100 women preach nationwide around the Feast of the Apostle Junia, beloved by feminists

Women at the altar are still not a matter of course. 

On the Feastday of the Apostle Junia, the KFD - Catholic Women's Association of Germany - initiated the Preacher's Day, which is always celebrated around 17 May. For centuries, the apostle, whom Paul already mentioned in his letter to the Romans (Rom 16:7), became "Junias". It was only in the 1970s that Junia was rediscovered and in 2016 "rehabilitated", i.e. recognised. "The name Junia stands for a classic female fate in a Catholic and secular world still dominated by men. Junia was invisible for centuries," it says. On this occasion, the editorial team asked women in the Aachen diocese: "What would you have to say...?" in the pulpit or also at the Women Preachers' Day. A picture of the mood.

Cathcon: the rhetoric is simply untrue. "There has been dispute surrounding both Junia's gender and apostolic status, although she has been viewed as female through most of Christian history as well as by the majority of scholars. The precise nature of her apostolic status, however, has been more debated. With the exception of the reference to a masculine "Junias" in the Index Discipulorum, purportedly from the fourth century bishop of Salamis, Epiphanius, the first texts regarding Junia as a male named Junias come from 12th century manuscripts and the first named author to describe Junia as a male was Giles of Rome in the 13th century." Wikepedia

See also "The Mass will not survive Female Ordination" and some other related articles.

TURNING POINT OF THE CHURCH

Bärbel Schumacher

On the occasion of the Preachers' Day, I preached in two Sunday Masses of our GdG in different churches, based on Junia and the first apostle Mary Magdalene, and told about my experiences and the changes I have experienced in 35 years of work. 

In my work in the church, I have always been very fortunate that others with whom I have worked have had confidence in me and have said: You grow with your tasks. On the one hand, that's great, but it was also sometimes quite exciting. But it was still true. I received a lot of positive feedback during the two services, both with spontaneous applause and from women and men of different age groups who spoke to me personally afterwards and told me that I had spoken from their hearts.

For today, as seldom before, we stand at a turning point in the Church. How many people have left the community of the church in recent years, disappointed, sad or angry. For good reason. Because they did not feel seen or because they could not and did not want to support some things any more. Because they felt excluded.

More and more women no longer see why they are denied access to the ministries. Nevertheless, or perhaps because of this, I am of the opinion that it is worthwhile to get involved in the church.

My own - fortunately - very positive experience in the church in my professional years is: change happens by doing it and living it. If someone had told me 30 years ago that I would regularly hold several funerals every week, for example, and accompany people there and proclaim the central hope of our faith - I would not have believed it.

For me, church and congregations only have a future if we let each other be great in the spirit of Jesus. 

Bärbel Schumacher, pastoral assistant GdG Alsdorf

STILL A LONG WAY TO GO

Marie-Theres Jung

When the National Preacher's day of the KFD takes place, I will be on my annual pilgrimage to Trier.

This year I find it particularly important to celebrate this day, because with the Preachers' Day we underline our demand for permission for lay women to preach in the Eucharist, for which a positive resolution was passed in the Synodal Way. However, there was an immediate reaction to this decision from the Vatican, which reaffirmed the prohibition under canon law.

It seems that there is still a long way to go for a decision, but the practice in some parishes looks different. Women are already preaching in Eucharistic celebrations because priests have recognised how valuable it is to have the Gospel interpreted from a female perspective or by people who have a different everyday life. 

During the pilgrimage, of course, we celebrate mass together and contribute our own thoughts on the texts of the Gospels. On Sunday, I will lead this service and compare the Gospel, which is about the relationship of the disciples to Jesus, to the relationship of parents to their children. When children do not keep all the commands and prohibitions of their parents, they need an indulgent look so that a mutual love can grow. We all stand in this unconditional love of God to which we are called to pass on.

Marie-Theres Jung, Diocesan Chairwoman of the KFD Aachen 

MISSION OF THE BAPTISED

Lioba Buscher

Baptised men and women have received the commission: "Always be ready to answer everyone who asks about the hope that fills you" (1 Peter 3:15). From this I deduce that women are also called to proclaim and interpret the Gospel. 

For me, it is a sham argument when it is said that the connection between the celebration of the word and the celebration of the meal is only preserved when the priest who presides at Mass interprets the Gospel. It is not gender-just to exclude qualified women from preaching at Mass. This is no longer accepted by the faithful. 

If women are not allowed to preach, the mouth of the Holy Spirit who works in them is closed, then many charisms are not lifted up. 

I will preach on the texts of the reading order at the Preacher's Day. In a first step, I look at the scripture passages and consult commentaries. Then I look at what has fallen into my heart, what associations and ideas come to me about the scripture passages from my female perspective on the basis of my everyday experiences, and put them into words. 

It is important to me to transfer the Gospel into our present time and to give suggestions for further reflection.

Lioba Buscher, spiritual director for retreat work in the Diocese of Aachen

WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE

Anita Zucketto-Debour

Why am I preaching on the occasion of the KFD Preachers' Day? I agree with the position paper of the Synodal Way on the question of women: it is necessary to justify why women should not preach and not vice versa.

As a consequence of the last Synodal Assembly, Bishop Overbeck and Bishop Bode have already initiated women's preaching. I preach in the parish of Gregor von Burtscheid during the Eucharistic celebration, as I did last year with the permission of the local parish priest and regional vicar, Father Frank Hendriks. This is by no means the first time that I have preached: in my many years of pastoral work in the parish of St. Gregorius Aachen and in the parish leadership there according to can. 517 § 2 CIC as an active laywoman, I have always preached when it fell within my area of responsibility: at the First Communion celebration, in youth services, in school services, in Misereor services, etc.

I take the sermon for the KFD Preachers' Day as an opportunity to reflect on how our Church must change from a pastoral-theological perspective and with reference to the biblical texts of the day, so that it avoids clericalism - a major cause of the abuse of power. My bottom line will be: baptised Christians need to empower themselves to do what they have understood of the Gospel and at the same time ask what are the needs, concerns and needs of people today. Or to put it another way: If the church does not become a church of the laity, it will soon no longer be there. There are clear tipping points here - as with the climate.

Anita Zucketto-Debour, Director of the Mentorate Aachen

UNNECESSARY DEMONSTRATION

Abbess Christiana Reemts

To be honest, I have not yet dealt with the Preacher's Day. As far as I know, Rome recently reaffirmed that it is the priest's task to preach in the Eucharistic celebration and that non-priests do not have this right. In this respect, I myself would certainly not preach on that day. I also do not quite understand why this "demonstration" is necessary. If I only take myself as an example, I have more than enough opportunities to preach in our church, to give lectures, to give seminars, to participate in events ... so that I do not really see why I should fight for the right to preach in the Eucharistic celebration. I feel a bit like the princess in the fairy tale who is allowed to open all the doors in the castle except one, but of course she absolutely has to open that one. I am totally convinced that it is important for our Church that non-priests also bring their perspective to the interpretation of the Gospel, but in the celebration of the Eucharist, I want the priest who leads this celebration on behalf of Christ to proclaim the Gospel to me as well.

Abbess Christiana Reemts, Mariendonk Abbey

Source