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Opinion
The Battalion
Monday, Oct. 10, 1988
Pope’s view on women priests less than heavenli
Being the foremost religious leader in
the world, you would expect Pope John
Paul II to be a reasonably fair guy. And
he would be if he wei'e living in the 15th
century.
While the rest of the world races
closer and closer to the 21st century, the
Vatican progresses so sluggishly that if it
were moving any slower, it would be
going backward. People were shocked
last year when the Catholic Church de
nounced the use of condoms to prevent
the spread of AIDS. (I would think a liv
ing Catholic would be a bigger asset to
the Church than a dead one.) But last
week’s announcement of the reaffirma
tion of the pontiffs stand on women’s
exclusion from the priesthood was the
last straw for many Catholics.
Sister Teresa Kane, the American
nun who publicly challenged the pope
about this issue during his 1979 U.S.
visit, said, “We cannot as women have
access to desision-making without ordi
nation. Women are experiencing an
guish . . . suffering over questions on
whether they could be part of an institu
tion that is sexist.”
inconsistencies that the paper is virtually
invalid as an argument.
Consider these points made by the
pontiff:
And, clearly, Sister Kane is right. The
Vatican’s refusal to allow women to ad
vance and progress into leadership posi
tions within the Church is a gross exam
ple of sexism.
In a 1 16-page document titled “On
the Dignity and Vocation of Women,”
the pope’s reasoning contains so many
Mail Call
ACLU caters only to Constitution
EDITOR:
It is apparent from Mark Shipman’s letter in defense of Bush’s ACLU-bashing
that both he and Bush have entirely missed the point of this organization. The
American Civil Liberties Union does not “support” any policy.lt is an non-partisan
organization whose only client is the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution.
The ACLU will come to the aid of any group whose constitutional l ights are
under attack. It is currently defending the fifth amendment rights of two Reagan
sidekicks, Lyn Nofziger and Oliver North, and in 1977 it risked losing a huge
percentage of its members when it defended the constitutional right,of the right-
wing Nazis to march in Skokie, Ill.
Many prominent conservatives, including Dwight D. Eisenhower, have been
card-carrying members. (Was Ike “soft on crime”?) Attorney General Richard
Thornburgh was a chapter leader who helped set the ACLU’s policy. Bush has
missed the point in saying that the ACLU stands left of mainstream. It stands
outside the mainstream and defends anyone whose rights are threatened.
Even so, Mike Dukakis opposes the ACLU on many items, including church
tax exemptions and pornography. In fact, the Massachusetts ACLU went so far as
to sue Dukakis for supporting a bill whcih would give criminals longer prison
terms. They apparently thought Dukakis was too tough on crime.
In any case, the ACLU does not engage in party politics. Its only act is defense
of the Constitution. But since many government officials have lately seen fit to
ignore the Constitution, let us bring this argument down to the intellectual level of
the average Republican by asking the simple and patriotic question, “Would the
founding fathers of this nation support the ACLU today?” The answer is yes.
Our founding fathers would undoubtedly have been card-carrying members
of the ACLU, an organization designed to uphold and protect their own
Constitution. And they, like the ACLU, would agree with George Bush on one
item — that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice.
Melanie Shouse ’90
SAA stereotyping uncalled for
EDITOR:
How ironic it seems that the self-appointed Moral Majority should brand
Students Against Apartheid a “left-wing fringe group.” I was offended by the
blatant narrow-mindedness and stereotyping employed by Scot Kibbe and 1 1
others whose insecurity leads them to imply that SAA threatens baseball. Mom and
apple pie.
First of all, according to every available reasonably unbiased poll and survey,
Chief Buthelezi, while chief of a large group of blacks in South Africa, is not well-
respected by South African blacks, who regard him as a tool of the conservative
white South Africans. The fact remains that the most respected black leaders,
including Nobel-prize winner Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandella, have been
pleading for Western sanctions for years.
Second, SAA cares deeply for this campus, but our love of A&M transcends
brick and mortar. The role of the shanty lies in encouraging students to question
apartheid and other worldly matters. Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the
purpose of a college education to better understand this wonderf ul world the Lord
created, and when problems arise to intelligently deal with them?
Also, the label of flag burners is way out of line. How dare Kibbe slur every
member of SAA with this derogatory characterization. The group is interested in
the anti-apartheid cause not out of self-rightousness, but because it remains a
blatant system of legalized racism that our country supports economically and
militarily.
Finally, this type of right-wing extremism threatens us all, because it serves to
constantly and incessantly give heat to the fires of apartheid and prejudice in both
South Africa and the United States.
David Luckenbach ’91
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters for style
and length, but will make every effort to maintain the author’s intent. Each letter must be signed and must include the
classification, address and telephone number of the writer.
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• The pope pointed out that Christ
called only men to be his apostles. Al
though the inclusion of women would
have been socially taboo, Christ never
conformed to social norms, meaning
he specifically chose men for a reason.
The apostles are definitely central
figures in Christianity, but women’s
roles in the Bible should never be un
derstated. After all, within the Catholic
religion, the Virgin Mary is a strong fo
cal figure. And she certainly had as
much impact on Christ’s human life and
influence as anyone. After Christ’s res
urrection, he first appeared to a woman,
Mary Magdalene.
• The pope readily admits that the
“achievements of Christian women
have had a significant impact on the
life of the chuch as well as of society.”
In fact, he conferred sainthood on an
18th-century Italian woman Oct. 3.
If Pope John Paul II recognizes wom
en’s achievements enough to canonize
one, why won’t he let them advance,
continue to grow in responsibility and
make more of an impact within the
Church?
