I boarded the plane to attend the Young Feminist Program in Cuernavaca, Mexico with a desire to examine women’s place in the Catholic Church in Mexico. The trip, however, urged me to look deeper and to formulate new expectations. I returned with an appreciation of the connection between the place of women in society and their role in the Catholic Church. Cuernavaca illustrated that women’s ordination is not a solitary issue: A fight for women’s ordination necessitates addressing broader issues, including women’s poverty and oppression.
The trip began with a mass in the small community of Yautepec, followed by a discussion with the parish priest and members of the congregation. In the discussion that followed, Padre Julio Torres emphasized that women in Mexican society make up one of the most marginalized groups: they are women, indigenous, poor and belong to the Catholic Church. This led to a conversation on women’s ordination, for which he voiced strong support. He mentioned, however, that his position is rare in a society defined by machismo and in a Catholic Church staffed by ultra conservative priests and bishops. Torres expounded on the connection between oppression and ordination as he related a conversation between himself and the bishop. The bishop had questioned Torres on the congregation’s response to women altar servers. Torres responded: "People are too worried about what they’re going to eat tomorrow to voice an opinion on women altar servers." In a society where women are marginalized and poor, survival issues supersede issues of Church equality. Without economic and social freedom, women cannot focus on such issues as women’s ordination.
We then traveled to a women’s co-op in Tepoztlan. We conversed with them about their initial efforts to form their co-op. The tenacity of these women was obvious as they recounted their husband’s initial negative reactions to their endeavor. It reemphasized that the two sexes are far from equal in Mexican society.
The following day we embarked on a Cuernavaca Quest, a socio-economic tour of the city. Our objective was to acquaint ourselves with the city and to buy specific wares from the market. Perhaps more importantly, however, we observed the people and their daily lives. We used the results of the ‘quest’ to do an economic analysis, comparing the price of the food to the minimum wage ($0.30/hour), keeping in mind that at least 50% of Mexicans make less than the minimum wage. Through our economic analysis, we discovered that one would need to work an average of four days to afford the food for three days. The poverty of women, however, frequently surpasses that of men, as they are less likely to be involved in the formal economy and take advantage of the minimum wage.
Wednesday began with morning prayer with the Benedictines, followed by a discussion about Our Lady of Guadeloupe. The Benedictines emphasized that Our Lady of Guadeloupe deviates from the traditional image of Mary as a subservient female. Her message reveals that she is a liberator from oppression, one who restored respect to oppressed indigenous people. In raising up Juan Diego, Mary transferred power from the center (the bishop) to the periphery (the indigenous). She appeared as a representation of a God who is both masculine and feminine, and assumed the reality of the oppressed. The Benedictine’s interpretation exhibited a God who supports economic and social liberation, and restores dignity to the marginalized. Taken a step further, this God would support the liberation of women from oppression, and the transfer of power from the center (the hierarchy) to the margins. Yet the Benedictines, having previously run a parish, were removed from that position for sentiments such as these.
Wednesday concluded with an experience of indigenous spirituality at the home of Nacho Torres Ramirez. Nacho spoke on indigenous communities and the syncretism of indigenous spirituality with Catholic theology. He then led us in an indigenous ritual in reverence of nature. For the indigenous people, nature is the place where they return to themselves and their creator, and ultimately learn to love others. Their respect for nature stems from the spirituality of their ancestral farming communities, and is evident in communal, rather than individual, land ownership. They couple this with their Catholic spirituality, resulting in a holistic view of religion. Yet, this beautiful spirituality is the hallmark of a community that is oppressed, in poverty, and poorly educated. Women indigenous face a double marginalization, being both indigenous and female.
Our visit to the Catolicas por el Derecho a Decidir (the Mexican partner of Catholics for a Free Choice) occurred Thursday morning. Their mission in Mexico is interrelated with larger issues of justice for women. They articulated that much of their advocacy occurs through workshops with women – including victims of rape and domestic abuse. This prompted a recognition that women’s ordination is also connected to many other women’s issues, and can be approached in much the same way. We inquired into their techniques for organizing, and collaborated on ways the Women’s Ordination Conference could work with them.
We met with both Gerardo Thijssen (a former priest and economist) and Carmen Granados (women’s health professional) on the last two days. These two speakers reemphasized not only the reality of women’s poverty (both economically and in education), but also the lack of proper information and resources for women’s health and reproductive options.
On our final day we visited a Base Christian Community. We participated in the liturgy which was led by a woman who gave the homily, led the prayer service, and related God to the image of motherhood. She was a model for women seeking ordination, and an inspiration to all of us. Yet, even she, living the reality of oppression and marginalized, could not envision women’s ordination.
It has been said that before one can fight for freedom, one must realize that one is enslaved. The reality of women’s poverty and oppression in Mexico permeates nearly every sphere of life. Working for women’s ordination involves confronting this oppression. The solution, however, does not seem to be indoctrination of American culture and beliefs. The answer to freeing women from oppression involves working with the women and the indigenous people. An examination of indigenous society reveals a society that is oppressed and condemned by the present Mexican government and capitalistic nations, yet one that promotes equality and the integration of faith into daily life. Politically, the indigenous believe that to be an authority means to live a life of service. They do not separate their faith from their political arena. Their concept of communal land and service to the weakest creates an economic system that strives for the good of all. Culturally, they have a cosmic vision that connects them to nature, and holistic medicine that attempts to heal the entire person. Carmen Granados also revealed that education of women equals empowerment. A lack of education – physically, emotionally, socially, and intellectually – cements women into their current gender roles. With education, these women can assert themselves and begin to break free from societal constructs.
In Cuernavaca, we encountered women who were in poverty, struggling to provide for their family; women with little to no education; women who possessed education, but were still deemed "second class." We talked with women who struggle to serve their church, but were not yet recognized by their husbands. These women need freedom from a system that does not recognize their full humanity. They should have access to education and resources. Yet they do not need Americans to preach to them. We must work with them and together envision a renewed church that supports the equality of all, in all realms, including women’s ordination.