ANNOUNCEMENTS
This is to notify community members that we will not be having any liturgy on either Sunday, April 21, 2024 or Sunday, April 28, 2024. Mary Kay is out of town on both these dates and was not able to find anyone to serve in her absence. If you have any questions, feel free to email Mary Kay at marykusner50@gmail.com.
For now, please email me at marykusner50@gmail.com to receive the Zoom link.
During this season of Lent, we will be meeting online only.
Please email Mary Kay at marykusner50@gmail.com if you’d like to join us. 3/10/23
The BBC just put out a documentary on Women Priests.
Use this link to view it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ-gA1tfkp4
FINAL Synod Summary of DCS Report:
1) What resonates most strongly:
a) Co-responsibility is a powerful invitation to partnership. (20)
b) The unified view of all the continental reports is illuminating.
c) Being heard for the first time ever; reversing the trend of top-down system. (23)
d) The youth are leading the way forward. (35)
e) Gender equality is still a problem in this day and age. (61)
2) What tensions emerge; issues need addressed
a) God only seen as “Father” (11) points to the need for inclusive language in the Church. Sexism is apparent. (63)
b) Remove and repent the abhorrent labeling of LGBTQ+ as “intrinsically disordered.”
c) Education about inclusion is essential to understanding the issues that affect all women and those who are marginalized (e.g., LGBTQ+, the poor, disabled, etc.)
d) Re-establishing trust in (male) clergy (given the unresolved scandal of the sex abuse crisis and other abuses of power) by replacing clericalism with co-responsibility. (20)
e) Honoring the call to ordination by women; make celibacy optional. (64)
3) Priorities, recurring themes, call to action:
CALL TO ACTION BY PRIORITY:
The New Testament does not mention homosexuality. The New Testament does not mention abortion. The New Testament speaks frequently about our responsibility to the poor and marginalized, and repeatedly condemns violence. Jesus called women as well as men to be his ministers. In light of these realities, we find it unacceptable that many statements from church officials single out abortion and homosexuality as problems that need to be addressed. We find it unacceptable that even discussion of ordination of women is met with resistance. You asked the people to speak, and they are speaking. They want the church of the message of Jesus, not the church of Canon Law and rules made by men in the hierarchy over the last two millennia.
A) Inclusivity:
1) The church should accept there is simply no good argument to keep women out of the priesthood. It is nearly 50 years now since the Pontifical Biblical Commission concluded there was no scriptural basis to blocking women’s ordination, and more than 50 years since Vatican II declared “every type of discrimination … based on sex” should be “eradicated as contrary to God’s intent.” It may be beyond the power of women to save the church from itself, but they are its last hope.
2) Urgent pastoral aspirations of Catholics, like access to communion for the divorced and LGBTQ community, must no longer be annulled by legalisms. Also, in the spirit of ecumenism, open communion between Catholics and people from other Christian denominations should be adopted. Too often the Church has presented itself as a bulwark against changes in society and in turn become judgmental to the point of ostracizing decent people of goodwill. “Radical inclusion” means no longer being gatekeepers; the tent must be broadened.
3) An organization which sacrificed its integrity over the handling of endemic child sex abuse in its ranks simply has no moral authority to keep the doors barred against anyone any longer.
4) Pope Francis himself put it best when advising his brothers in Christ: “What should pastors do? Be pastors, and not go condemning, condemning.” In order to save souls, you must first not lose them.
5) “Those who…feel a tension between belonging to the Church and their own loving relationships: remarried divorcees, single parents, people living in polygamous marriage, LGBTQ people, etc.” They want the Church to meet people wherever they are, to walk with them rather than judge them, and to build real relationships through caring and authenticity, not a purpose of superiority.
B) Governance
1) It is time for an independent body, perhaps an ombudsman model, to oversee the cultural reform of the Church and the performance of bishops. This body needs to be separate from the hierarchy, conducted under accepted public service principles, and staffed by experts in fields of governance, cultural anthropology, and ecclesiology.
