October 7th: Of Bishop Delegates and Women Experts at the Synod
During the days ahead FutureChurch board members Fr. Gerry Bechard, pastor of St. Simon and Jude parish in the Archdiocese of Detroit and Ms. Rita Houlihan of Manhatten will join me in seeking meetings with bishop delegates and invited experts and observers at the synod. To date, five bishops (from the US, UK, Ireland and Australia) and two experts are open to meeting with us.
Our first goal of requesting female biblical scholars to be invited has been met. Six women experts (of 41 total) will advise about synod proceedings. As an extra bonus 19 female observers (of 37 total) were also invited making this the most women every to attend a synod. (for a complete list of delegates and experts see http://www.futurechurch.org/watw/synodreports/)
Who are the women experts and what do they do? The experts’ role is to help the bishops formulate the results of their discussions and contribute to the development of the final paper. They work closely with Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops. The female experts are not limited to scripture scholars but comprise a range of theological disciplines and perspectives. Here is the line up:
Sister Nuria Calduch-Benages, is a religious of the Missionary Daughters of the Holy Family of Nazareth and has taught sacred Scripture for almost 20 years at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. She is a Spaniard who also collaborates with the Catholic Biblical Federation and with various world theological institutions.
Sister Sara Butler is a member of the Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity. She teaches dogmatic theology at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, New York, has a doctorate in philosophy, and was an adviser for the U.S. episcopal conference on the question of women's ordination.
Pope John Paul II appointed her to be one of the first two members of the International Theological Commission in 2004. Sister Butler is the author of "The Catholic Priesthood and Women: A Guide to the Teaching of the Church," published by Hillenbrand Books.
Bruna Costacurta is an Italian lay woman who has a doctorate in biblical sciences form the Pontifical Biblical Institute. She has been a member of the executive council of the Italian Biblical Association and of the National Catechesis Office of the Italian episcopal conference. She is a highly regarded teacher with a reputation for “standing room only” classes at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Cardinal Martini, a biblical expert well known for his progressive views, has frequently invited her to help him give retreats to Italian women religious
Marguerite Léna is a professor of philosophy at Studium Notre-Dame de l'Ecole Cathédrale in Paris. She is a member of the St. Francis Xavier community of consecrated life, founded by Madeleine Danielou for the formation of youth.
Sister Germana Strola of the Cistercian Nuns of the Strict Observance is the author of several commentaries on the psalms and other biblical passages. She was the first contemplative nun to receive a doctorate from the Pontifical Biblical Institute, with a thesis on Psalms 42-43. She is a member of the Trappist monastery of Vitorchiano, Italy.
Sister Mary Jerome Obiorah, the first African woman to receive a doctorate from the Pontifical Biblical Institute, is a member of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. At present, she is professor of sacred Scripture at the University of Nigeria and at the major seminary of the Archdiocese of Onitsha, Nigeria.
Aside from the above identified female biblical experts two of the women auditors also have biblical background:
Teresa Maria Wilsnagh, is the regional director of the Catholic Bible Foundation (CBF) of Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg, South Africa.
Agnes Shun-Ling Lam, president of the Catholic Biblical Association of Hong Kong, and associate professor at the English Centre of the University of Hong Kong, China.
YOU made the difference! Two female theologians from differing ideological perspectives tell me they believe our campaign (which generated an estimated 20,000 postcards containing our four requests) was influential in making this historic event happen. Now pray that we are successful in our various meetings with Bishops asking them to “put women back in the biblical picture” in their own dioceses.
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