Women Priests Are Not the Enemies of the Church - Dr. Shanon Sterringer - December 20, 2019
/Rev. Dr. Shanon Sterringer | December 20, 2019
Fairport Harbor, Ohio 44077
Dear Bishop Perez,
Dr. Shanon Sterringer at her ordination
I received your letter dated 17 December 2019 (feast of the deaconess Olympias) apprising me of the accusations you have leveled against me regarding several canonical violations in relation to my ordination. I responded to a previous letter you sent to St. Anthony of Padua parish on 22 July 2019 (feast of the apostle Mary Magdalene), and put forth several concerns/questions at that time, none of which you have responded to in this letter or otherwise. It is disheartening that it requires a canonical penalty for you to reach out. Please find my response to your letter below.
Dear Dr. Sterringer,
As Bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland, I have the most serious obligation to “defend the unity of the universal Church” and am therefore “bound to foster the discipline which is common to the whole Church, and so press for the observance of all ecclesiastical laws (canon 392, §1 CIC).
Response: I am deeply saddened to read this opening line because it affirms what many in the Church are feeling; that the role of our bishops has been reduced to enforcing unjust laws and protecting an institution not always concerned with the real needs of the people. Jesus came to bring new life and to bring it in abundance. He came to renew viriditas, which is a term the Church reformer, and now Doctor of the Church, St. Hildegard of Bingen, used to refer to the greening power that renews what has dried up and withered. Jesus repeatedly broke religious law when it oppressed or violated the people.
Women are oppressed in this Church. We are not treated with the same dignity and respect with which Jesus treated women. Centuries of patriarchal sexism have distorted women’s roles in the Church creating ecclesiastical laws that are unjust and dry.
From my perspective, your role as the Bishop of Cleveland should not be to enforce “discipline which is common to the whole Church, and so press for the observance of all ecclesiastical laws,” as stated. Rather, I believe your primary role is to LOVE – sincerely love - every single member of this Diocese equally (women, men, gay, straight, divorced, married, sinner, saint) for we are all created in the imago Dei. Authentic leadership creates a space for the gifts of the Holy Spirit to shape the Church into a companion model.
Jesus was not a dictator or a ruler. He walked humbly with the people. He washed feet, he commanded his disciples, women and men, to do the same. I refuse to believe, based on the history preserved, that Jesus would condone using a book of 1,752 canons as a weapon against any of us.
The priests in Jesus’ day felt it was their obligation to enforce the religious law as well and we know from the Gospels how Jesus responded to their fixation on the letter of the law.
It has thus been reported to me that you have participated freely and with knowledge in an illicit and invalid ceremony (canon 1024) within the Diocese of Cleveland, Ohio on 10 July 2019 which purported to ordain you to the sacred order of deacon. It has also been reported to me that on 3 August 2019 you freely and with knowledge participated in an illicit and invalid ceremony (canon 1024) in Linz, Austria which purported to ordain you to the sacred order of presbyter. If the above is true, then I am required to inform you (canon 1717, §1) that by your participation in these acts you have been excommunicated latae sententiae (canon 1378, Sacramentorum Sanctitatis Tutela, Norme de graioribus delictis, Article 5), the remission of which is reserved to the Apostolic See. It is my prayer for you and my concern for the good of the Church that you repent of your actions and reconcile with the Catholic Church.
Response: In fact, it was I who reported it to you through your officers in the Parish Life Office, Seminary, and the Lay Ecclesial Ministry Office as far back as one year ago that I was seeking ordination. I reported to you directly that I was ordained to the sacred order of deacon on 10 July 2019 in the Diocese of Cleveland, Ohio and to the sacred order of presbyter on 3 August 2019 (feast of St. Lydia) in Linz, Austria.
Both ordaining bishops, Rev. Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger and Rev. Mary Eileen Collingwood, possess the faculties to validly ordain as they were ordained by a diocesan bishop with faculties in the line of Apostolic Succession. Therefore my ordinations are valid (under the same circumstances that grant validity to right-wing Catholic break-away groups that emerged following the Second Vatican Council), though I do acknowledge the Church considers them illicit.
You have informed me that I have been excommunicated latae sententiae (canon 1378 Sacramentorum Sanctitatis Tutela, Norme de gravioribus delictis). I accept that my relationship to the institution has been severed and this has truly been the most difficult and heart-wrenching decision I have ever had to make. But I do not accept that my relationship with God has been negatively affected.
God called me to be a priest. I am a cradle-Catholic and I deeply love my Catholic faith.
Speaking on behalf of women priests everywhere, our call comes through the Church. The seed of my vocation was planted within me before I was born. It was watered at my baptism and nourished as I participated in the sacraments as a child. It came to fruition as I dedicated myself fully to nine years of theological studies at your seminary and ministerial formation through your Diocese. I understand that the institution does not recognize my vocation, but this does not change its reality. The Holy Spirit is not confined by human rules and social/cultural conditions.
