Religious Affairs Office

We talk to her about issues that include the role of women in an ecclesiastic institution, the Women‘s Synod, the Bishops‘ Synod and women theologians, among other matters.

Lurdes Casanovas is a teacher and speech therapist in an education centre‘s guidance team. She likes music, walking in the mountains, doing sport, contemplation, reading, conversation and learning. Over time, she has realised that “less is more” and that it is important to enjoy the little things in life. She is currently a member of Dones Creients Alcem la Veu [Women Believers Raising Our Voices], an organisation that calls for the Catholic church to take women into consideration in terms of participation, decision-making, opinions and leadership.

 

Could you tell us about your personal journey within the Catholic church?

I come from a family of believers. I used to take part in parish groups in Badalona, and when I was 18 I participated in catechesis groups that were held in Casal Loiola in Barcelona. The first course dealt with the figure of Jesus Christ, and during the sessions, I realised which path I wanted to follow. I have been a monitor in a parish centre, I have taken part in associations that work for the third world, and I started to form part of the Christian Life Communities (CVX)[1] and I continue to do so.

Meanwhile, in August 2003, the 2nd European Women‘s Synod was held in Barcelona, and I took part with some friends. It was there that I discovered the Women‘s Group in the Church, which had been leading the way forward for years.  We were very interested, and we decided to form a group under the name Skamot Magdala. We worked on feminist theology, reading and working on various theologians, and we even took part in one or two meetings of the European Women‘s Association for Theological Research (ESWTR). And it was in 2019 that people from various Catholic movements open to feminism started to get together to form a group and publicly call for changes within the Church. I take part at a local level with Raising Our Voices (I am responsible for initially receiving people who are interested) and at a national level with CVX. We are all working and looking for a way to participate in the change we are seeking in the Church.

What is Raising Our Voices? What does the organisation do?

Alcem la Veu [Raising Our Voices] is a movement that brings people together, mainly women, coming from various movements, including the Women‘s Group in the Church, Worker's Brotherhood of Catholic Action (HOAC or GOAC), Catholic Workers Action (ACO), the Professional Catholics Movement, Vedrunes, Adoratrius, the CVX, among others. In 2019, all of these people got together to form Raising Our Voices. We meet to carry out joint initiatives, highlighting the situation of women within the Catholic Church. Our manifesto has been signed by around 1,300 people.

The initiatives are carried out with two goals in mind. The first is to showcase the potential, creativity, commitment and awareness of women believers, both in society and in various areas within the Church. Denouncing the non-recognition of equality with men, something which entails not having access to committees where decisions are made, not having access to the deaconry, ordination, to which women feel called. Therefore, the first step would be to share in the decision-making committees, so we can have a say, alongside men, in what kind of Church we want or would like. In any event, meanwhile, the steps that would really be signs of change are the presence of women in the training of clergy, not only doing a course in seminary faculties; a real leading role for women in parishes, which should be more democratic, and not just the rector having the last word. To explain in the homilies that men, women and others can take part, preparing us to see women at the altar, as has happened in Protestant churches, or in other confessions. The second goal is for the Church to publicly express what we want. This is channelled through three actions that take place every year: when all of us gather in Barcelona Cathedral on the Sunday before 8 March; we also make our presence felt in the demonstration of 8 March, as women believers, and on 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) we say a prayer and take part in the demonstration to denounce abuse and violence against women inside and outside the Church. For now, the initiatives are carried out in Barcelona, with the participation of men and women, as well as in the Balearic Islands this year, and we hope that soon, other places in Catalonia will follow suit.

What relationship does Raising Our Voices have with other organisations concerned with the same subject?

Raising Our Voices is found in Catalan territory. Although the gathering takes place in Barcelona, we have covered all of the territory and, this year, we have also covered the Balearic Islands.  In Spain, we have relations with Revuelta de Mujeres en la Iglesia [Women‘s Revolt in the Church] in various cities. In Europe, we are linked to the Catholic Women‘s Council (CWC). We are all making progress and proposals in various issues.

