A new “kairos” – Canada’s first “Roman” Catholic woman priest welcomed back to Vancouver Island – September 10, 2005
On July 25, on a boat floating in international waters among the Thousand Islands, near Gananoque, Ontario, nine women were ordained priests and deacons, according to the ancient ritual of the Roman Catholic Church. They were ordained by three women bishops, who in turn were consecrated as bishops according to the tradition of the church. They were consecrated by male bishops whose ordinations were conducted according to tradition – preserving the continuity of ordination from the times of the early church.
These ordinations of women bishops, priests and deacons is a fulfillment of the scriptural imperative that the new priesthood of Christ replace the ancient priesthood which was based on tired distinctions that Jesus did not share and certainly did not wish to perpetuate. This new priesthood was all inclusive, breaking down borders and allowing the excluded to become full members. St. Paul speaks of this new order when addressing the Galatians:
"All of you are children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. All of you who have been baptized in Christ, have clothed yourselves in Christ. Thus there is no longer Jew nor Greek, free nor slave, male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3,27-28
While the early church struggled to be faithful to this call to inclusiveness, there were elements in society and in the imperial church of Constantine who wished to excise this inclusiveness from the memory of Christ. It was even debated whether women could be baptized? Do they have souls?
In a landmark position in 1976, the Pontifical Biblical Commission determined that there were no scriptural impediments to the ordination of women. The Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith issued its formal rebuttal with “Inter Insigniores” which reiterated the official position that only a baptized male can be ordained to the priesthood (Canon 1024). As too many Catholics had been infected with a Vatican 2 virus that caused them to think for themselves, Pope John Paul II issued a formal warning in 1994 with “Ordinatio Sacerdotalis”. This was followed with a later clarification in 1998 titled “Ad Tuendam Fidem” in which faithful Catholics were told that even the discussion of these matters was sinful and could even lead to excommunication. But the genie was out of the bottle and she would not go back in.
The call to inclusivity, coming from the praxis of the man from Galilee, was something already happening throughout the world. People of the church were discovering in their scriptural roots the new wisdom of a world awakening to the call for equality in all areas. It was scandalous that “the church” was not only behind in this struggle, but too often in opposition and a very real obstacle to progress.
At the same time there is a crisis within the traditional clerical caste of the church, a crisis which began before Vatican II but accelerated in the 1970’s and continues until today. Many priests left the active ministry, leaving behind others who resented the newly found freedom of their colleagues. Those who remained have had additional duties to carry while often they are not allowed to retire until they are well beyond the traditional retirement age in society. Throughout the world the privileged world of the cleric has been shattered by the sexual abuse scandals and the equally perverse complicity of bishops and national conferences in perpetuating the wrongdoing. With such a decline in prestige it was no surprise that enrolment in seminaries plummeted and many seminaries were closed. Who in their right mind would want to be a priest today?
Back at the local level something else was happening. Basic church communities were growing, sometimes with support from the hierarchy and sometimes with opposition. As parishes found themselves without regular clergy services, the community became creative and new forms of leadership were encouraged coming out of the inspirations of Vatican II. Some dioceses, such as Vancouver Island, were blessed with bishops such as Remi DeRoo, who organized a major restructuring inspired by his experience as a bishop who participated in Vatican II. Much of his work has been undone by the bishops appointed by Rome to succeed him. However the grassroots work is not easily erased. Groups like “Voice of the Faithful”, “Corpus”, and “We are the Church” have sprung up around the world.
The Women’s Ordination Conference (WOC), Call to Action, Women of Worship (WOW), and the distinctly Canadian group “Catholic Network for Women’s Equality (CNWE) have provided leadership promoting equality and inclusiveness in church leadership.
One of the four women ordained on July 25 was Dr. Michele Birch-Conery, a scholar and professor of English and Women’s studies at North Island College on Vancouver Island. In recognition of this historic leap forward, “Ministry Without Borders” ( www.ministry-without-borders.org) organized a formal reception and welcome home to the Island for Dr. Birch-Conery on Saturday September 10 in the town of Ladysmith on Vancouver Island. In what was her “traditional first mass” Dr. Birch-Conery presided at a Eucharistic celebration that exemplified the inclusiveness that her ordination seeks to expand. As co-celebrant Fran ç ois Brassard, a married priest who is a national leader of CORPUS CANADA (http://www.corpuscanada.org), and his wife Connie Kurtenbach, poet and writer, were the driving force behind this extraordinary celebration.
