Recommendations from the Assembly

New Woman, New Church, New Priestly Ministry

Proceedings of the Second Conference on the Ordination of Roman Catholic Women
November 1978, Baltimore, U.S.A. pp 159-172.
Published on our website with permission of the Women's Ordination Conference

The following recommendations were not brought to a vote; they were polled only to get a sense of the assembly and were turned over to the Core Commission for consideration in the future development of the Women’s Ordination Conference,

We recommend the acceptance of the following statements:

1. It has become increasingly evident in this conference that there are at least two distinct positions on the question of ordination of women. Some among us are deeply committed to the pursuance of ordination for women within the present Church system and see the involvement of women with the present structure as leading to significant changes of the ecclesial structure. On the other hand, some among us have a perspective of ministry which can only be lived out in the context of a wholly different economic, political and social system.
We acknowledge these different positions as being expressive of different visions of the Church, which itself exists in an economic and political system which some find acceptable, others believe is reformable and still others hold needs total change.
Lastly we acknowledge the necessity of the difference among us and pledge ourselves to continue the dialogue with all those who have been disenfranchised.

2. We women and men of the women’s ordination movement of the Roman Catholic Church wish to make our existence and intention known to the Church of England at this time.
We address ourselves to members of the General Synod who opposed the ordination of women, in the vote recorded on November 8 at Church House, Westminster, for the reason that it would endanger reunion with the Church of Rome. We are over 2000 strong. We are here and we do not intend to go away.

Recommendations from the Women's Ordination Conference - November 10, 1978.

*Not Affirmed by the majority of those present

*1. WE RECOMMEND a new title for WOC more accurately reflective of this reality. The title we recommend is WOMEN FOR A NEW CHURCH.

2. WE RECOMMEND that the WOC Core Commission more actively recognize its responsibility to inform and consult with those persons who have identified themselves as committed to the development and execution of national and regional action/strategy.

3. WE RECOMMEND that the WOC Core Commission and office establish ongoing dialogue with diocesan education and religious education offices. That the Core Commission appoint a qualified speaker or panel to present the issue of the ordination of women at a session of the NCEA and that the WOC sponsor a booth at that assembly.

4. WE RECOMMEND that the Core Committee will publish a list of its members including name, address and telephone number which will be made available to the assembled.

5. WE RECOMMEND that WOC affirm the study of our bishops regarding team ministry and urge that the bishops implement this concept of team ministry in the dioceses of the United States.

6. WE RECOMMEND that the core commission address itself to a study of the material prepared by the “We Are Called” project and the results of the theologizing on the content be published.

7. WE RECOMMEND that WOC call upon the official Roman Catholic Church to recognize God’s call to women to be Permanent Deacons.

* 8. WE RECOMMEND that the Core Commission coordinate an on-going economic boycott (e.g. Sunday collections, seminary collections, and so forth) until full membership is extended to women in the Roman Catholic Church. We suggest that monies diverted by this boycott be applied to women’s ministries.

*9. WE RECOMMEND that the WOC establish a task force to facilitate the inclusion of lesbians and gay men in the public ministry of the Church.

*10. WE RECOMMEND that the Core Commission generate the mechanics required to implement a Strike Day In April, 1979.

*11. WE RECOMMEND that women in the church dramatize the urgency of the subordination of women by :

(1) absenting themselves from Eucharistic Liturgy in which a male priest presides on April 29.
(2) refusing to participate in their work in the church on April 30.

12. WE RECOMMEND that unless the priestly ministries of women are officially recognized by the hierarchical Church in the next five years that we ourselves will publicly celebrate the Church’s affirmation of the call of women to priestly ministry.

13. WE AFFIRM that many women are now engaged in priestly ministry and experience affirmation in that ministry from those among whom they serve. Therefore, we call the official church to recognize and affirm these priestly ministers already affirmed and called by their communities.

