Friday, March 13, 2009

More Jesuit Madness

CatholicCulture brings us the charming story of a Jesuit priest, Father Aloysius Howe, who denounces St. Paul and thinks the Church is misogynist. Did I mention that he's a visiting fellow at Georgetown?

The Pauline analogy of husbands mirroring Christ and wives mirroring the church has within it the seeds of much in theology and church discipline that is sexist and misogynist. The attitudes that men have towards women are formed very early in their development. We are socialized within our families, in our church communities, in our schools. If Catholics are told that only men can be, for sacramental purposes, in persona Christi, standing in the place of Christ at the Eucharist, are we seriously meant to believe that this does not lay down the germ of an idea, namely that women are inferior to men, even in the order of God's grace? If all the discernment and decisions that affect women in the Church are made only by celibate men, are we to conclude that this has no effect at all on the attitudes of Catholic men towards women?

What's really amazing isn't that this guy said this. Sadly, this is almost expected from the Society. The really amazing thing is how many people think that there's nothing wrong with the order and are content in just whistling past the graveyard here. If they truly loved the Sons of Ignatius, they would be appalled and work for some sort of reform. Doesn't happen, though. They just keep their fingers firmly plugged in their ears and continue on their merry way.

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