Yesterday was the “Sunday Without Women?” when outraged Catholic women all across the globe were supposed to boycott Mass in order to prove that the Church needs to change its mind on celibacy or ordination of women or any other issue they can be outraged about.
It all started with Jennifer Sleeman, a Catholic convert from Ireland, urging women to send a message to the Vatican that “women are tired of being treated as second-class citizens in the Church.”
Rose Marie Berger, an associate editor with Sojourners magazine in Washington DC, got all “You go girl” about it and said something like “hey, let’s all do that.”
Berger, cribbing some phraseology from Karl Marx, wrote:
Catholic women of the world unite. September 26 is the day to boycott Mass and pray for greater inclusion of women in the Catholic church.
Then some sympathetic organizations jumped on board:
Women’s Ordination Worldwide (WOW) stands in solidarity with Catholic women in Ireland who call for a widespread boycott of Mass on Sunday, September 26, 2010.
“Women make up 60% of Mass-goers and 80% of lay ministers. If each one of us took action on one single day, there is no doubt that this would be a powerful and significant event,” stated Erin Saiz Hanna, Executive Director of the Women’s Ordination Conference (WOC). “The practical, financial, and political implications would be substantial to say the least,” Hanna continued.
I’m not sure I understand this. Let’s break a commandment in order to prove that the Church should do what we say?
Uhm, I’m not sure I see the logic. Do you?
Let’s hope the same people call for “Let’s all go to Confession to confess our Mortal Sin Day” next week.
September 27, 2010 at 3:20 am
Well at the EF Mass I went to there didn't seem to be any missing women. But I suppose the sort of women that go to an EF Mass won't be part of this boycott, now would they? 🙂
September 27, 2010 at 4:06 am
I am a woman. My problem with all of this is that none of these women are seeking holiness. What they are seeking is a "worldly equality" instead of true holiness. I truly believe that women are different from men. I think this not going to Mass proves even further the lack of seeking holiness.
September 27, 2010 at 4:11 am
Hmmm…Well, I went to Mass last night, but it was the vigil Mass for today, and, well, I went with my husband, which is probably a double no-no. Plus we took our three boys, at least one of which will possibly enter the priesthood, which is even worse for the Womyn Church cause…So I guess I am quite a stumbling block to the cause of womyn's ordination.
September 27, 2010 at 4:48 am
hmmm. I'm thinking of boycotting marriage for a day since my husband can't be pregnant. I think he ought to be able to experience such an important event, and if he can't, I guess we're not equal, and I'm boycotting until the universe changes to suit my personal feelings and experience…
September 27, 2010 at 6:06 am
Er… I go on Sat, on the theory that I can pay attention better with a squirmy baby that wants to flirt than a screaming angry one. (If someone was trying to inflate their numbers, they'd probably count all folks who use this logic.)
So, in theory, you COULD do this and not violate a commandment.
September 27, 2010 at 9:47 am
Really idiotic.
"Let us boycott an organisation of which we show, through our boycott and "demands", that we don't believe in it in the first place".
That this immense stupidity has been launched by a convert shows how bad conversions can be managed.
Mundabor
September 27, 2010 at 9:48 am
P.s. Full of women at Mass yesterday, I didn't notice any difference.
It may mean that Catholics believe in… the Catholic Church.
Mundabor
September 27, 2010 at 11:49 am
Apparently Jennifer Sleeman (who started this) did not actually convert after all.
September 27, 2010 at 12:12 pm
My husband didn't tell me to stay at home, so I went.
September 27, 2010 at 12:36 pm
No one ever tells me anything!
September 27, 2010 at 12:43 pm
I don't think Potland, Maine got the memo. The EMOHC were woman, the lector, the choir leader…. The 4 out of 5 Catholics around me were women. I had to actually touch them at the Sign of Peace. Oh! Father asked all the Rel Ed teachers to stand for a blessing. All women.
September 27, 2010 at 12:45 pm
Hadn't even heard about this until after Mass yesterday, not that it would've made a difference in my going. Might have been inspired to pray for the women who were boycotting, though. I didn't notice much of a difference in Mass attendance yesterday.
September 27, 2010 at 1:30 pm
Wow, what a movement! That explains why Betty Jean was not at the 9am mass as usual. Then I when I met her she said that she had gone to the 5pm Saturday mass. Of course, how would she even know about Sojourners' great boycott when only seven other people even read Sojourners?
September 27, 2010 at 2:21 pm
Mass may be the only place in our times when every woman is honored as a queen, not as a mere citizen.
— Mack
September 27, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Nope, we were there! PLUS, my little girl was baptized during Mass yesterday, so we really fail at "church without women" day.
September 27, 2010 at 2:34 pm
I hope these liberal women continue to stay home and not come to Mass ever again. Newsflash to these women – NOBODY CARES IF YOU DON"T COME TO MASS EVER AGAIN – Just don't let the door hit you on the way out. This could be the first step in a very longgggggg journey to restore the liturgy and CATHOLIC faith in the Church.
September 27, 2010 at 3:03 pm
Hmmmm…well, our Mass was unusaully empty yesterday….
But I assumed it was the result of people rearranging their schedules for football games! (And hitting earlier Masses)
September 27, 2010 at 3:23 pm
Even the BBC pretty much suggested the protest was a flop. I'm guessing most of the people not there are people who miss Mass regularly anyway.
September 27, 2010 at 3:39 pm
"..they are seeking is a "worldly equality" instead of true holiness. I truly believe that women are different from men."
Lets not confuse equality with sameness. We are equal – equal in dignity according to God. Our roles should be just as respected as the roles of men. That was what the early feminists strove for and that is just what still needs to be our goal today 🙂 While our role will not be the priesthood, we should be outraged at the treatment of women around the globe.
September 27, 2010 at 4:16 pm
Catholic women of my parish indeed united—in their complete indifference to Berger, Sleeman, et al.
Interesting timing, by the way. Think about what Sunday's gospel reading was, folks.