Sr. Maureen Fiedler may have some anger issues

I have mentioned a couple times that liberals and (this is just a subgroup) feminists (meaning LCWR types) will eventually turn on Pope Francis.  HERE and HERE

You may recall that on 3 April, last, I wrote:

“Feminists and proponents of women’s ordination aren’t gonna be happy.”

Today I saw a piece by the good ol’ Sr. Maureen Fiedler at the Fishwrap.

She will soon need therapy.

In this schizophrenic column she displays multiple personalities.

Pope Francis on women in his interview with ‘America’ magazine
Maureen Fiedler

[First, she pour on the Lyle’s Golden Syrup (because she’s really angry.] There’s a lot to love in this interview in America magazine. You can feel a refreshing breath of fresh air with Pope Francis’ emphasis on the church as the People of God and in statements like, “We should not even think … that ‘thinking with the church’ means only thinking with the hierarchy of the church.” Whoa! That opens a lot of freedom of thought in one sentence. [She is dissembling.]
I’m really growing to like this pope. He seems open, human, even holy. [Your rhetorical mask is slipping, Sister!] But [BUT!] I think he sorely needs a course in feminist theology. [And we whipsaw into another persona.] When asked about the role of women in the church in this interview, he seems to be searching for a role other than equality, the obvious role articulated by Gaudium et Spes No. 29: “Every type of discrimination based on sex … is to be overcome and eradicated as contrary to God’s intent.” [She is ignoring that God didn’t create two sexes by accident.  “Whoops!”, quoth God.]

Pope Francis says in the interview, “I am wary of a solution [to the role of women] that can be reduced to a kind of ‘female machismo,’ because a woman has a different make-up than a man.” Female machismo? What is that, I wonder? [Remember those cartoon moments when fury strikes and steam shoot out their ears to the sound of a steam whistle?] Is he talking about feminism? Hard to say. [No, Maureen, it’s not.  Pope Francis does not like your kind of feminism.  As a matter of fact, he has disdain for it.  I refer you to his comments about “zittelle”.] Then, “a different make-up than a man”? In what way? Bodily organs? Psychological proclivities? [Inter alia.] But how would anything like that affect the ability of women to be, say, a priest? A bishop? A member of the Curia? [Because being a priest or bishop is more than just a job which anyone could do.]

Then he advocates working harder “to develop a profound theology of women.” Breaking news, Pope Francis: [The rhetorical mask slips a little more… heh heh…] There is already a profound theology of women. [Gratis asseritur…] There are libraries of feminist theology just waiting for you, and others, to dive in. [Even to burn?]

He says he wants to think about what he called “the specific place of women in those places where the authority of the church is exercised for various areas of the church.” This is profoundly — maybe purposely — unclear. [I dunno.  I followed it pretty easily.] The “place” of women in the church ought to be the same as the “place” of men in the church: in equal roles, whether they be lay roles, priestly roles or leadership roles. [Sigh.  They just don’t get it.]

The optimist in me says that maybe Francis is biding his time on issues involving women. [Sister is pretty angry.] And given the magnitude of his task in reforming the Curia, changing the emphasis of the church to social justice and peace, etc., I’m willing to cut him a little slack. [Gosh!]

Then I’d really like to be part of a delegation of women worldwide who would go and dialogue with him about women in the church. If this should ever come to pass, we’ll give NCR the exclusive interview. [Uh huh.  I’d start working on that delegation – right now.  Write lots of letters, too.  He’ll meet with you… surrrrrre he will!]

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27 Comments

  1. Athelstan says:

    Quoth Sr. Fiedler:

    The optimist in me says that maybe Francis is biding his time on issues involving women.

    Keep telling yourself that. I know it’s been a long dry spell for you.

    Then I’d really like to be part of a delegation of women worldwide who would go and dialogue with him about women in the church.

    In point of fact, what she wants is not dialogue. What she wants is her way.

    Any conversation that does not result in capitulation to the progressive point of view is always disqualified as “dialogue.” Because the leadership of the Church clearly is not listening to the brilliant correctness of what they have to say.

  2. Southern Baron says:

    She also missed that bit where he discusses how misleading “optimism” can be, but she is not interested in discussing anything that she does not consider central to her narrow interpretation of the role of the Church.

