary from those images of patriarchy and give her the rightful place as a partner in the Mission with Jesus.
Many religions originated with the support of Women. E.g. Islam was initiated by the Prophet, but he was financially supported, and the new faith was promoted further by his wife, Khadija, who was a businesswoman! We need to recognise that every religion probably had notable women who inspired and promoted the religion with good intentions, not for control.
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For an image of Mary, we have (many of you) as a young girl. You were being yourselves. Mary, too, may have been like you, with her tremendous force of will to achieve what she did.
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An example from a woman from WAC. She is studying theology and philosophy. As part of her study, she had to spend a semester in Rome. When she held out her hand for the host, it was forced into her mouth. She wrote a strong letter of protest that at least there should be an announcement about it. Her colleagues are mostly male seminarians. Most, in their 30s, are amazed that she is studying theology. They laughed and said "I suppose you want to be a priest". And She said "yes!". They were incredulous! They had never met a woman who openly stated that she wanted to be a priest!
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