An international survey of Catholic women by researchers based at the University of Newcastle found many women are feeling silenced and ignored by church practices and officials. And while Catholic women expressed their commitment to their faith communities, they struggled to have their views heard and their contributions valued.
The International Survey of Catholic Women (ISCW) was commissioned by the organisation Catholic Women Speak in 2021, as a way of contributing to the upcoming Synod at the Vatican in 2023-24. It explores the key issues facing women in the Catholic Church. The main report can be read at http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1468189
A strength of the survey is that it captured the complex diversity, insights, and shared concerns of thousands of Catholic women from around the world. It was distributed widely in eight languages and collected 17,200 responses from Catholic women in 104 countries, making it the largest international survey of Catholic women ever carried out.
It gathered the views and insights of Catholic women related to four central concepts: identity; need for reform in the church; issues related to women in the church; and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents were invited to answer 29 closed and three open questions. Respondents were able to use the open questions to express their diverse experiences and standpoints which reflected the cultural and communal contexts within which their Catholic faith is experienced and practised. The report produced 20 key findings and 14 recommendations which make clear the urgent need for organisational and theological reform.
Although the survey found that Catholic women are socially, culturally, economically and theologically diverse, within this diversity there was a significant level of shared concerns amongst women. A majority (88 per cent) of all respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement 'My Catholic identity is important to me' and 84 per cent of respondents agreed that reform is urgently needed in the Catholic Church.
A substantial majority of respondents (79 per cent) were supportive of the full inclusion of women at all levels of pastoral, liturgical and governance leadership. There was strong support for including women at the diaconate level and for preaching during Mass. Seven out of 10 respondents supported the ordination of women to the priesthood. One respondent from Taiwan said: "Women's ordination should be understood, supported and practised".
74 per cent agreed that women should have freedom of conscience with regard to sexual and reproductive decisions and many respondents commented that when women do not have agency over their life decisions, it led to psychological and physical harm.
Inclusivity was highly valued as a central moral value and specifically for Catholics who have experienced marginalisation, including LGBTQI+ and divorced Catholics with 82 per cent of respondents agreeing that LGBTIQ+ Catholics should be fully included and respected in all church activities.
83 per cent of respondents expressed their commitment to Catholic social teachings especially dealing with climate change, economic justice and poverty.
The misuse of power, particularly at clerical level was a central concern. 80% agreed that church leaders are not doing enough to address the perpetration and cover-up of sexual abuse. And 89% of respondents agreed that Church leaders need to do more to address other forms of abuse including abuses of power and spiritual harm. 85 per cent of respondents agreed that Clericalism (the abuse of power by priests and bishops) is damaging the Catholic Church. One respondent from South Africa stated "I feel cheated and emotionally abused into submission. The all-male leadership is unfair, unequal, and incapable of leading and representing women" and another respondent from Peru said, "I love being Catholic but I am ashamed of the lack of an energetic and categorical condemnation of sexual and power abuses".
Many respondents wanted more accountability and transparency in Church governance especially around financial matters and decision making.
One respondent from Mexico stated: "Transparency in everything. A parish much be heard and respected when complaining about priests or religious who mistreat or abuse power and money." In the open questions, many respondents said their labour was undervalued and reported poor recognition of their labour and qualifications with little or no pay for skilled work; some respondents disclosed experiences of workplace harassment.
The 14 recommendations stemming from the key findings include: increasing access to all leadership for women including ordination; enacting guidelines to eliminate sexual, spiritual and physical violence; enacting changes to Catholic theology, doctrine, and liturgical practice to ensure women, young people and families are valued and fully included in all aspects of church life; addressing corruption and economic mismanagement by putting in place transparent and accountable decision-making and management practices; ensuring Catholic social teaching addresses poverty, climate change, homelessness, war, and economic injustice.
Kathleen McPhillips and Tracey McEwan are researchers at the University of Newcastle's Faculty of Human and Social Futures
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