  3. Ella says:

    So her extensive reading of worldly and paganistic thoughts has prompted her to determine that the only correct place for women in The Church is elbowing aside men to take their place as priests and bishops? What I see most strongly in her is a complete abandonment to pride and self. “But when he had become strong he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was false to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to make offering on the altar of incense.” (2 Chronicles 26:16).

  4. inexcels says:

    That made for pretty hilarious reading.

  5. ClavesCoelorum says:

    “Even to burn?” — You had me there, Father. :)

  6. acardnal says:

    Your 3 April comment was right on target, Father! Finding this piece in the NCR was a gold mine.

    Sr. Fiedler’s suggestion for Pope Francis , “There are libraries of feminist theology just waiting for you, and others, to dive in.”

    Wow! I’m sure both Pope Francis and our host both have a library of excellent books on the priesthood which Sr. Fiedler can read, too! She could start with reading Pope JPII’s Apostolic Exhortation ORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS.

    http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_22051994_ordinatio-sacerdotalis_en.html

  7. Legisperitus says:

    Now I’m picturing those libraries of feminist theology filled with lonely books, each with a borrower’s card in the back that hasn’t been stamped since sometime between 1963 and 1979, forlornly waiting for someone, anyone, to rustle their poor yellowing pages again.

  8. PA mom says:

    Is this Pope “even human”? Is she willing to “cut him a little slack”?
    It is so difficult to imagine a lack of humility so complete that one would want those opinions in print.

  9. iPadre says:

    She is a model of women that every Bishop want’s in their chancery and every priest on his staff! NOT!

    The Sisters had all the power (if that’s what it’s all about) in the world back when they taught our children in the Catholic Schools, but they dumped it for “more meaningful” ministries. The had the hearts and minds of all the little Catholic boys and girls, but dumped them along with their habits. Maybe it is a good thing they got out of the schools. Imagine what a mess we would have today if these lunatics still taught in our Catholic schools.

    Fr. Z's Gold Star Award

  10. MarkG says:

    Maybe a stupid question, but is Sr. Maureen Fiedler a valid name for a nun?
    I always thought they took Mary as their first name and then the name of a saint (female or male), such as
    Sister Mary Ann
    Sister Mary Agnus
    Sister Mary Michael
    Sister Mary Infant Jesus of Prague – my favorite nun name of all time, at school she always told us we could just call her Sister

  11. Legisperitus says:

    MarkG: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhQa3_wWrR4
    They don’t make nun names like that no more.

  12. Raymond says:

    Does she seriously believe that the Pope will lead the Church into a Great Schism by ordaining women? Because that’s really what she and her ilk are asking for.

  13. Patrick-K says:

    I’m sure the Supreme Pontiff breathed a sigh of relief upon reading that Sr. Fielder was cutting him some slack. (… For now …)

  14. majuscule says:

    “Whoops!”, quoth God.

    I might be borrowing that one…

  15. James C says:

    Oh, I bet Sister would love a man-to-man meeting with Pope Francis. But she forgets what happened the last time a pro-women’s “ordination” feminist requested a dialogue with a nice, warm, smiling, cuddly, huggable pope:

    “Tell that suffragette that I shall never receive her. She should go back to her homeland.” Bl. John XXIII

  16. McCall1981 says:

    I’m happy for what Francis said about the role of women in the Church. But unfortunately I think overall the LCWR types won more than they lost from that interview, at least according to how it was perceived.

  17. Indulgentiam says:

    “Then, “a different make-up than a man”? In what way? Bodily organs? Psychological proclivities? [Inter alia.] But how would anything like that affect the ability of women to be, say, a priest? A bishop? A member of the Curia? [Because being a priest or bishop is more than just a job which anyone could do.]”
    As we say in the south, “bless her heart she’s a mess”
    Yes, sister? (Gag, cough, pardon me, the word stuck in my craw a moment) for all those reasons and a few more that escape your darkened intellect. But which Father Z summed up quite succinctly.
    sr. Fiedler seems to be stuck on the meaning of equal. Equal does NOT mean the same. Good grief feminism has been a scourge from its inception. Just as Our Lady prophesied at Fatima, the errors of Russia. And just as it was designed to be, by that lack luster, manure spreader, your enemy and mine, the evil one. Saints preserve us!

