The time is now for change in the Catholic Church

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Rationale for the publication of the article ‘The time is now for change in the Catholic Church’ by Professor Mary McAleese in this journal, International Studies in Catholic Education (ISCE)

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Notes

1 John XXIII encyclical Pacem in terris, 11 April 1963, n. 41.

2 Ibid. n. 43.

3 Cf. Fr. P. Jordan O.S.B., NCWC News Rome correspondent «Changes proposed in role of women in theChurch» posted 12 October 1965. Cf. https://vaticaniiat50.wordpress.com/2015/10/12/changes-proposed-in-role-of-women-in-the-church/

4 Second Vatican Council, Decree Apostolicam Actuositatem, 18 November 1965, n. 9 in AAS 58 (1966), 846.

5 Cf. Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, 7 December 1965, n. 29 in AAS 58 (1966), 1048-1049.

6 It reported in 1976.

7 1983 Code of Canon Law, can. 230 §1. Cf. PAUL VI, apostolic letter, Ministeria Quaedam, 15 August 1972, n. 2-4; 7, in AAS 64 (1972) 529-534. Formerly called the minor orders of acolyte and lector, they are: henceforth to be called ministries. Ministries may be assigned to lay Christians; hence they are no longer to be considered as reserved to candidates for the sacrament of orders. […] In accordance with the ancient tradition of the Church, institution to the ministries of reader and acolyte is reserved to men.

8 1983 Code of Canon Law, can. 1031 §2.

9 CONGREGATION FOR DIVINE WORSHIP AND DISCIPLINE OF THE SACRAMENTS, letter Concerning the use of female altar servers, 27 July 2001.

10 CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH, declaration Inter Insigniores, On the question of the ordination of women to the ministerial priesthood, 15 October 15 1976.

11 Written with the help among others of two Irish laywomen, Cathy Molloy and Edel O’Kennedy. For the background to the Decree cf. M.J. HEYDT, «Solving the Mystery of Decree 14: Jesuits and the situation of women in Church and civil society» http://www.conversationsmagazine.org/web-features/2015/12/27/solving-the-mystery-of-decree- 14-jesuits-and-the-situation-of-women-in-church-and-civil-society

12 Per UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon in his opening introduction at the UNGA Seventieth Session, 25 September 2015, UN Doc A/70/PV.3, 1.

13 FRANCIS, apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 24 November 2013, n. 103 in AAS 105 (2013) 1019-1137. Cf. Francis interview with Fr. A. Spadaro SJ for America magazine in which he repeated these words, 30 September 2013 (as amended online).

14 P. ZAGANO, «What the Pope really said», NCRonline 25 September 2013 https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/just-catholic/what-pope-really-said.

15 Francis, Address to the International Theological Commission, 5 December 2014. Cf. H. ROBERTS «Women theologians are ‘the strawberry on the cake, says Pope», The Tablet 11 December 2014.

16 From a talk entitled “The church in Dublin: where will it be in 10 years’ time?” at St Mary’s Church, Haddington Road, as reported in the Irish Times, November 16 2017.

17 Response of Pope Francis to a question from a journalist: “Will we one day see women priests in the Catholic Church?” on papal plane returning to Rome from the United States, Sept. 29, 2015. Cf. https://www.ncr online.org/blogs/francis-chronicles/popes-quotes-theology-women

18 JOHN PAUL II, apostolic letter, Mulieris Dignitatem, n. 15 August 1988 in AAS 80 (1988) 1653-1729.

19 Interview with journalists on board plane on way to Rio de Janeiro 22 July 2013 cf. John Allen «The Pope on Homosexuals. Who am I to judge?», NCRonline https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/pope-homosexuals-who-am-i-judge

20 Cf. MANFRED HAUKE, Women in the priesthood. A Systematic Analysis in the Light of the Order of Creation and Redemption, Ignatius Press, 1988.

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Mary McAleese

Dr. Mary McAleese was President of Ireland from 1997-2014. She is a barrister, academic lawyer and canon lawyer. She is the author of “Children's rights and obligations in canon law” and “Collegiality in the Code of canon law”.