What are your fears and worries in regard to women in the Catholic Church?

I can see that the world is changing, that we are people, whatever our definition of gender may be, that we are all equal, that we are fighting for a more egalitarian society, in families, in the workplace, in society in general, and this is something that also concerns us as a Church, but we are not getting involved. For many years, I have said “i have a card”, I take part in something because I was born where I was born, I belong to the Catholic Church, which is a totally patriarchal, chauvinist institution, and I think that, someday, the new generations will ask us: “And what did you do?”. And my involvement, and my intention, is to contribute what I can, in case some reflection, some opening, something can change to make this possible.

 

WOMEN‘S SYNOD

In October 2022, the conclusions from the Women‘s Synod were presented to the Catholic Church. Was that the first Women‘s Synod? Can you tell us how it was organised and what it consisted of?

This synod had women from all over the world, with participation from all five continents. It was organised by the Catholic Women‘s Council (CWC) and it finished last October in Rome. And Raising Our Voices took part intensively, together with Women‘s Revolt in the Church from other Spanish cities. A total of 21 Spanish cities took part, along with many groups and organisations, where we made our voices heard.

In that process, women from all over the world produced materials, held workshops, working groups and gatherings to share experiences with all the women interested in working and striving for the full recognition of their dignity and equality within the ecclesiastic world.

The slogan chosen by the Women‘s Synod was “We are the change. Come and help us build it”.

What issues were raised and what were the conclusions?

The areas covered by the synod included the situation of women within the Church; power, participation and representation; transparency and accountability; sacramental life, and resistance and hope. There was reflection and the exchange of experiences in regard to these issues. And the work methodology was based on seeing, judging and acting, from a gender perspective.

The most important conclusions that came out of the synod were, firstly, the need for recovering the community of Jesus of Nazareth, which contradicts how the present-day Church works, something that involves reinforcing the responsibility of all of its members, men and women, secular people and priests. Secondly, giving priority to the Gospel, illuminated by present-day studies of the Scriptures, so that we can live as Jesus lived and taught, so that becomes a liberating message. Thirdly, recognising that the Church is not only about the clergy, but everyone who has been baptised, and following the true freedom, like that of Christ, based on truth, which does not mean clinging to tradition, to cultural structures, which are historical, non-essential and are doctrines made by men, which belong to bygone eras. In other words, it means being free to live self-determined lives.

The conclusions were presented to the Pope. How were they received?

The reflections and proposals generated by this process were presented to Pope Francis in Rome in October 2022, and they have also been presented to various dioceses and bishoprics. They acknowledged receipt and now we need to keep taking steps, to keep moving forward.

What could the synod mean in the middle and long term?

At the moment, it means that women all over the world have heard each other, listened to each other and created a network, that we are certain about following this path, and that we need to keep working. Furthermore, it opens a door so that many more women can join us. We are organising, we are talking and we are reflecting, and we will get there. For the future, this has been a first step, but we hope that it has a knock-on effect and opens more doors. I believe that this is something powerful that has never been done before.

 

WOMEN THEOLOGIANS

What role has Catholic women theologians played in the Women‘s Synod?

Women theologians have actively taken part, accompanying us, providing support, encouragement and training. For example, the Association of Women Theologians in Spain (ATE), theologian associations like the Mexican organisation Tras las Huellas de Sofía [In the Footsteps of Sofia] or South African and Asian associations, among many others.

The voices of Catholic women theologians are being increasingly heard, they now have a greater presence. In general, what role do they have and what issues are they working on?

Many are optimistic and feel able to modify symbolic, moral, theological and liturgical systems, and they maintain that in order to do so, it is necessary to reformulate how God and the religious experience is verbalised. They also defend the fact that equality must be accepted. Although not all of them follow the same criterion; some believe that the Church must be reformed from within. It makes no sense to do so from outside. Others propose a renovation from the fringes. Some believe that nothing will change until the foundational texts are read in a different way. That these texts must be reinterpreted. Apart from the theories, there are groups which, based on practical knowledge, wish to experience the fact that they are women and believers without contradictions. And it should be said that this issue is not necessarily exclusively for women.