2) The lay community deserves a voice and a mechanism to have it heard.
3) The dynamic of co-responsibility…calls into question the bodies of participation already envisaged at the various levels. First and foremost, parish councils…places of inclusion, dialogue, transparency, discernment, evaluation, and empowerment of all. They are indispensable. A major expectation of the synod is that mandatory pastoral parish and diocesan councils will be decided with lay members having a determinant voice (as opposed to consultative). Also, there must be a balanced representation of the Community. As in the early Christian communities, those with certain skill sets could be chosen. In transitioning to this model, the laity need to show sensitivity and compassion for the challenge this presents to many bishops and pastors who have become accustomed to being the decider in all things.
4) Clericalism and hierarchical structures of the church must be eliminated to ensure that the clergy pastor the faithful as servant priests, rather than as feudal lords. The systemic power structure which allowed for sex abuse must not continue.
C) Mission
1) Jesus gave the command to love others. This ought to characterize everything the church does. This is its mission. Our primary goal is to promote people coming to know Christ and grow in Jesus. As a result, the church must be intentionally involved in welcoming those it has alienated. Only then will evangelization be authentic.
2) God is only seen as “Father” (even in the wording of this DSC report) which points to the need for inclusive language in the Church. Sexism is apparent. It is difficult to evangelize when the language of the church is misogynistic and patriarchal.
3) Clergy need to be educated about what authentic inclusion means. This is essential to understanding and addressing the issues that affect all women and those who are marginalized (e.g., LGBTQ+, the divorced and remarried, the poor, disabled, people of color, etc.).
The church needs to expand its tent as scripture shows Christ intended. We hope that the continuation of this synodal process will generate reform in the Church at its most essential level of being.
Jesus often said, “Be not afraid.” Fear is often a reaction when change is proposed. Instead, may we follow Jesus’s way of allowing love to be our guide as we continue to listen to the Spirit and the People of God.
12/10/22
Press Release for Martha Sherman as Bishop 10-22-22
On Saturday, Oct. 22 at 1:30pm, Martha Sherman will be ordained a bishop for the Midwest Region of Roman Catholic Womenpriests at First Christian Church, 900 Lincolnshire Place, Coralville, IA 52241. She will be the third bishop ordained for this region. Martha has been a priest for nine years. She has been in national leadership for six years, and as President of RCWP USA for the past three years. Martha now lives in Washington, IA.
We invite you to join us for this celebration with a reception to follow. For more information, please contact Mary Kay Kusner who lives in Iowa City and pastors at Full Circle Catholic Church. www.fullcircleic.com. She can be reached via email at marykusner50@gmail.com or call her at 319-331-7107.
For more information about Roman Catholic Womenpriests go to romancatholicwomenpriests.org.
Did you know?
The patron saint of women’s ordination, Thérèse of Lisieux was born on January 2 in 1873. A French Carmelite nun, she is officially honored as saint and third woman Doctor of the Church.
She is celebrated as the Little Flower for her Little Way — her genuine commitment to manifesting God’s love in the tasks and people we meet in everyday life. She made the simple things of life the seedbed of her sanctity.
But she is much more than this. Church Fathers would have us believe that Thérèse was a demure, sweet, and delicate child. The truth is that she admired Judith of the Old Testament, the warrior Joan of Arc, and she (Thérèse) is one of the first women of modern times to declare her calling to priesthood. She wrote about it and her inner identification with the archetypes of warrior, priest, apostle and martyr. “I sense in myself the vocation of Warrior, Priest, Apostle, and Martyr. In the heart of the Church, my Mother, I will be love.”
Her yearning to be a priest is well documented. Her journals record it. She confided in her sister Céline about the calling. At a young age, Thérèse wrote: ‘I feel in me the vocation of PRIEST; with what love I would carry you in my hands when, at my words you would descend from Heaven.’ She was convinced that she would have been a good preacher and even better than the priests she heard. On her sickbed she composed what she would say from the pulpit.