You cited article 5 in Sacramentorum Sanctitatis Tutela (This is the document addressing the serious sin of sexual abuse of children by clergy. It is interesting that the Magisterium felt it was appropriate to include women priests in this document as if these issues are somehow related.) The document reads: “The more grave delict of the attempted sacred ordination of a woman is also reserved to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: With due regard for can. 1378 of the Code of Canon Law, both the one who attempts to confer sacred ordination on a woman, and she who attempts to receive sacred ordination, incurs a latae sententiae excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See.”
Considering for a moment all of the crimes committed by the Church throughout history and particularly today, acts that are not only immoral but in many cases criminal and violent, it is hard for me to believe that God would agree that the “more grave delict” is the ordination of a woman, particularly given the fact Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene and commissioned her as the Apostolorum Apostola and sent her to preach the first Easter homily to “his brothers”.
You have asked me to repent and return to the Church. What exactly are you asking me to return to? A Church that does not recognize my call? A Church that treats women as subordinate based on a distorted theology of complementarity? A Church that protects pedophile priests and bishops while judging the faithful for venial offenses? Shall I return to a Church which has hurt me time and time again, with no remorse or willingness to embrace its own need for repentance? Realistically, what do you expect from me, or anyone like me, who has a divine call and has tried to respond properly within the institution only to be forced elsewhere as a result of injustice, blatant disrespect, sexism, clericalism, or a power structure unyielding to change and growth? What would I be coming back to? Put yourself in my shoes for one moment. Would you return under the same circumstances?
I ask that you please respond to this letter by 3 January 2020. If there is no response from you by that time, I will communicate to the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith your refusal to reconcile and ask the Congregation for direction regarding the proper course of action to follow.
Response: In 2018, when I put in writing to the Lay Ecclesial Ministry Office, the Seminary, and the Secretariat for Parish Life and Development my intention to seek ordination, I acknowledged at that time that I understood the consequences of removing myself from the Diocese. I sent you a note dated 23 July 2019 reporting that I had been ordained and that I understood I was no longer affiliated with the Diocese and was no longer under your heirarchal jurisdiction.
I do not understand how it is appropriate for you to expect me to answer for something that no longer applies to me? If I were still working at the parish this would make sense, but I have been gone from it since 28 September 2018 and have intentionally avoided being on parish or diocesan property so as to not confuse people. I am in a very different place on my faith journey than I once was. While there may have been an opportunity previously to engage in a conversation of reconciliation, the opportunity no longer exists. Too much has unfolded in the past fifteen months that is irreversible. Given the fact that I have already lost my position in the parish, lost my salary and health benefits, lost many long-time connections and relationships, have huge student loans to repay that were incurred by my theological studies, and have been informed I was excommunicated latae sententiae, what other “course of action” are you threatening me with at this point in time?
With prayers that the Holy Spirit move you to seek salvation in Christ and his Church and invoking the guidance and intercession of the Most Holy Mother of God.
Response: I understand your position and your responsibility to pray for those of us you feel have separated ourselves from Christ and the Church. However, the Catholic Church does not control the only spigot on the font of salvation. I deeply love Christ and while I have accepted that I no longer fit into the institution, “his Church” is an integral part of who I am and always will be. It may be difficult to understand how someone can continue to identify with their Catholic faith while being outside of the institutional structure, but I have encountered many people in my years as a pastoral minister who have formally left the Church, but in their hearts still identify as Catholic. Through their stories and my own experiences, I have come to understand that faith is not defined by rules, buildings, or even doctrines. It is an encounter with the Living Christ. Over the past 47 years I have integrated my faith into my very being and so I will continue to consider myself a Catholic even if the Church feels obliged to impose on me a canonical penalty.
Women priests are not enemies of the Church. In many cases we have risked everything to follow our call to renew viriditas where we experience dryness. I am reminded of the Gospel passage in Mark, “John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.’ Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us” (38-40).
My ordination is not an attack on Christ, his Church, or the Diocese. It is an emulation of Mary’s YES. When we have the courage to say yes, like Mary, we become pregnant with the Spirit. Our history reminds us that embracing our prophetic call always puts us in opposition with the status quo and brings temporal consequences.
In this week’s Gospel reading, Joseph is ready to dismiss Mary after learning she was pregnant, outside of the institution of marriage, and not with his child. She was in violation of the law and it would have been well within Joseph’s legal right to not only banish her from the clan but to have her stoned for what the religious community believed was a sin. He allowed his heart to be touched by the Spirit, he trusted in goodness and light, and subsequently his attitude was transformed. He chose love over the law. From a female perspective, Joseph’s response to Mary’s pregnancy was as miraculous as the pregnancy itself. It is a beautiful reminder that there is always the opportunity to choose love.
