Querida Amazonia critique
Posted on 05. Mar, 2020, in Church Teachings, Community, Faith and Justice, Feminism/Women in the Church, SexualityComments Off on Querida Amazonia critique
Professor Tina Beattie, Professor of Catholic Studies at Roehampton University, delivered a lecture entitled “Listening to the Essence of Things”: Theology, language and meaning in the context of Laudato Si’ and Querida Amazonia on 19 February 2020 at The Loyola Institute, Trinity College Dublin. In this first of a two part series, we hear her take on Querida Amazonia. She says that while it is inspiring in many ways, it still has problems. In particular, she claims that Francis’ reasons for not ordaining women as deacons or priests comes close to “heretical” on a theological level.
She also critiques the idealisation of the Marian image, created by Church fathers, saying that “the maternal romance hides a deadly and terrible reality”. She goes on to relate statistics regarding abuse over ‘botched’ abortions, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Professor Beattie gives the example of the “feminine genius” as a stereotypical use of language that keeps women in their place. She wants a discourse based on learning from women and their experiences, recognising their equal participation in their communities and their environments.