Cindy writes to the new Archbishop...

The feast of the Assumption on August 15th meant extra masses this week celebrated at St Michael's. Cindy and her team managed to clean up most of the mess from the previous weekend's chaos.

Some thought went into an appropriate visual setting to honour this special feast of Mary! How can you show through symbols, Mary being taken body and soul into heaven? Suggestions were made to have a smoke machine and tie fishing lines to Mary's statue and have her disappear into the ceiling amidst clouds of smoke. After much hilarious discussion, it was decided it was all too difficult and in the end nothing special was done. The congregation however did enjoy singing the 'Hail Queen of Heaven'. Guess golden oldies take many centuries to die.

Today however, Cindy has been inspired by something else. She's been really inspired by the new Archbishop of Canberra-Goulburn's homily on Thursday saying that the Church is pregnant. She detects a sense that Archbishop Mark may be indicating a shift in the hierarchy's attitudes towards women so she sat down and fired off the following letter to thank him for his words and encourage him a bit further down the line of thinking he seems to be heading in. Here's her letter...

St Michael's Sacristy
Friday 18 August 2006

Dear Archbishop Coleridge (Your Grace)

Mm, sorry to begin on such a humorous note but once upon a time I was in the position to offer a plate of cake to a bishop whod' just been promoted to archbishop. In my nervousness, I said "Would you like some grace Your Cake"? (He possibly may have appreciated an extra slice of Grace!!)

Well Your Grace, your homily in Canberra was most impressive. I liked it. Your image of the Church being pregnant is delightful. May I add to that and say "We are all pregnant". You see, I believe we are all pregnant – with God. This is a pregnancy that as soon as we have given birth to something wonderful, we are immediately pregnant again. Every day we give birth to "the things of God".

You are right Mark – I hope you do not mind my using your personal name. I really have been encouraged by your homily and suspect you are a bit more "modern" than some of the others we have around this country – none of us have road maps for the journey ahead, but we do know that God will always be with us as we travel life's highways and byways.

Archbishop Mark, as a woman who has given birth three times now to real human babies, I have a few questions for you please?

During pregnancy, a couple need to be open to the possibility of their child being either male or female. There is no choice. The child sent to the couple will have been created by God through them with no biases towards gender. My question is, "Will the Church be open to both male and female having an equal share in the 'Church of the Future'?"

If your answer is "No" to this question, I predict more and more women will leave active regular attendance in our parishes because the pain of exclusion will be too great for them to bear. Particularly when our parishes no longer have a resident priest.

The Church in Australia and other places has already had a major 'still-birth' through the loss of thousands of women who can no longer find life in a Church that refuses to use the special gifts of women in celebrating liturgy.

There is a very special stage of pregnancy, normally around the half way mark at 20 weeks, when a woman can feel her unborn child moving around within her belly. These are called 'movements'. The mother comforts her unborn, with reassuring tummy pats, music, and speaking words of love to the little one. Sometimes the baby has hiccups and this is easily detected by the mother. The baby's personality is well known to the mother long before birth. She knows if the baby is a restless or peaceful little mite. She knows when the baby is asleep or awake. She may sit in her rocker and soothe the unborn baby to sleep.

So my next question to you Bishop Mark is "Are there any 'movements' within the Church that might indicate this new birth will be open to both men and women in ministry?"

"Is the Church open to the notion that women are the experts in birthing?"

If the Australian Church is pregnant – she needs to be open to the possibility that her new baby may indeed be female!!!

Perhaps the inclusion of women is the key to the Catholic Church moving forward in Australia? Poaching priests from poorer countries is disgraceful and sinful. To bring in foreign priests to Australia just so we can have Eucharist is outrageous. Those countries need all the priests they have to minister to their own people.

Archbishop, I just hope that you can see clearly in your new role. There are thousands of talented Catholic women right under your nose in Australia. Are you going to give them a fair go? Will you encourage women to preach? Are you open to the fact that women may be the answer God is giving us as a solution to the shortage of clergy?"

If the Church is pregnant, it will never give birth without the experience of mothers.

Mark you seem to have "the ear of the Vatican" at the moment perhaps you're being called to give birth to some new ideas in Rome itself? Why not send the Pope an email? "Hello, hello. There are women out there Benny, you do realize they make up 50% of the Church don't you?"

My final words to you Archbishop Mark Coleridge:

"If the Australian Church is not open to the possibility of women taking major roles in this new birthing process – I think it will be a very long, protracted, painful birth that could well end up in further still-birth and loss".

God created them both male and female.
God has no favourites.
God is an equal opportunity employer.

I await your reply with baited breath Archbishop Coleridge.

Cindy

Cindy the Sacristan is the first new character to be written by one of our other readers whose imagination has been fired by Cliff's Menagerie. In reality these are real-life memoirs of one of our members who would prefer to remain anonymous.

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