In recent news, the Vatican has proven that they are amicable to having women in leadership, but only on their terms.
On December 1, Colonel Daniel Anrig took over as commander of the Swiss Guard – the military force of Vatican City. After his appointment, a Swiss news website asked Anrig if he would be open to the possibility of women joining the Pontifical Swiss Guard. Anrig replied, “As commander, one has to be always open to new questions including those relating to recruitment.”
Not seven days later, the Pope held a concert to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. And who took the conductor podium but Inma Shara, a 36 year-old composer/conductor from Spain. In 2005, Marin Alsop was the first woman to conduct a full-time, full-size, world-class orchestra when she became the artistic director of Baltimore’s symphony orchestra.
So, women can protect and entertain the pope, but women still can’t be the pope—or priests or bishops for that matter. And because of this, women have no role in decision-making processes of the Catholic Church. In a church that boasts human rights for all, this seems a bit ironic at best.
A recent news report from the Catholic News Service (a news service closely related to the US Bishops’ Conference), sang the praises of Catholic Relief Services (an aid organization also closely related to the bishops) for helping women enter Egyptian politics. Certainly, having Egyptian women elected to public office is a great victory. Women’s leadership is essential to the health of a country or an organization or even a religious community.
What about the institutional Catholic Church? Doesn’t the Catholic Church deserve to be a healthy, well-rounded religious community? And don’t women deserve to be more than guards or conductors at the highest levels of the church?
Other denominations – the Quakers, the Unitarian Universalist Church, the United Church of Christ, the United Methodist Church, etc – have been ordaining women as ministers since the 1800s. Some think that, especially with the shortage of priests, that it is only a matter of time before the Vatican comes around.
However, with the Vatican’s longstanding vision that women are somehow inferior to men (although they would never say that outright now – they are much too PC), it may take more than a shortage of priests to change their antiquated ideology.
In the end, perhaps the Church hierarchy should take their cue from Colonel Arnig and, as leaders of the church, stay open to new questions relating to the priesthood.
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