At the beginning of April, the Feminism in the Church collective celebrated its first “
feminist mass
” in the Parisian parish of Saint-Pierre de Montrouge.
An event which did not fail to react, in particular the diocese of Paris which decided to exclude the collective from the parish to which it was attached since its creation.
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Launched in September 2020, the collective fights to promote "
greater visibility of women in the liturgy and the future of the Church
".
Thus, on Sunday April 3, the latter decided to celebrate a so-called “
inclusive
” mass, driven by “
a common desire for reflection and change
”.
From then on, a "
wave of hatred on social networks
" fell on the collective, he laments.
On Twitter, Father Matthieu Raffray denounces "
grotesque and insulting sketches for the Church
".
Further on, a surfer deplores “
an almost blasphemous foolishness
”.
The object of these convictions?
The use of the word "
God.
» on the poster of the celebration, as well as the reading of the traditional Gospel made by women, in theory contrary to the law of the Church.
"Without prior notice"
In a press release published on Twitter two days later, the diocese of Paris declares "to
regret this initiative, which serves unity and communion
".
According to him, the mass "
was organized without prior information
", which is why he announced his exclusion from the parish.
In reaction, the activists of the collective castigate the “
profound resistance
” of the Church, as to the reflection around the place of women in religion.
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In reaction and in support of the collective Feminism in the Church
,
the associations Women and Men Equality, Rights and Freedoms in the Churches and Society (FHEDLES), Oh My Goddess!
and all Apostles!
jointly wrote a press release published on Thursday, April 14.
According to the associations, this decision "
without dialogue or seeking consultation
", is contrary to "
the synodal approach initiated by Pope Francis
", who wishes to renew the dialogue within the Church.
Indeed, after the publication last October of the Sauvé report exposing the extent of the phenomenon of pedocrime in the Church of France, Pope Francis had called for “
widening the spaces for a more incisive feminine presence
” in the Church.
If the diocese of Paris and the parish of Saint-Pierre de Montrouge have not given an answer to the latest press releases from the associations, the collective, which defines itself as being a "
group of believers in search
", says it is more than ever ready to "
propose a space for sharing, dialogue and hope to change our Church
".