Anthony
Wilson
Columnist
• Holy Communion was directed to
the 12 disciples at the Last Supper.
“This is clear and unambiguous when
the sacramental ministry of the Eu
charist, in which a priest acts in per
sona Christi (as Christ), is performed
by a man,” the pontiff said.
True, not only was it only men who
broke the bread and prepared the wine,
but it was also only men who received it,
because no women were present. So
why are women allowed to receive com
munion, yet not consecrate it?
• John Paul II said that men and
women share equal dignity because
“both were created in the image and
likeness of the personal God.”
This statement seems to imply that
both sexes share the same Cod-like qual
ities without many, if any, differences.
And if this is true, then it shoots down
his male apostle argument because
Christ could just as easily chosen all
women to be his disciples.
• The pontiff said there is an “es
sential richness” in femininity.
Certainly, no one would argue this.
just as no one would argue that (here is
an essential richness in masculinity. But
the pope goes on in his article to de
scribe the special relationship women
share with the people with whom they
come in contact because of their femini
nity. The papal document mentions a
“spiritual motherhood” women are ca
pable of having with others.
Because the priesthood involves a
great deal of personal counseling, these
qualities are unquestionably conducive
gifts to helping troubled people. Many
parishes allow nuns to do counseling,
but none allow them to hear confes
sions. Personally, if I were confessing,
I’d want and prefer the person hearing
my confessions to have these qualties.
• The pope said women were cor
rect to reject the biblical passage “he
(man) shall rule over you.”
Is not the pope a man? And is he not
ruling over women by not allowing
them to pursue a career that obviously
means a lot to them? This is a huge con
tradiction.
• Lastly, the Church argued that the
exclusion of women from the pries
thood is part of the it’s permanent tea
chings.
Although this is one of the Catholic
Church’s permanent teachings, one
Cardinal admitted in a Dallas Morning
News article that there is no infallible
definition regarding the ban of women
priests. When I read this, the first thing
1 thought of was when 1 wasyo
my parents refused to let met
thing with the “Because 1 saidso’esjl
nation.
Although just as many Catliplicsls
the ban as who do not, you have to vj
tier about the supporters’ reasoj
Religious teachings have always I
something most people acceptixhJ
tions-asked. But ask those samej
whether women should be treatedirj
same manner in other areas—busi#
politics and education, for exampleJ
and you’d probably be greetedwiilij|
sounding "NO!”
When Gen. Earl Rudder
women into Texas A&M in 19oa,iiijj
protested with “Because it’s alwaysli
that way!” as their only aramuntil
1 hat line of reasoning was as weakl
as it is now. Rudder realized then
grossing times demanded the di;
1 he Catholic Church should doj
same.
Women have so much more too
the Church. As Sister Mariana!
I louston said in a Houston OirorJ
account of the issue, “It'saseerninga
tradiction to talk about sexuali
but to c ontinue to deny full ministnl
the church on the basis of sexuality, T|
real question is ministry and diet
the gifts Cod has given peopleregi
less of gender.”
Anthony Wilson is a seniorjounJ
lism major and opinion page ediloj
The Battalion.
Conservative collegians with borins
behavior ruining old hippies’ fun
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — There I
stood on stage at the University of Ala
bama field house. There were 4,000 in
attendance, mostly students.
Everybody else has been taking presi
dential polls, so I decided to take one
for myself.
“How many of you support Michael
Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen?” I asked.
TX
Lewis
Grizzard
Columnist
long hair who wore sandals andd
bathe.
i’hey had rock concerts andfreel)
and LSD and vans with peaces
painted on the sides.
An adult can get thoroughly
gusted with somrt+ring like that
hours at a time.
The Democratic ticket got maybe 10
percent of the crowd.
smack through the middle of the 60s, is
how obviously conservative college stu
dents have become.
“And Bush and Quayle?” I went on.
Thunderous applause. Wild
cheering. Whistles, and somebody got
up and yelled “Roll, Tide!”, Alabama’s
answer to “How ’Bout them Dawgs!”,
“Hook ’em, Horns!” and “Gig ’em, Ag-
One Alabama campus leader said to
me, “The faculty here, believe it or not,
is more liberal than the student body.”
gies!
And it’s not just happening in the
South. Recall the students at the Univer
sity of California at Berkeley heckled
Walter Mondale when he campaigned
there in 1984.
Yes, there are still a few punkra
around today with orange hairanda
rings who dress like there’s beenafij
and they grabbed w hatever they aj
out of the closet, but I expectitf
eventually to be w ijjed out by larged
that think they are some new
cat. So how can I stir up much res
mem for them?
I had looked forward to beingabi
say, “These young people todayi
going to hell in a handbasket.”
I should have expected that. I was in
a strongly conservative part of the coun
try where anybody from Massachusetts
is geographically undesirable in the first
place.
It’s got to be money. Students in the
60’s wanted peace and love and justice.
Add to that the fact this individual is
said to hold certain liberal views and
you’ve got somebody about as popular
as a canker sore.
Students in the 80’s want a starting
salary of $35,000, a personal home com
puter and car with initials for name.
Where most of today’s young pq
are going is to find a good finano
planner.
What angers me is now that I’m an
adult, I don’t have a lot of young people
doing things that truly disgust me.
Maybe their kids will wear!
their hair, support liberal Democij
and show up on the evening newsN
ing their American Express cards.
What is truly amazing to me, how- Think what kind of youth adults of
ever, as one whose collegiate years ran the 60’s had. They had hippies with
It’s what they deserve for
my fun.
Copyright 1988, Cowles Syndicate
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