What’s Wrong with This Picture?
I painted this picture as a challenge parable for the women who were gathering in Philadelphia for the 2015 Women’s Ordination Conference. I thought it was self explanatory.
These women having waited too patiently (2000 years) for full equality in the church finally believe in the authenticity of their call from God. They have taken ordination unto themselves. They have assumed the sacrament reserved for men only, and have created communities of faith around themselves. But they continue to hold onto the hope that Roman Rite Catholicism will eventually recognize the error of its refusal to include women into its priesthood.
Usurping the mind of Jesus, the official church in Rome claims not to be able to ordain women because Jesus did not do so. The patriarchal Bishops would rather hold to these limiting views of the mind of God/Jesus. They prefer to allow the celibate male priesthood to diminish and to create the ever growing scarcity of Eucharist in the Catholic communities of the western world. I can understand the inability of the male mind to stretch their boundaries. I can’t, however, understand the tremendous energies these courageous and creative women spend in working to reform the Roman Rite Catholic Church. Shouldn’t the release of the spirit contained in the vision of Vatican II give ordained women the freedom to launch a new Vatican II catholicism in keeping with its long tradition of change.
Approval and inclusion from the patriarchal/hierarchical/legalist leaders of the Roman Rite would surely be a warning to women that they are heading in the direction of dangerous stormy waters. So what’s wrong with this picture for ordained women?
Painted Ponderings 
Today, the day after the election of President-elect Trump over Hillary Clinton. I don’t get it either why so many women are against women priests…against women leaders…against strong women, as if somehow they are a threat to the system.
Well, perhaps the system needs the challenge of women if ever it is to move from the “power over” position to the ‘power with” position.