A chara, - I recently spent six days in Dublin, three of them at the Women's Ordination Conference. I attended WOW because about 25 years ago I would like to have been able to preach the gospel in a pulpit and was quite capable of doing so.
I no longer have such faith, but I met many who do - younger women, who have both faith and a dedicated discipleship of Christ. I learned from them that they stay with Catholicism because of its catholicity, its sacramentality of life and, for those who are birth Catholics, because it gives them roots and depth of culture. I found their faith in the face of intimidation quite inspiring.
Part of the Hierarchy's problem is that its own role depends on a philosophical notion of the feminine that is submissive and obedient. Lay people generally wanting to broaden their role and women discussing their own ordination come under the symbolic category of "feminine" in our hierarchial church. This Hierarchy cannot entertain a feminine that is capable of thinking, working and praying without directive.
Pointing to 12 male apostles becomes a smokescreen when one realises that Jesus of Nazareth was a layman, a teacher, a carpenter probably, and the best of story-tellers. His priesthood comes in the post-resurrection period when people needed to put into words the mind-blowing experiences that started the Church in motion, such as the author of Hebrews who called Christ the new high priest - priest and sacrificial victim at the same time.
Dara Molloy suggested (July 4th) that we ignore the Hierarchy and self-authorise. That has its attractions and every woman saint in Catholicism evidences its practice. However, as human beings we need structure, organisation and community - and that already exists; it just needs amending from time to time. Also, what clearly comes from the conference was a liking and identification with a sacramental culture which includes priesthood. - Yours, etc.,
Mary Warrener, Leicester, England.