  18. Peggy R says:

    Wow.

    “..even holy.” How gracious of her.

    “feminist theology”. A “feminist” view of any field leaves me suspicious. What need is there for “feminist theology”?…Ok. I know. I know.

    Nice of her to “cut him some slack.” He’s their hero, eh?

    One last note: “dialogue” is NOT a verb. There. Now I can move on.

  19. PostCatholic says:

    There is indeed a lot of anger in this post.

  20. Suburbanbanshee says:

    1. “Maureen” is a saint’s name. In fact, it’s Mary’s name.

    2. Not all male and female orders have names like Sr. Mary of the X/Br. Mary X; or Sr. X of the Y Jesus Z. St. Columba had a religious name; it was Columba. (Can’t remember how to spell his real name, but it was Irish and had a lot of vowels.) Some orders that used to give religious names have given it up; others have kept the custom of taking a religious name.

    3. Whether or not they take a religious name, the use of a last name or not also depends on the custom of the order.

  21. Suburbanbanshee says:

    The hopeful thing here is that she’s actually reading Pope Francis’ actual words, not just engaging in a dialogue with her mirror or the dream-pope of her imagination.

  22. Norah says:

    If a point can’t be made without using perjoratives e.g.” lunatics”, or sarky remarks about unread books or the usual ageist remarks (not in this post) I think that point is better not made.

    “Imagine what a mess we would have today if these lunatics still taught in our Catholic schools.”

    Unfortunately when the sisters left the Catholic schools they were replaced by ersatz Catholics who taught faux Catholicism to their students and so we now have two generations who haven’t a clue what Catholicism is all about; this is the mess we have today.

  23. mrshopey says:

    Dialogue meaning they want their way, and will keep “talking” about it till they get their way. There is no compromising, no meeting of minds, no correction (on their part) when it is painfully obvious they are so far out – gone, that it would take a miracle (which some reduce to human kindness) to see a change in them.
    I welcome a new theology for women. It will be a breath of fresh air unlike what they propose which coincides with the secular world!

  24. After Pope Francis turns the Church over to sister’s wishes, I guess he will want to become a nun. I mean sheesh, if all the women are doing the men’s jobs, its only fair that all the men will be doing women’s jobs.

    When will these gals understand their self-hatred? These women are convinced their only worth is being like a man, doing what the man does. These types see no value in doing the things that women do well.
    Why can’t sister spend her time, as all women should, getting men to man-up and do their jobs as they ought. This is really what many famous female saints in history did: support, cajole, remind, nag men to live their vocations.

  25. The Masked Chicken says:

    I don’t know why, but, suddenly, I have the urge to use Ham radio abbreviations.

    Sister is QSB. She is a LID, an OW. I think it would be I cool to adopt some of the CW and Q signals on this blog. It might freak out some disgruntled readers to find out that the TLM is QRO.

    http://www.hamuniverse.com/qsignals.html

    That’s a 73,

    The Chicken

    Fr. Z's Gold Star Award

  26. Cathy says:

    iPadre, totally agree, the sisters handed over their place in the Church when they equated Catholic education with literacy, and their purpose in teaching as redundancy in the public square, as opposed to faithfully handing on the faith. So much has been made about it being the “right” or “conservative” who is obsessed with rules. To be honest, it is folks like those who consistently demand the Church to become a theologician and change Church teaching that are “obsessed” with abortion, gay marriage and contraception, and, I would include, womyns ordination. In their small view, the Church is not inclusive unless it declares their obsession as not sin, but a “right” and a “just” reality. Substantially missing in Sister Fiedler’s opinion piece, are the very aspects Pope Francis promotes. The proclamation of salvation – Our Lord offers equal opportunity for salvation – you don’t have to be a man to be saved, catechesis, Our Lord called only men to the priesthood and the Church recognizes He still only calls men today, moral consequence, separation from this teaching would be a separation from Christ. To be honest, Sister Fiedler does not want “dialogue”, she wants a shield against any understanding of the Church’s teaching on priestly ordination as well as a shield against her own responsibility in light of this, to support any program that would order an exclusive insight to those pesky little rascally too-male little boys and young men that Christ, Himself, might be calling them to this radically exclusive service. Accepting this, she might have to, gulp, understand why the office of Altar Server should be exclusively male as well.

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