The Thread of Patriarchy: Part V—A Matter of Moral Justice by Maree Sobolewski

The most persistent issue to emerge from the 2021–2024 Synod on Synodality was the role of women in the church. The Synod’s final document states this unambiguously: “Inequality between men and women is not part of God’s design. . . . We bear witness to the Gospel when we seek to live in relationships that respect the equal dignity and reciprocity between men and women. The widely expressed pain and suffering on the part of many women from every region and continent, both lay and consecrated, during the synodal process, reveal how often we fail to do so” (§50).

The issue of women’s ministry invites continued response from the hearts of the faithful as we enter the “implementation” phase of the synodal process. To this end, we are pleased to present a multipart essay by “committed Catholic” Maree Sobolewski of Australia. Maree originally wrote this essay to share with Synod delegates as they prepared for the second session in October. “The essay I have written is with a sincere heart,” she states by way of introduction. “I wrote it over a three-month period with much prayer and deliberation.” Part I of her essay is available here; Part II is here; Part III is here; and Part IV is here—Ed.

The church’s marginalization of women and the need for reform needs to be taken seriously. Throughout history, the church has in many ways modeled patriarchy as normative, reflecting it back to society in such a way that justifies and reinforces it. Of lower status, women receive less for their labor in paid employment and occupy fewer decision-making roles within both the secular world and the church. For centuries, nuns on too many occasions have functioned as unpaid servants and endured clerical abuse. They have also on occasions endured sexual abuse, with guilty clergy allowed to continue in their positions.

Women laity often form the backbone of a parish. Yet women’s sense of a ministerial vocation has been considered irrelevant, with women made to feel sinful because of their gender—a form of discrimination referred to as “holy guilting.” Sadly, an androcentric church has perpetuated an image of a patriarchal God: a projection that is hard for many women to draw close to, and one that can lower their sense of self-worth by making it appear that God favors men. The value and dignity of women has never been fully accorded them, and the patriarchal disempowerment of women in the church is visible to all.

Lasting Psychological Damage

“The lasting psychological damage of the patriarchal state and the church has been to make its gendered order appear normal, even natural, in the same way that class and racial oppression have historically been framed as natural by those in power,” writes Angela Saini. The lower value of women has become enculturated, contributing to abuse. Domestic violence is rampant throughout the world. Women are raped, battered, prostituted, sold into sexual slavery, and murdered by men.

United Nations statistics show that women make up around one-half of the world’s population. One-third of them experience physical and/or sexual violence. Two-thirds of illiterate adults are women. Women own less than one-fifth of the world’s land, do most of the unpaid labor, are more likely to experience starvation, and have fewer positions of authority. Millions of young girls are subject to forced marriages. Facts like these listed here indicate the moral evil inherent in patriarchialism. The church must look at the role it has played in normalizing a gender-discriminatory, subverted world.

Women and the Future of the Church

In cultures where women have been better educated, many have become more reform minded, withdrawing their consent from a previously conditioned and internalized sense of inferiority. They are refusing the justifications that men have made for their positions in the church and in society, no longer conferring on them the power to overrule their free agency. As one writer explains, women are moving beyond the cruel blows they have suffered over the centuries “from philosophers and theologians and formal acts of the Church and working for change.” Simply put, they are losing respect for their leaders.

Without women, the church would not exist today, and without them the church’s future is challenged. Disillusioned, many are simply leaving the church to embark on their own spiritual journey. This includes both women and men. Without change, the church may lose generations to follow, as the faith will not be passed on. This will include many future evangelists and missionaries. The Eucharist, instituted by Christ and assuredly an essential part of the Father’s will in his plan of redemption and unity, will be left unreceived by many, along with other unifying and empowering graces. The institutional church is working against itself. It is threatening to become a museum, a thing of the past.

Further, studies have shown that denying a person their agency to choose has a negative impact upon motivation, the use of talents, responsibility, and accountability. This could apply not only to those women and men who have walked away from the church, but also to the current lack of involvement in the mission of the church by many of those still present. It is not a world where they want to be, or where they feel they are fully accepted and part of.

The Evolution of Doctrine

The current perception is that the church is using an ecclesial policy of “appease and defuse” with regard to the issue of women—a few to advise and be part of the official Synod, for example. Any appeasement by the hierarchy as an attempt to “defuse” the issue of women, be it by a cardinal, bishop, or priest, will not increase people’s respect for the institution. As I’ve indicated above, the reform clouds have gathered.

The church, instead, must critically question itself. Those who would defend the magisterium and the pope as the authoritative truth bearers, and thus believe the current position of women in the church has to be accepted, should be aware of the times when the church has been wrong on issues. “Divine revelation” has clearly not always been the premise for the church’s decision-making processes. Corruption, ego, sin, and serious error have also played a role.

To name a few: the series of 15th-century papal bulls commonly referred to as the “Doctrine of Discovery” have been one of the church’s gravest errors. The bulls resulted in the brutal subjugation of native peoples in the Americas. Indigenous people are still suffering the consequences of this today. In 2022, Pope Francis apologized to the Canadian indigenous people for the sufferings they have endured at the hands of the church. Many other countries have still to receive apologies.

Other long-standing church teachings that have been reversed include the condoning of slavery (also supported by the apostle Paul and the church fathers Augustine and Aquinas), the obligation requiring rulers of Catholic nations to prevent the propagation of Protestantism in their territories, the teachings on limbo, and the doctrine that no one can be saved outside communion with the Catholic Church. The 1442 teaching that all Jews and pagans would certainly go to hell are included in the church’s reversal of positions. Today, ecclesial discrimination against women by male clergy imposing their decisions upon them and limiting their agency and opportunities is considered by many as another of those errors that needs to be addressed. As Peter Hünermann, professor of the Catholic Theological Faculty of Tübingen (Germany), observes, “[T]he Church has always—through the help of the Spirit and thanks to the commitment of many saintly men and women—found the strength to distance itself from sidetracks and errors, and to renew itself.”

The theologian Rosemary Radford Ruether once said the greatest theological problem with infallibility is that it makes it very difficult for the church to admit it was wrong. However, as Francis A. Sullivan, SJ, emeritus professor at Gregorian University in Rome, has stated, “The changes in church doctrine that have actually taken place in the course of history show that a tradition could hold firm until advances in human knowledge or culture obliged the church to look at the question in a new light.” This is that time.

Conclusion: A Matter of Moral Justice

In light of all the above, it is questionable to ask women to accept that men have a right to govern their free agency and determine what roles in the church they may hold. This is viewed as immoral, causing suffering to women, the church, and society. Upon an examination of conscience and prayer, to submit would be a “moral suicide” for many. The church, in light of the gospel, needs to be the bearer of moral justice and lead the way for change—not only within its own structures, but in society as well. ♦

Maree Sobolewski is a committed Catholic from Australia. She holds a master of arts in theology and spirituality and is a team member of Catholic Church Reform International. She has worked as an educator, a retreat leader and seminar facilitator, and a school chaplain, and has served as a missionary in Tasmania and the Northwest Territories of Canada. Maree has been actively involved in her parish for most of her adult life. She has served as a board member, prayer group leader, and international event coordinator, among other roles.

Image: Detail from Jules Bastien-Lepage, Joan of Arc, 1879