Having returned from three blissful weeks on the Wild Coast, despite having viewed the ‘real thing’ in the unpolluted night skies, I found myself playing ‘catch up’ with my Southern Crosses. In the 04-10 January issue, the headline “Church to back gender equality on slave’s feast.” caught my eye. Wonderful news indeed! As the SACBC acknowledges, “Despite men and women being equally children of God, women have been massively discriminated against —-“ and proceeds to outline the December 2016 SACBC pledge “for an end to abuse wherever it occurs, whether in the Church, in the family or elsewhere” .
Well, we don’t have to look very far for ‘the plank in our own eye’ do we, and I could not help wondering whether Jesus’ would have not perhaps have applied his well-known ‘white sepulchres’ description to that statement, when one considers that the Church persists in relegating Catholic women to second-class membership? If that is not regarded as ‘abuse’ or ‘discrimination’, what IS? Perhaps the SACBC will outline precisely how it intends tackling this long-entrenched abuse?
Maybe the 8th February feast will bring about some radical changes in the Church’s attitude towards our women-folk – but I am not holding my breath!
May 2017 bring many blessings to the Southern Cross and its readers – and especially the women of our Church, without whom the Church would never be the same. It is high time their role was fully recognised and acknowledged!
Geoff Harris (Dip-R) – South Africa