In testimonies from the process of her beatification there is a detailed statement from Céline. She shared that Thérèse preferred death to the continued painful endurance of living with her unfulfilled call. Thérèse believed God had let her become sick so she would not have to suffer rejection by the Church from priesthood. (Taken from WOC, September newsletter)
Final Lay Synod Summary Report:
4.24.22
Full Circle Catholic Church
Pastor: Rev. Mary Kay Kusner
Roman Catholic Womanpriest
Our Mission: To foster an open and affirming Catholic faith community where Christ’s life informs our conscience, inspires our liturgy, and compels our service to others. “In Christ there is no Jew or Greek, slave, or citizen, male or female. All are one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28
We appreciate the calling of the Lay Synod to welcome the voices of all, even those outside the current church structure. Our group, Full Circle, is in that category. We are a faith community pastored by a Roman Catholic Womanpriest. We welcome to our community and to our table: those who are divorced, LGBTQA+, those in same-sex marriages, those from other faith traditions, and all those seeking the Holy. We believe this is the way we are called to journey together.
We have no paid staff; all of our monies go to our meager overhead expenses and to social justice organizations. We journey with the traditional Catholic Church in advocating for the poor, refugees, undocumented immigrants, and the environment. We identify as Catholic because we have a duty of conscience to point out and correct any errors promulgated by the RC church that are contrary to the well-being of the Church and the faithful.
We request that the Synod decentralize the power of the all-male hierarchy as it is at odds with the message of Jesus. Leadership emanating from the current structure meets progressive Catholic ideas with resistance and clericalism. For example, the sex abuse crisis reveals those in power attempting to protect the institution of the Church and its reputation, rather than the lives and the well-being of the innocent. Reducing the number of parishes rather than ordaining women and/or married men is another example of the non-pastoral nature of decisions made by those in authority in the church.
Therefore, we submit our responses to the synodal questions asked about journeying together with Christ and the Church and hope that your invitation to listen to all voices is sincere and the process is truly a synodal one.
Helene Hembreiker, Terry Striegel, Mary Kay Kusner, Bonnie Murphy, Char Elbert, Mary Cohen, David Fitzgerald, Donita Hermsen, Mary & Jerry Nixon, Joyce & Nick Smith, Merce Berne-Klug, Sadie Kirschenman, Matthew & Sarah Witry
I. According to the Synod directive: Jesus wants us to walk together, side by side. How is this “journeying together” happening today in the Roman Catholic Church?
· The Church has spoken to the world through papal encyclicals and Vatican Councils, and at times, has reached out for lay input, as with this synod. Valuable encyclicals have included Laudato si’ (Care of our Common Home) and
Rerum Novarum (Rights and Duties of Capital and Labor).
· Praedicate Evangelium (Preach the Gospel) allows laity to preside over any office of the curia.
· The USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) has provided directives for social justice, for example, speaking out against the death penalty and war.
· Our Davenport, Iowa diocesan paper published an article which showed a transgender teen being treated with respect for their humanity.
When advocating for Women priests during Vocation Sunday at local churches, we heard positive feedback and support for this. “Female ordination would greatly assist women on the margins throughout the world—not just for liturgy but for equality.”*
*Note: All italicized words are quotes from our lay synod discussion.
· Catholic Lay organizations live out the gospel message in support of immigrants, the homeless, treatment for addiction and mental health issues, and the eradication of poverty and unemployment.
II. According to the Synod directive: Jesus wants us to walk together, side by side. How can this “journeying together” be improved?
“Wouldn’t it be great to be part of a church that Jesus would join, that Jesus would recognize as consistent to his teachings and that actually put the emphasis, their energy, and their resources in the things that Jesus taught.”
Vatican II changed the model of church– from a hierarchical model to the truth that we are the church, including validating primacy of conscience (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World). This was an invitation for a circular model, with more interdependence and a valuing of all voices.
