Protests force Church group to move
Posted on 31. Jan, 2019, in Christian Values, Feminism/Women in the Church1 Comment
Colm Holmes from We Are Church
We Are Church Ireland revealed that their mid-February meeting promoting the full participation of women in the Catholic Church, to be addressed by the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan has been moved to a Dublin hotel after the Mercy sisters withdrew their offer of a venue.
The decision follows emails and phone calls received by the sisters from people making objections to the minister’s prominent role in liberalising abortion laws in Ireland.
The meeting was to be the latest in a two-year-long series of monthly gatherings hosted by We Are Church at the Mercy International Centre on Dublin’s Baggot Street.
Miriam Gormally met with Colm Holmes organiser of this event and spokesperson for We Are Church. He said that Sister Mary Reynolds, Chief executive of Mercy International Association was reluctant to withdraw the room and would like to continue to work with We Are Church. In particular they were fully supportive of raising the issue of women’s full involvement, believing that the role of women in the church is a topic that has long been neglected.
Noting that most objections have been courteous, Sr Mary laments that some comment has been vitriolic and that at least one of her staff has been intimidated by a caller.
Colm Holmes explains more, adding that the most important thing is to continue dialogue.
I am a member of We Are Church Ireland, and was very much disappointed at the reaction to our plans for a talk on the full participation of women in our Church. I am very much in favour of the WACI movement with it’s genuine love of people and their prayerful greetings. I will attend this meeting and would encourage all who are interested in the full participation of women to come along.