14. WE RECOMMEND that an International Women’s Ordination Conference (IWOC) be called together in 1980 to coincide with the Bishops Synod to forward the issue of the ordination of women in a renewed Church.

15. WE AFFIRM that there are alternative forms of preparation for ordained ministry such as lived ministerial experience.

16. WE RECOMMEND that a representative group from this assembly be sent to Rome to dialogue with Pope John Paul II about the issues and ideals dealt with during this Conference. Of primary importance regarding the criteria for this group would be that the poor and oppressed be able to speak for themselves about the ordination of women.

17. WE RECOMMEND that the insights and statements of this conference be concretized:

(a) Members here present commit themselves to the creation of local units that will adopt the goals and strategies of this conference.
(b) That such units also identify, prioritize and act upon the local needs of women and Church.
(c) That the National WOC create an action-information mechanism for communication and organization purposes.
(d) That there be created mutual accountability between local and national organization.

18. WE RECOMMEND that the U. S. Bishops

(a) support and encourage further advancement in the ministries of preaching, team ministry, and shared parish responsibilities,
(b) encourage changes in style and attitudes in seminaries.
(c) explore the possibility of devoting state or diocesan meetings to the issue of “women in ministry.”
(d) invite NCCB to dialogue with the Core Commission of WOC.

19. WE RECOMMEND that individual WOC members dialogue with individual bishops to further explore the role of women in ministry in their own Dioceses.

20. WE RECOMMEND:

That our Hispanic reality, cultural and economic, as well as the reality of other minority groups be recognized and affirmed as new models of ministry and priesthood are developed;
That the process of theologizing and ministry preparation be a reflection of this pluralistic experience;
That our ministers be from our own people who are in touch with, respect and partake of our people’s reality.

21. WE RECOMMEND that an invitation be made to the Vatican to send emissaries to this country to experience the reality of ministering women.

22. WE URGE all members of this assembly take active responsibility to see that issues raised by this Conference are kept alive through media in their local communities.

23. WE URGE all religious communities to use any and all leverage they have to lobby for inclusive, participatory structures at all levels of Church organization beginning immediately.

24. WE URGE that participants from each area join together locally to form speakers’ bureaus for parishes and women’s organizations.

25. WE AFFIRM as a basic strategy the reaching out to all women through consciousness raising.

26. WE AFFIRM those who act in obedience to the Spirit by preaching, anointing, reconciling, presiding, and serving in a pastoral and/or sacramental way as called for by the human family.

27. WE FAVOR ordination for women in a renewed ministry — this means that we favor free and equal access of all Christians to the public, communal recognition of those ministerial gifts which a person is able to exercise for the building up of the ecclesial community. This includes access to those offices in the Church which serve to unify the local and universal ecclesia.

28. WE RECOMMEND that the Core Commission of WOC work so that the office of preaching be opened up to women.

29. In view of the fact that Catholic institutions for theological and ministerial education are paid for by the free contributions of alt the Catholic people, we as members of WOC call upon our bishops to provide equal access to education institutions and financial supports without regard to sex, class, ethnic background and marital status.

30. We ask that a report containing the major statements of this conference be personally presented within the next month to every local ordinary of a diocese by the members of his diocese here present and that the bishop be urged to take appropriate actions.

31. We request that the people from Vietnam (1,250 children, 620 women and 125 old people) who were aboard the ship that was refused aid (see page one of the Baltimore Sun November 11, 1978) be attended to by our services and welcomed to share our resources without delay.

32. We urge all members of this assembly to accept responsibility for establishing dialogue and encouraging cooperation with all Church Women’s organizations in the transformation of ministry and priesthood.

33. We urge that persons unite to ask diocesan editors to see that a feminist columnist be hired as a regular contributor to the diocesan newspaper.

34. We ask the members of this assembly to work for official public recognition of the spectrum of ministries already being exercised by unordained women and men through public ceremonies and through inclusion of an expanded “List of Ministries and Ministers” in the diocesan directory.

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