It is not just a women’s issue

In this issue, the men do the talking.  To coincide with March 8, the date on which by long tradition we celebrate Women’s Day, it is their turn to talk about the role and importance that “the second sex” has had on their lives, in the building of their faith, on their religious journey. It is also their turn because in March we celebrate St Joseph, a man and a saint, who knew how to stand, with dedication, faith and self-denial beside the “mother of God” to the end.  In the following pages, men who live in the Church and for the Church give an assessment of the past and the role of women in her; and, the present and future of their presence too.  Today, women occupy different positions and functions than they did in the past, and have, certainly, important ambitions and aspirations for the future.

Francis certainly understood them when he spoke of “demasculinizing” the Church by opening up to a greater female presence.

How much did men, priests, bishops, cardinals, but also the faithful, those who intend to follow the words of the Gospel, understand them? How much have women, those who have been part of their lives and affections and those they have encountered in their mission, influenced their convictions and been important in their formation? How much can they teach them something new today? The questions that men in the Church can ask themselves are many and different from the past.

The Church is considered patriarchal, and there are numerous amongst them who consider her a misogynistic institution. A place where women are marginalized to service roles; where their widely proclaimed ambition for a different, more authoritative and influential presence has often provoked a heavy and harsh reaction from many men.

It is for this reason that we thought we would give the floor to men, and fully at that. This is an opportunity for them to tell us about their experience and to share how they see the future. We decided to let men contribute in first person and in a free debate to what (and the Synod is the clearest demonstration of this) is one of the issues we believe is crucial for the future of the Church.

Here, in this issue, the reader will find various contributions, which are at times discordant, ranging from critical opinions along with high hopes for openness. You will find confrontation, which is what we at Women Church World wanted today, and what we plan to carry forward into the future.