I cannot “repent” because I do not believe I have sinned in following my call to ordination. We are in the midst of miracles here in this sacred space out in Fairport Harbor. St. Hildegard of Bingen works in and through our mission here. It is truly a remarkable space. It is sad that you are not interested in hearing my story or the story of this community because there is no doubt in the minds and hearts of anyone involved here of God’s presence, and it is drawing people. What is unfolding here is bigger than me or even this community. This is a space of light, love, and peace. I believe a hundred years from now a future generation will look back at what unfolded here with respect and awe. Unfortunately, they will be forced to again tell the story of how the religious institution feared, persecuted, and tried to silence the movement of the Spirit, a story that has been repeated many times in the history of our Church.
Bishop Perez, we have an opportunity to do things differently this time around, to not allow history to repeat itself. To be open to the Holy Spirit in this moment. To be open and creative in the way we respond to the Spirit and make a real difference in the Diocese of Cleveland. You have a choice to banish me or treat me with dignity, as a theologian and minister, and take time to listen to my story.
I do understand, based on my actions, that I am no longer welcome to participate within a parish or diocesan context and while it is painful to be banished from the parish community I so deeply love, I respect this consequence and have adhered to it for over a year. It is my prayer to be able to reconcile with you someday, but not by recanting my ordination.
I cannot abort my vocation any more than Mary could have “changed her mind” the moment she realized what the potential consequences might be for having said yes, especially if Joseph had chosen to exercise his legal rights. As a woman and a mother, I am positive Mary doubted her decision at times throughout her pregnancy, but in those moments of weakness she trusted her sacred experience. The only unforgivable sin is a sin against the Spirit (Mark 3:29). For me to “repent” my call would be a grave sin against the Holy Spirit.
I am not the first woman to be ordained in this way and I certainly will not be the last. The movement of reform is growing quickly and spreading widely because the people are hungry for change. The Holy Spirit is calling us forth to serve in this manner, at a time when the Church is in desperate need of renewal, and no human power can stop the work of the Spirit. The institution has lost credibility with many people and is in need of reform. Hagia Sophia continues to move, breath, and animate growth and change where we are open to her. Women priests are here, have always been here, and always will be here. Women have unique gifts and talents that can help renew our broken Church, if the institution would open itself up to it. Until this becomes a reality, we will continue to minister from the margins in love and prayer.
Please know of my prayers for you, the Diocese, and all who are struggling to understand their faith in the midst of changing times.
Prayers for a Blessed Christmas Season,
Rev. Dr. Shanon Sterringer
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Rev. Dr. Shanon Sterringer
Rev. Dr. Shanon Sterringer is a theologian and an ordained priest (ARCWP) with over two decades of pastoral experience and a strong advocate for holistic health/spirituality. Her background includes a Ph.D. (2016) from Union Institute & University in Ethical and Creative Leadership (she focused on the example of St. Hildegard of Bingen); a D.Min (2012) and a MA in Theology (2007) from St. Mary's Seminary and Graduate School of Theology; a MA in Ministry (2011) from Ursuline College; and a BA (2003) from Cleveland State University. She is a certified minister. She has training in pastoral care/counseling and sacramental preparation including marriage and funerals. She has received a number of awards and acknowledgements over the years for her academic and pastoral achievements. She is the author of a daily meditation book, 30 Day Journey with St. Hildegard of Bingen (fortress press 2019).
She is married and is the mother of 3 beautiful adult daughters. In her spare time she is an amateur beekeeper and she loves to be outside walking, collecting Lake Erie Beach Glass, and reading.
Her greatest passion is St. Hildegard of Bingen and her second spiritual home is on the Rhine River in Germany! She has dedicated her life to discovering creative ways to help others renew their greenness (viriditas) of mind, body, and spirit.
Shanon’s blog can be found at thegreenshepherdess.org
Notes:
In 2007, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith decreed the crime of ‘attempted’ ordination of a woman. He who confers of she ‘attempts’ (CDF words) to receive the sacrament of ordination incurs in latae sententiae excommunication, reserved to the Apostolic See.
Sidebar: In May 2010, the Vatican under Pope Benedict's lead updated its list of the "more grave crimes" against church law. These 'grave crimes' are called "delicta graviora." For the first time, the "attempted sacred ordination of a woman" was included in the list. In such an act, it said, the cleric and the woman involved are automatically excommunicated, and the cleric can also be dismissed from the priesthood.
Other items on the list include priest sex abuse of children. In this case, something less than excommunication is the prescribed penalty.
Although at the time of release of Delicta Graviora, the Vatican defended its decision to include attempted ordination of a woman and said it did not mean to equate this crime with that of priest pedophilia.
The facts speak for themselves. To this day it remains that the punishment for ordination of a woman is automatic excommunication. A priest pedophile is not excommunicated.
