Vatican II's Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et Spes) declared that every type of discrimination, whether social or cultural, whether based on sex, race, color, social condition, language, or religion, is to be overcome and eradicated as contrary to God's intent.(1) As Benedictine women studied and absorbed the Council documents, they took note of the church's official stance against discrimination based on sex. As the years passed and the secular world advanced in recognizing the equality of the sexes, women in the church noted that their subordinate position was not changing. Discrimination in the church continued in the form of limited ministerial opportunities, low stipends for services, and lack of involvement in decision making.
Working with other women in various ministries, Benedictine women became more aware of the numerous and varied forms of injustice and violence perpetrated against women. Many sisters began to speak out, calling the church to accountability for its own attitude and deeds of internal discrimination. Issues of inclusive language, ordination, and self-governance were raised in feminine monastic circles. Monasteries found their own members at odds over these issues, for not all sisters were ready to support the claims to equality or to challenge the hierarchical church. But other members felt that sisters should be at the forefront in seeking justice for all women in church as well as in all facets of society. The label of feminism began to be used in a derogatory fashion to silence some of the women who were asking disturbing questions.
The ensuing discussions were extensive and troubling enough for the Conference of Prioresses to determine that a document could make a public statement and hopefully assist communities in their dialogues on these issues. This document was the first one to be approved only as an interim statement, since not all prioresses could give their full approval. A fear existed among some that it was too liberal and might cause conflict within their own communities as well as with local clergy and even the Vatican.
Three years later the fate of the document was still undetermined. The CONFERENCE CALL, January 1987, reported:
The agenda for that [August] meeting will include a discussion of the CABP document, Toward Full Discipleship, with the intention of determining what has been done with the document to this point, what we want to see happen to it at this point and what steps should be taken to achieve that.
Though the Conference has made various attempts through the years to give full approval to this document, consensus could not be reached. Therefore, the document retains its status as an interim statement.
Sister Johnette Putnam referred to the document as prophetic because it addressed the problem of oppression of women not only within the society but within the church, which should model Gospel values for the world. She remarked that monastic history reveals that monasticism has always had a prophetic role in society, especially to combat injustices. Monastics could not be passive in the face of racism, nuclear war, sexism, and so forth. Like many other monastic leaders, she has been puzzled why this document could never get approved totally by the Conference. (2)
Sister Rosemary Rader, another member of the writing committee, noted that this document offered monastic wisdom to contemporary experiences of women in general. It addressed such basic issues as implementation of Vatican II documents, the theological basis for women's equality, historical examples of women's self-definition, and women as agents of change.(3)
NOTES
(1) Walter M. Abbot, ed., The Documents of Vatican II (New York: America Press, 1966), #29.
(2) Johnette Putnam, OSB (Mount Saint Scholastica, Atchison, Kansas), response to editor's questionnaire of June 10, 2000.
(3) Rosemary Rader, OSB (St. Paul's Monastery, St. Paul, Minnesota), response to editor's questionnaire of June 10, 2000.
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