CWO Mission Statement

We envision CWO as a movement campaigning within the Church for inclusivity and the radical transformation of kyriarchal* structures. We call for women's perspectives to enrich the Church's thinking and for women's gifts to enrich its ministry.
 

*kyriarchal is a word used by Elizabeth Schussler Fiorenza, the American scripture scholar to express the interlocking of multiple oppressions from a hierarchical system (e.g. - racism, sexism, classism, etc.)

 

 

• that all creation is sacred and all women and men are imbued with the spirit of God.

• in the call to Christian maturity

• in the power of change and transformation

• in a just, inclusive, loving Church where the equality of all is respected

• in leadership emerging from within the community

• in the call to ordination of both women and men

We commit to:-

• educating others and ourselves towards a new understanding of what it is to be Church through a feminist theological perspective.

• supporting and enabling each other on the journey towards an inclusive church

• affirming one another in each one's vocation

• exposing patriarchal interpretations of scripture and patriarchal structures

By:-

• dialogue with our bishops and priests

• personal study

• group study

• seeking financial assistance and encouraging prayerful giving for study and courses

• networking with relevant groups and organisations

• information gathering and sharing

• hearing people's stories and empowering them

• developing creative liturgies and space for creative expression

• developing support strategies for example spiritual direction/companionship, telephone trees, E-mail, website

• buying in administrative support to free members for other tasks

• encouraging small groups to engage in money raising schemes to fund activities

We commit to:-

• raising awareness through campaigning, publicity and our visibility

• not being solely reactive but also being as proactive as we can

• employing imaginative and creative processes of campaigning, publicising and being visible

• persevering in order to develop strategies

• targeting the "No discussion" policy by the Vatican

By:-

• writing letters to the media in reaction but also to inform

• using CWO Christmas cards, sending them in particular to Bishops, Catholic MP's, Priests, Nuns and other prominent Catholics

• using "Funny Money" (cards containing statements that we will withhold money until oppressive structures change) in collections and other appropriate places

• producing pamphlets, leaflets, stickers and newsletters to distribute as widely as possible

• speaking to other groups about CWO and its vision for example youth groups, women's groups, study groups

• entering into dialogue with Bishops locally and nationally

• taking part in vigils

• contributing to campaigns and awareness raising on Vocation Sunday

We commit to:-

• the use of inclusive language in prayer, the mass and other liturgies

• prayer as an integral part of CWO

• developing and sharing different forms of liturgy

By:-

• asking contemplative and active orders to pray for us

• engaging in public prayer, public witness and public vigil

• having shared times and shared forms of prayer

• developing and collecting original liturgies to share

• removing all sexist and other oppressive language from the liturgy

• challenging others use of sexist hierarchical and other language