Scripture Readings That Subordinate Women...
Make Sure They Don't Happen in Your Parish
In August 2000 the Irish Catholic Church proposed dropping seven
texts from a proposed new Lectionary because they "give an
undesirably negative impression regarding women." The Irish
Bishops' new Domestic Violence document recommended the following
texts for deletion:
- Ephesians 5:22-24 ...wives should submit to their husbands etc.
- 1 Timothy 2:11-15 A woman should learn in quietness
and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to
have authority over a man; she must be silent etc.
- 1 Corinthians 14:33-35 ...women should remain silent
in the churches (and following).
- 1 Corinthians 11:3-16 Now I want you to realize that
the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is
man (and following).
- Colossians 3:18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting
in the Lord.
- Peter 3:1-6 Wives in the same way be submissive to your
husbands (and following).
- Titus 2: 4-5 Then they can train the younger women to
love their husbands and children, to be self controlled and
pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their
husbands so that no one will malign the word of God.
Responding to the Irish Bishops' decision, a September 1, 2000
Catholic News Service interview with Father James Moroney, director
of the U.S. Bishops' Secretariat on the Liturgy, reaffirmed the
Bishops' concern about New Testament readings which subordinate
women. They also publicized Lectionary alternatives now available
to the U.S. church and described below. .
The current U.S. Lectionary, which has been in use since Advent
1998, provides the option of using a short form of the readings
from Colossians and Ephesians, that "omit[s] verses which were
reported to have caused widespread misunderstandings when proclaimed
in some parishes," according to Moroney. If a priest does choose
to use the longer form of these readings, Maroney said, he should
explain the reading in the context of the church's teaching and
the original cultural context of the Scripture.
But which readings were revised? In the U.S. church only the Colossians
and Ephesians readings have short options provided. 1 Pet 3:1-6 and
Titus 2:4-5 were not modified "because there are other options
already available," according to Moroney, who also noted that
these are in the second volume of the lectionary awaiting confirmation
by the Holy See.
Colossians 3:12-21 which includes the offending phrase wives be
submissive to your husbands, used to be assigned every year on the
feast of the Holy Family (usually the Sunday after Christmas). In
the new Lectionary it is assigned only to Year A, and there is the
option to leave off the offending verses 17-21. Year B and Year
C have completely new readings but if the presider chooses he has
the option of using the year A readings. Thus, the offending verses
could theoretically be read every year unless the presider exercises
his option of omitting them as in Year A.
Ephesians 5:21-32 which says that the husband is head of his wife (and following) is read on the 21st Sunday of Ordinary time in Year
B and on Tuesday of the 30th week of Ordinary time in Year II. The
revised Lectionary allows a shorter form in the Sunday reading where
vs. 21-24 are omitted so that the Husbands love your wives... is
heard but not Wives be subordinate...
Suggested Action:
Take this flyer to your pastor and parish liturgy committee. Ask
them to make sure scripture readings that subordinate women aren't
being read from the pulpit in your faith community.
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