Maria Mesrian's opening speech at Maria 2.0 Action Week - 19 September 2020
Come to the table!
A warm welcome to all of you who have come to Cologne from near and far. We have set the tables and invite you all to pray with us and share bread together. We are standing here in front of the Cologne Cathedral and we are standing on the shoulders of giant women. For 2000 years women have been carrying the fire of Jesus' message. They stood on the hill of Golgotha. The first witness and proclaimer of the resurrection was a woman and almost 1000 years ago a woman stood in front of the venerable cathedral and called grievances by name: Hildegard of Bingen.
She and we are united by the conviction that the Christian message of justice and mercy can make the world a better place. We stand here because we find it difficult to recognize the message of Jesus in the actions of many powerful men of the Church. We miss the openness and freedom with which Jesus welcomed all people. We see exclusion and narrowness, abuse of power and dishonesty. We have set up our tables because we long for a church where everyone is welcome and no one is excluded. We invite people to share bread with one another, because the motto is: "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them". Jesus instructed us to break bread with the words: "Do this in memory of me". This is about much more than just memory. It is a matter of realization. We gather in Jesus' name and therefore He is with us. It is his presence that nourishes us. We do not stare at that which wants to limit and constrain us. The new has already begun. We go on and carry the embers further.
John 23 writes: Tradition means: To guard the fire, not to keep the ashes. With this we connect ourselves as brothers and sisters with men and women all over the world. From India we receive this greeting from the Indian feminist theologian Virginia Saldanha: "Dear Sisters of Mary 2.0! We admire your courage, your creativity and your commitment for the equality of women in the Catholic Church. You are an inspiration for us Indian women. You also encourage us on our way! We wish you a successful week and I hope to be with you one day!” Thank you Virgina for these words! Because the last year has shown that our will for equality and comprehensive change in the Catholic Church is not a luxury problem of Western women and men.
Our Catholic Women's Council network is supported by women from all over the world. All are fighting for equal dignity and equal rights in their own places. Therefore our struggle is not a selfish navel-gazing, but an act of solidarity with women worldwide: No woman in the world wants to be oppressed. The church is a global player. If it were to implement respect for dignity and equality and standards of transparency and power control in its structures, it would set an example and have an immense positive influence on societies. If it does not do so, it obscures the message of the Gospel. I deliberately say this sentence here in Cologne in front of the cathedral: Power without control becomes arbitrary and spreads fear. The Church must proclaim the Good News. It must not spread fear. We do not stop putting our finger in the wound. But we do not stop there. The time for lamentation is over. We go on and want to live what we have understood from the Gospel. So together we begin...
