Pope Schmope. I’m sick of it. Probably because the Catholic Church sickens me. I know it’s not good for business to talk much about politics or religion (same-same), but this isn’t about theism for me as much as it’s about giving a disgusting amount of positive media attention to an organization that doesn’t recognize humans born with vaginas as fit for significant official leadership roles.
Vagina, vagina, vagina. If that makes you want to cover your ears and run away (and I know some of you who feel that way), evaluate why that’s the case. Really.
I was raised Catholic. School and all. I had my first child, a son, baptized Catholic. He made his First Communion, too. Then I had a daughter. I was young and felt bound by tradition and respect for my parents’ beliefs, so I had her baptized Catholic also.
But by First Communion time I couldn’t do it any more. I couldn’t, in good conscience, put my little girl in a white dress and marry her off to a Church that doesn’t even practice the most basic gender equity. Doing so would have been a huge parenting failure, from my perspective. We know better now and it’s our responsibility to have the balls–excuse me, vaginas–to break the cycle of insanity for our children. It’s the right thing to do, despite the guilt we’ve been raised to have about that.
There are a zillion paths to Goodness. But, Catholic women friends, if you can’t bring yourselves to break from the traditions you’re comfortable with, for Christ’s sake, would you at least work harder within your church to demand the same opportunities as your penis-wielding counterparts?
It’s bullshit. Tell your priest it’s bullshit. Open up conversation after conversation about it. Talk about it right during goddamn coffee and donuts. Ask your priest if he believes women should have equal opportunity in the Church. If he thinks so, ask him what he’s actively doing toward that end. How much does it mean to him? What is he willing to risk for what’s right? What about you?
If you must stay, do what you can to bring change. Stop giving them money, for starters. Change of this nature is not too much for you to ask. In fact, I think it’s pathetic that you’re not doing more to demand change while continuing to raise your children in the Church.
Stop acting like you enjoy getting that white smoke blown up your ass. The Church, as it stands, depends on your helplessness. Stop acting so fucking helpless. You’re not.
In my opinion.
R.L. SAUNDERS 