Be the Change, Catholic Church, Aotearoa New Zealand chose Sunday - the day before the anniversary of women's suffrage day - to mount their installation where dozens of pairs of shoes were placed so they led to the Catholic cathedrals in central Auckland and Wellington.

Splashes of pink - including among the shoes - coloured the occasion, along with music, singing and speeches.

The shoes signify the largely unpaid work women have done for the Church throughout the ages, organisers say. Their contributions were recorded in accompanying printed vignettes.

Despite women often being in the majority of organisers and participants in any Catholic congregation and liturgical celebration, their role in the church is not equal, organisers point out.

The Catholic Church continues the injustice of refusing to recognise women's worth by denying them equality in leadership roles, Pink Shoes into the Vatican say.

Best wishes came from Steve Lowe, Catholic bishop of Auckland.

Apologising to "Pink Shoes into the Vatican" group for his inability to be with them in person, Lowe wrote a supportive letter.

"While there have been and continue to be a litany of amazing women throughout this history of the Church, your presence and voice today is a reminder that you are the Church and Church's need to change," he said.

"Thank you for your prophetic hikoi to the Cathedral today, which is ultimately a call to respect the dignity that flows from our being created male and female in the image and likeness of our God.

"Your voice today echoes the voice of women throughout the world who, as part of the current synodal process, are calling on the Church to reflect the inherent dignity of women in the leadership of the Church... May we have the courage not to get stuck in structures that are not necessarily of God."

In the absence of the bishop, the Administrator of St Patrick's Cathedral, Chris Denham, received the women's statement and gave them Lowe's letter of support.

"When Fiona and Christina visited me a couple of months ago, they presented me with Kate's pink shoes. They (the shoes) remain in my office and are certainly a talking point. They also remind me I too need to change," Lowe wrote.

Wellington's Coadjutor Archbishop Paul Martin, however, denied the Pink Shoes into the Vatican group publicity for their shoe installation. He also wrote to parishes in the Wellington archdiocese requesting they do the same.

"Since the archbishop's edict to parishes not to advertise this event, one woman has written of her indignation. Others have asked, 'what was he thinking?'" a Wellington organiser Cecily McNeil told the group.

She invited the Archbishop to read the first few paragraphs in the archdiocesan synod synthesis.

With Cardinal Dew in the South Island and Martin in Rome, there was no one to receive the predominantly women's group in Wellington.

Priest, Jim Dooley, spoke at the Wellington gathering saying his fellow priests did not understand equality because, in their priestly formation, they were exposed to a different set of principles.

He said, to applause, that what the women were looking for was a "no brainer."

Dooley equated the church's treatment of women to slavery, a reference to the fact that in most churches, women do much of the work - cleaning and pastoral work as well as liturgical preparation, almost always for no pay.

Source

• Be the Change
• Letter of Bishop Steve Lowe
• Supplied: Be the Change Wellington.

From the far reaches of New Zealand to the very heart of Catholicism in Rome, the Pink Shoes Into The Vatican Campaign is making a bold statement on gender inequality within the Church.

Led by Be the Change Aotearoa New Zealand, this grassroots initiative will take the form of an eye-catching art installation in October, featuring worn-out women's shoes adorned with pink ribbons.

However, these aren't just shoes; each pair tells a tale of women's hardships within the Church.

Christina Reymer, an active member of Be the Change, is personally taking the shoes to Rome.

The Pink Shoes Into The Vatican campaign, launched in Auckland and Wellington last year, is set to be a vivid reminder of one of the Church's largest overlooked constituencies — its women.

It has already sparked international interest and seems certain to ignite conversation — and possibly even controversy.

"While the official synod will for the first time include lay people, including women, the concern is that this will still be a highly orchestrated event with vain hope for real change" says Reymer.

"We want to cast the net wider, to hear from the ‘majority', most of whom have already left, having felt marginalised by the church's abuses of gender discrimination, clericalism, patriarchy, sexual and emotional abuse, colonialism and other injustices, including the environment."

The Pink Shoes art installation will stand as a graphic illustration of one of the largest marginalised voices in the Church, the voice of women.

Spirit Unbounded

While in Rome, Reymer will also attend the Spirit Unbounded lay-led synodal assembly from October 8-14.

Spirit Unbounded is an independent gathering that will run parallel to Pope Francis's Synod on Synodality.

"While the Pope's initiative is a step in the right direction, many worry it's too controlled, too orchestrated," Reymer told CathNews.

"We aim to hear from those who've already left the Church, disheartened by its failure to fully address gender discrimination, abuse and other social and environmental issues."

Spirit Unbounded seeks to create a global network of Catholic reform and other Christian groups that actively embrace diversity and work to include groups marginalised by the hierarchical Church.

Spirit Unbounded currently enjoys 43 companions.

The Spirit Unbounded event, which is both an in-person and online event, will feature more than 100 global speakers including notable figures such as Benedictine Sr Joan Chittister and Dr Mary McAleese, former President of Ireland.

Other Spirit Unbounded voices include Pa Ropata, Professor Thomas O'Loughlin, Dr James Alison, Professor Leonardo Boff, Cherie Blair, Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan, Dr Tom Doyle and Fr Diarmuid O'Murchu.

The ‘Human Rights in the Emerging Catholic Church' event aims to push the envelope even further, insisting that the Church must evolve to address contemporary global challenges from social injustice to environmental degradation.

Sources

• Supplied - Be the Change Catholic Church Aotearoa
• CathNews NZ
• Spirit Unbounded

Held on International Women's Day, the event at Auckland's St Patrick's Cathedral plaza included a display of well-worn pink shoes.

The event was timed to coincide with midday Mass.

'Be the Change' invited Auckland Catholic bishop Steve Lowe to attend; however, he was unavailable. It also extended an invitation to Dean of the Cathedral, Fr Chris Denham, who, last year, attended in place of Lowe.

"Be the Change' seeks to change the Church by allowing gender equality at all levels of the Church.

By encouraging the Church leadership to enlarge the space of the Church's tent and be more inclusive of women, the group invites the Vatican to walk its own talk.

As well as the pink shoes, the women also pitched a small tent with a sign reading, "Enlarge the space of your tent."

"Enlarge the space of your tent" is the title of a recently released Vatican document for the next phase of Pope Francis' synodal process.

The group says the phrase, "Enlarge the space of your tent," promotes a profound re-appropriation of the common dignity of all the baptised, starting with a desire of radical inclusion where no one is excluded.

In 2022, 'Be the Change' conducted similar events in Auckland and Wellington.

"A vibrant church requires a synodal structure in which all members share full equality by right of their baptism," say the women.

"We chose International Women's Day because we stand with our sisters across the world who seek justice and equality, not only in Church life, but in a multitude of areas of their lives."

Also at the event, 'Be the Change' women gave out key rings, each with a little pink resin shoe, which they say is a tangible reminder of the journey for justice and equality for women in the Church.

'Be the Change' says it has created its own faith community that is helping bring justice, equality and an inclusive Catholic Church.

Core to the group's beliefs is exploring how women can be part of the governance role of the Church and, to this end, it will stand alongside women who feel called to leadership and ordained ministry.

"Synod 2024 feedback from people across the world asks to the end of injustice and inequality for women and their inclusion in ordained priesthood and leadership roles in the Catholic Church," say the group.

'Be the Change' Catholic Church Aotearoa is coordinated by Christina Reymer, Jo Ayers, Louise Shanly and Mary Thorne.

Sources

• Supplied
• Be the Change
• Evening Report NZ
• NCR