Discerning women deacons

Congratulations to the seven men who were ordained as deacons on Dec 4 and to their life partners. The joy in their expressions in the Nov. 25 edition of the Catholic Spirit is plain to see. I look forward to the day that we will be congratulating and celebrating newly ordained women deacons in the Catholic Church. (Would that I also live long enough to see women ordained as priests!) Earlier this year, the Discerning Deacons organization led conversations in parishes and communities around the world about the possibility of women being ordained as deacons. The initiative was inspired following the 2020 “Synod of Bishops on the Amazon,” where a majority of bishops were in favor of ordaining women as deacons, and where the Synod formally requested to share their “experiences and reflections” with a papal commission. Pope Francis did establish a new commission that began meeting in October 2021 to consider the ordination of women as deacons. I join the Discerning Deacons organization in supporting the ordination of women as deacons and praying that the Church will recognize the pastoral talents and treasures of women already acting in diaconal roles by officially ordaining them. I hope to see news about the Discerning Deacons organization and the papal commission in future issues of The Catholic Spirit.

Kathleen Burke-Scheffler
Ascension, Minneapolis

Understanding Gomez

Words matter. Rosenwinkel’s letter in the Nov. 25 issue misses the point of Archbishop Gomez’s comments on secular movements. For example, social justice is one of many “justices” that secular organizations bandy about more as virtue signaling than helping anyone. Gomez is saying that these organizations are trying to make Christianity irrelevant to everyday life. The God-centered Catholic Church must be the main organization through which we all can make a difference in our society. It is guided by the teachings of Jesus that help us determine how we as individuals can help those who need it. As soon as justice is modified (racial, environmental, etc.), it is no longer justice. Justice is a universal term that needs no modifier. Either we have justice, or we do not. We should all be working to make justice a reality for all. I suggest Rosenwinkel re-read Gomez’s comments with a broader view of how our Catholicism can or cannot make improvements.

Robert Lundquist
St. Joseph Parish, West St. Paul

Immigration’s injustices

In an Oct. 28 Letter to the Editor Elizabeth Rosenwinkel from Minneapolis criticized me as being naïve, uninformed or completely out of touch. She’s wrong on all counts. She suggests that because I live in Edina, I couldn’t possibly be informed. I used to live in south Minneapolis where I had Black neighbors and only blocks from George Floyd Square. I have in-laws who are Black immigrants and I have relatives from Worthington. Does that give me credence? It is really hard to foresee how to avoid minds-are-made-up people from misinterpreting what one writes. “That harm” as found in “That harm was done in Somalia and Central America, not in Minnesota” refers to how existence in those countries forced people to come here without wealth, without a home, and without English capabilities resulting in the huge disparities that were cited in an article accompanying the article in which Father Griffith was quoted. In short, the circumstances of immigration create huge disparities, not racial injustice.

Mike Ebnet
Our Lady of Grace, Edina

To the letter “Communion and Social Justice” (The Catholic Spirit, July 15), I respond: Mr. Hansel points out that there are many beliefs and practices that should preclude souls from holy Eucharist (abortion, supporting capital punishment and failure to espouse Catholic social justice teaching are but a few). He concludes that the Church “should welcome everyone to the table” for various reasons. I disagree that it should. Nor can the Church even do so. Holy Eucharist, the “source and summit” of our faith requires that all who approach must “be in a state of grace” to receive. Oh most thankfully so! Paul in his letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 11:26-30) says “therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the blood unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself … and anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.” Feeding the 5,000 on the mount, though certainly a prelude of most holy Eucharist, was a miracle that aided their temporal needs. He did share Eucharist (Last Supper) with those who betrayed and denied him. However, in all his providence he also instituted the sacrament of reconciliation. Because of these two most blessed sacraments, our church will always be able to receive in memory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and invite all those personally examined and properly disposed to approach our Lord and his sacraments of love, in love.

Mike Daniels
Cathedral of St. Paul, St. Paul

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