In your opinion, who are the leading women theologians internationally, in Latin America, in Spain and in Catalonia?

There are many women theologians we should be getting to know and hearing about, because sometimes they are relatively unknown. Elizabeth Johnson (British), Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza (Romanian), and Ivon Guevara (Brazilian). In our region, I would cite Carmen Bernabé, Mercedes Navarro, Teresa Forcades, María José Arana and Adelaide Baracco, who are about to publish a book on the ordination of women, along with Pepa Torres, who is a keen activist. I would also like to state that women theologians from Italy and around the world are the authors of a collection of 20 books on the subject of The Bible of Women, which is written in four languages.

 

BISHOP‘S SYNOD

Recently, the Pope opened a synodal process, which will be concluded in October 2024, where all the members of the Catholic Church are asked what questions or issues concern them most. What is your view of this Bishop‘s Synod? What is your assessment?

The synodal process initiated by Pope Francis is very important, because it allows everyone take part in a synod, which is unprecedented, a change of paradigm. The synod is not just some bishops shut away in Rome, but the voice of people, women and men from all over the world, who give their opinions about the present and the future of the Church. A Church that is an assembly, and this idea of a community that is moving forward together, where no one is more important than anyone else, that is what Pope Francis has recuperated. It is an assembly of equals. The volume of work is so extensive that there isn‘t even time to analyse, specify and put it all into practice, taking into account that the Bishop‘s Synod does not pare down or disregard any contributions. The effort that has been made on a global scale to bring together these contributions is very important.

What do you think the results of this synod will be?

Nobody knows what the results will be. It has created a pathway and we must see where it leads us. It has detractors, because many bishops and chaplains find it hard to believe, but many others do believe it. The participation of lay people has been especially important. In the short term, we may see little details, in the long term, we will have to see. I‘m optimistic!

The diocese phase, in Barcelona, included issues such as a greater role for women, as well as women priests, among others. Do you think that these issues will reach the final phase, after all the processes?

The further away the final decisions are, the more difficult it becomes for the reflections of lay people to get there. During the process in the diocese of Barcelona, some ground-breaking issues arose, but they were watered down in the summary of the Spanish Episcopal Conference. In any event, the issue of women comes up everywhere, and we hope it will prove impossible for it not to be taken into account. Certainly less than we would like, but there will be progress in some way. Not to do so would be to show disdain for the voices of many women and men. It would be a bad joke. I believe we will gain something.

In your opinion, what measures should be taken to offer a more influential role for women within the Catholic Church?

Firstly, to create a study group with women, mostly made up of women, maybe with secular and religious men, to study the necessary steps, not doing things quickly or in a rush. It would be a post-synodal group where women would have a lot of weight. After twenty centuries, we can do this a little at a time.

 

YOUNG PEOPLE AND RELIGION

How do you see young people in regard to religion?

Some young people have drifted away from the Church as an institution. In terms of spirituality or spiritual searching, they need it and they look for it. Even so, in Raising Our Voices, we have young women and for those who are still there, it is good that we are making these proposals and moving heaven and earth to change things in the Church, too.

What role do young women play within the Catholic Church? What are their concerns?

In Raising Our Voices, we have young women who are taking part and want to change things. They want to be in the Church, but not as it is now; because it needs to adapt to the changing times. They want a more open Church where there is room for everyone, for all diversities.

In general, many Catholic women believers have drifted away from the institution because it has created obstacles and there have not been any changes.

 

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TODAY

In general, how do you see the Catholic Church fitting in with contemporary society?

Nowadays it is quite discredited, although there are really contradictory messages, which means that not everybody thinks in the same way. I believe it should aim for what it is concerned with by definition, a prophetic, liberating voice, where there is room for everyone, with a voice and a vote, and which isn‘t such a rigid, stratified organisation. It should be more assembly-like and less hierarchical, with more participation from everyone.