“That was the intention of Vatican II—to open the windows and the church is the people and it really was such a beacon of hope for so many and boy did that get squashed and reversed. I hope that gets into the report too, that many of us long for the promises of the Vatican II.”
Moral theology: honoring the spirit of the law, not being legalistic. We believe the Holy Spirit is calling us to obey the greatest commandment to love God and our neighbor as ourselves rather than to prioritize the Church’s legal constructs.
“The Church needs to provide the good news to people and then just love them. The Church has hundreds of rules, regulations, doctrines, canon laws and pronouncements which distract us from the main goal and charge of the Church.”
"The early church in Galatia debated about what makes someone Christian enough. Is it eating the right food? Wearing the right clothes? Hanging out with the right people? Obeying the rules enough? Paul quashed the argument by telling them: ‘What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love’ (Galatians 5:6)." (Taken from: "Good Enough: 40ish Devotionals for a Life of Imperfection" by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie, Convergent Books, NY, 2022)
“There has been too much emphasis by the Church in judging people and that is not our role. Our role is to love people. We have our priorities mixed up.”
· Maintaining the term, “intrinsically/objectively disordered,” is an affront to LGBTQA+ persons. Christian morality dictates love for all people, without condition. Banning same sex marriages further injures this community and can lead to violence and self-inflicted harm.
· The sex abuse crisis has been a moral failing of the church. There has been purported compassion for victims but no real apology. Protection of clergy reputation and financial security has been the real priority.
· The injustice of spouses of male deacons being required to attend the training (as part of the expectation of supporting their spouse) but excluded from being ordained as a deacon herself is another example of moral inequality.
· There are moral implications when the Church is pro-birth but not truly pro-life; there is emphasis only on a baby being born but little support for the mother and child afterwards. The woman is the one who bears the burden in cases of rape, incest, etc. (Sr. Joan Chittister: “I do not believe that just because you’re opposed to abortion, that that makes you pro-life. In fact, your morality is deeply lacking if all you want is a child born but not a child fed, educated, housed… That’s not pro-life. That’s pro-birth.”)
Church Authority: Hierarchical power structure/decision making leads to abuse of power. We believe the Holy Spirit is calling us to decentralized power, more collegiality, and the welcoming of lay voices.
“Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely.” (Lord John Acton)
· Clericalism has been at the root of a religious system that prevents transformative process and spiritual growth.
“Better care must be taken in selecting candidates for the priesthood. Seminarians needed to be living a life with real people to develop a broader experience of life and not isolated and set apart. This would keep them from getting the idea that they are somehow above and separate from the laity.”
· Paternalism and the male celibate model are no longer relevant or healthy.
· Women, married men, openly gay men being banned from the priesthood and positions of authority smothers a call to serve.
· Disregarding lay voices must end. “The laity has as much right to Jesus as the Church leaders.”
Church officials claim a monopoly for knowing the will of the Holy Spirit, for example, inviting lay input, but disregarding it when it’s not to their wishes (e.g., The Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region in 2019 advocated for married priests and women deacons, Humanae Vitae banned artificial birth control in opposition to the recommendations of 80% of the Pontifical Commission on Birth Control, 1963-1966).
· Sexual/reproductive abuse and its repeated cover-up has destroyed trust. Examples include the abuse of children and vulnerable adults, including priests fathering children, the Magdalene Laundries’ abuse of unwed mothers and their babies, the church-run Native American boarding schools, etc.
“The decision making has not been transparent and therefore, a few people could use the power and misuse the power. We didn't find out about these misuses from the church leaders; we found out about them, time after time, from historians and journalists. So it was outside the church that these sins were determined, and we should have heard it from our own leaders, but we didn't.”
Embracing diversity: We believe the Holy Spirit calls us to be more inclusive. All sacraments should be for all people. Instead, the Church has weaponized the sacraments.
