Theologian Tina Beattie has expressed frustration over the Vatican’s ongoing postponements regarding women’s roles in the Catholic Church, describing the situation as “platitudinous waffle”.
Beattie criticised the lack of progress in an article published on Thursday by Sacred Heart University in the US.
Beattie’s comments follow the release of a new working paper by the Vatican on the second session of the Synod on Synodality.
The document “Instrumentum laboris” highlighted that the topic of the diaconate for women remains contentious globally. This has led to its exclusion from the Synod’s discussions.
Instead, the discussion on women’s roles in church leadership will be “continued in an appropriate timeframe and in an appropriate manner”.
However Beattie argued that requiring an all-church consensus for doctrinal changes is impractical.
“Some African bishops are entrenched in patriarchal cultures and values, but others have vocally supported the struggle of African women against patriarchy” she explained.
Women leaders in Africa
Beattie offered positive insights into the progress of women in Africa.
“My work with African women theologians has led me to believe that the church in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa offers many more opportunities for women’s leadership and participation than their Western counterparts.”
Beattie argued that, as women become more educated and assertive about their rights within secular contexts, it becomes increasingly intolerable for the Catholic hierarchy to maintain outdated attitudes towards women.
She expressed dissatisfaction with the Vatican’s platitudinous waffle and romantic stereotypes, labelling them patronising and out of touch.
Despite her criticisms, Beattie affirmed her commitment to her Catholic faith. “But I no longer have the slightest interest in the claptrap of a celibate male hierarchy when it comes to women.”
She is no longer interested in the Vatican, its synods and papers. “Maybe it’s a kind of desperation, but it allows me to keep both my sanity and my faith.”
Sources
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News category: World.
