Letter addressed to St. Louis Review

Dear Editor,

Thank you for publishing Bishop Herman's thoughts on obedience in the August 1, 2008 article "I thought you should know." Unfortunately his explanations are less than compelling, clearly condescending and do not lead logically to the end he seeks.

If I may, I'd like to address a few of those points. First, he quotes a "brilliant Baptist theologian" as saying, "Whenever a new charism arises within it (the Catholic Church), it creates a religious order and keeps it in the Church." Therefore unity, I suppose. Or possibly
pacifying into silence? Even so, there is a new charism arising in the Church in the growing voice of women as equal participants with men in all levels of spiritual life and service. I do not see this charism embraced. Instead the women heeding their call from God are shut out of spiritual life and service to their Catholic communities. The institutional Church is making a concerted effort to alienate those with a new charism. There is no unity here.

He refers to the Catechism of the Catholic Church in which "the word 'obey' comes from the Latin 'obaudire,' to hear or to listen to. Therefore the obedience of faith means 'to submit freely to the Word that has been heard, because its truth is guaranteed by God, who is Truth itself.'" What seems to be implied here is that we can only hear our call through the directives of the Bishops and Canon Law. This is a fallacy. Women who hear their call from God and wish to obey their call to priesthood are denied the opportunity to obey their call. The Institutional Church is working counter to its Catechism. They are joyful people because they are obeying God's call, walking faithfully the path Jesus laid for us. Their sacrifice is to be denied the ability to be obedient to their call. This puts sacrifice above obedience, just the opposite of Bishop Herman's observation.

His observations about the perceived anger of dissenters to Catholic teaching are a convenient over-simplification and a self-serving psychological judgment. It is easier to dismiss by blaming them for the perceived anger rather than deeply considering the longings and needs of the individuals. I suggest Bishop Herman and others in the church hierarchy take the time to look within their hearts and challenge themselves as to what they are so afraid of. Look beyond the rhetoric of the Canon Law or Catholic Doctrine and consider why a woman's equal voice in the Church, a woman's equal opportunity to follow her calling at any level, is so threatening. Listen to the passion and purity of all the "dissenters" and recognize the deep and abiding love they have for living the Gospel message. Jesus was obedient to God's word, not any set of man-make laws or doctrines.

He speaks of the dissenters forming a community. The early Church was several collections of dissenters seeking community and seeking understanding of Jesus words. The seeking and questioning of dissenters as a group reflects the early communities and the many Saints who challenged the church of their day to later be recognized for their contributions to the evolution on the Church.

I am grateful Bishop Herman had a path that has brought him satisfaction and joy. It is easier for one in the demographic that holds the power and control to speak of obedience to that person's group and to be grateful for one's life choices. Of course you would not want to change the formula. That was also true for those opposing the Civil Rights Movement, those upholding Apartheid and any other number of societal injustices.

I am a member of the St. Cronan community and a friend of Sr. Louise Lears. The injustice of the former Archbishop's treatment of Louise dismays and disheartens me. She has held as priestly a presence in our community as any priest. She embodies the love Jesus lived every day and calls us to live. The interdict is an act of violence against a member of the Body of Christ and sending her from our parish is an act of violence and an injustice to our community. I am angry for her pain. I am angered and quite saddened by our loss of her continued physical presence in our community. I am insulted by the manipulation. I am utterly ashamed of my Church for the un-Christ like treatment of a Holy woman. Primarily I am convinced the unity and obedience of which Bishop Hermann speaks is not grounded in the Gospels but in maintaining an archaic system of domination and control. My obedience is to God primarily, not the Church absolutely. My joy is when I am walking the path Jesus called us to. My peace comes from walking in the light of Christ with people like Louise Lears and sharing the full realization of our mutual gifts.

May you know peace, love and great joy in God's Love every day, in every person.

Sincerely,

Ann Reis Quigley

Director
Kirkwood Kumon Center