Dr. Birch-Conery was escorted to the Eucharistic table by a native women drum ensemble from Chemanius. Throughout the liturgy there was active participation of church elders, and clergy from both the Anglican and Lutheran communions. A number of Anglican women priests were present to welcome their first “Roman” sister to the priesthood to which they had been formally called years before. Married priests from different CORPUS communities of Alberta and British Columbia were present with their wives and family to welcome Dr. Birch-Conery to the expanded priesthood which they discovered (the process was called “laicization”) in recovering their place among the People of God (formerly called the laity).
A group from Vancouver representing another marginalized group, the gay community, came sporting shirts that proclaimed “Intrinsically Good” – a good natured rebuttal to the slanderous label issued by the previous head of the Holy Office of the Inquisition to those children of God whose sexual orientation is not that of the heterosexual majority.
Banners surrounded the gathering location, known as Brassbach Abbey – which in reality was a charming and picturesque B&B on the mountain slopes of Ladysmith overlooking the waters which separate Vancouver Island from the mainland. One banner most appropriately read “Duc in altum” – “Launch out into the deep” which aptly captured the spirit of the ordination of Dr. Birch-Conery on a boat floating on Lake Ontario, while at the same time speaking of the courage needed to take this bold step forward just as Jesus asked his apostles to show the same courage in the boat in which he would take them.
There was a youthful presence at the celebration, in the music provided by the Nanaimo Youth Ensemble led by Hilary Ladd. Ms. Ladd is the daughter of a woman Anglican priest who is married to a Lutheran minister. This ecumenical presence was manifest at the time of communion when all those present were invited to come forward to share in the Eucharistic banquet. All were invited – St. Paul would have been proud to see such a community finally taking him seriously.
The liturgy of the word became a proclamation of prophetic expectation. The readings were Wisdom 7:22-30, Hosea 2:16-23 and John 4:1-43. To a responsorial titled “Wise Woman” there was a most beautiful interpretive dance performed by Karen Gossetti. To the readings Dr. Birch-Conery responded with a meditative and instructional reflection highlighting the course in which she sees her new ministry unfolding. At the same time, it was obvious that her scholarship and sensitivity to the issues of the marginalized would bring new wisdom to the faith communities that yearn for her leadership.
The liturgical setting was quickly transformed into an outdoor dining room with a meal catered for the 150 plus guests in attendance. All the work in organization, musicians and catering had been volunteered, as well as many of the materials and the food and wine for the celebration. The Chemanius first nation community donated fresh salmon for the dinner. A local bakery provided a huge cake which was the culmination of the elaborate dinner provided for this celebration.
As the dinner unfolded, greetings from around the world were read to the gathering. One Catholic bishop sent his greeting and best wishes. Other greetings of congratulations from the United States and Europe were also read. A former representative of the diocesan commission on the status of women spoke about the pioneer work begun under the direction and support of Bishop Remi DeRoo. One of the disadvantages of living on an Island is erratic postal service, so consequently greetings from Rome did not arrive in time for this celebration.
Throughout the afternoon Dr. Birch-Conery was generous in time given to persons of the media who sought interviews. The main newspaper of the Island (Victoria Times-Colonist) ran a front page article on Sunday September 11 covering this event. Dr. Birch-Conery is quoted as saying “If this is needed ... the people will accept it”. That encapsulates the spirit of the day’s celebration – not a statement of defiance to the established order but rather a simple proposition to the people of God who seek spiritual guidance and leadership in a new mode of service and inclusiveness.
The Vatican has declared 2005 to be “The Year of the Eucharist”. It is a sign of the Spirit that what was intended to be a reaffirmation of the old order and the exclusive control of the self-appointing clerical caste would explode into a celebration of the dynamic
inclusivity and the beginning of a new time of blessings and promise – a really new Kairos awaited by the people of God.
Written by Phil Little
Member of Xristos Community Society and married priest living on Vancouver Island