“We can’t control what they do with the information, but as a parent, I couldn’t in good conscience raise my daughter in a religious community that would teach her to think of some people deemed as inappropriate for the sacraments.”
· Public figures who support women’s reproductive rights, divorced and remarried Catholics, LGBTQA+ people living out their identities, women who have had abortions, are not welcomed to receive Eucharist.
· Divorced and LGBTQA+ people are denied the sacrament of marriage.
· Women, married men and (increasingly) gay men are denied the sacrament of Holy Orders. Priests who dissent based on conscience are silenced, censured and/or defrocked (e.g. Fr. Roy Bourgeois, activist priest defrocked in 2012).
“Welcome everyone into our Church community. That's what the Holy Spirit is telling us: to get the authorities in the Church to love everyone, accept everyone.”
Accountability and the need for reconciliation: We believe the Holy Spirit is calling us to address the hurt caused by the institutional Church. Healing is essential to moving forward. The following are some of the actions that need to happen for healing to begin:
· The Church must acknowledge and affirm that sexual abuse is never the fault of the victims.
· The Church must provide victims of sexual abuse avenues of counseling or monetary remuneration for counseling choices.
· The Church must be held accountable for reporting sexual abuse to the civil authorities, demonstrating that sexual abuse will no longer be tolerated by the Church.
· The Church must welcome LGBTQA+ persons to full sacramental participation, recognizing and honoring their relationships. The institutional Church must fully apologize for the “intrinsically/objectively disordered” labeling that has hurt so many.
· The Church must address the annulment process including its financial component, reminiscent of moneychangers in the temple. Banning divorced Catholics from remarrying and receiving the Sacraments does not reflect the Gospel.
· The Church must establish uniformity within dioceses and/or parishes that prevents bullying by bishops and priests who target individuals and groups of parishioners because of marital, sexual, and personal views.
“The role of the prophet is to direct and legitimate necessary deconstruction. (It) is never popular, nor easy. It’s about letting go of illusion and toppling false gods.” (Richard Rohr)
In conclusion, we believe that God endows each person with gifts, and that as an affirming faith community, our role is to welcome and cultivate these gifts for the benefit of the individual and the community. We believe the best communities find ways for all persons to participate.
We believe that women are called to a ministerial priesthood that is grounded in our common Baptism and that women’s call to ordination is valid. We believe that women and men are created equal by God and can equally represent Christ in ministry.
We believe that we are called to practice a renewed theology, liturgy, and pastoral presence to better reflect the spirit and teachings of the Second Vatican Council and current cultural needs.
We believe that we are called by the Holy Spirit to follow Jesus as our model of empowerment, inclusivity, and generous service. We hope and pray for the Church to reflect this.
Full Circle Roman Catholic Church [RCWP] Opens Synod January, 2022
Pope Francis is asking Catholics worldwide to reflect on what God expects of the Church of the third millennium in a process called a diocesan synod. This prayerful discernment process will help to inform the World Synod of Bishops in 2023. In response to this request, Full Circle Catholic Church [RCWP] of Iowa City, has initiated a Synod for the discernment of how Jesus would want His Church to look today?
Synod is not a familiar word for most Catholics. It’s a Greek word, meaning to ‘walk with.’ Throughout our history, it’s been used to refer to gatherings of the Church to ‘walk with’ one another and with the Holy Spirit, to read ‘the signs of the times’ and discern in a spirit of prayer how the Church is being called to respond.”
The synod reflects on who we are as Church and how we are called to be Church, we are the body of Christ, sharers — whether lay or ordained — in a common baptism. All have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. Our oneness as Christ’s body is celebrated, manifested, and deepened when we gather for Eucharist. We are in this together, not as isolated individuals or as ideological camps.
This process is about how to walk together as Church. In the midst of polarization, we need to gather around the table again with one another to talk about what it means to be Church, parish communities, members of a larger diocesan community, and how to live as Church in today’s world. It is a time to slow down and to ask the Holy Spirit where we should be going from here.