Dear Catholic Church,
You and I are no longer speaking.
Vatican Reprimands a Group of U.S. Nuns and Plans Changes
I have spent years of my life hanging onto the belief that the Church could and would change. I have argued in its defence. I have worked in its schools and nurtured its children.
But now I am done. The straw done broke the camel's back; and this is it.
I stuck by in the belief that action would be taken on the child abuse cases; I was wrong. I assumed that the church's stance on homosexuality would change; maybe it will, one day. I was raised in a community which told me that the voices of the women were heard as clearly as the men, but my adult experience tells me vastly different. The Church has made it clear - indeed, has been making it clear over and over for years now - that people like me are not welcome. Women who are attracted to other women need not apply; women who are attracted to both men and other ladies might actually be worse. Women who don't want to get married and have babies. Anybody who wants sex, but not babies. Anyone who wants babies but not marriage, or marriage but not babies. Gay people, trans people, people who don't fit the gender binary or don't feel comfortable there. People who are like me, people I love, people who deserve more fucking dignity than 'Change to fit our standards'.
And now, women who dare to fucking think for themselves and having fucking opinions and structure their organisation in a way that suits their needs, without first checking with their thrice-damned fucking overlords in the Vatican to make sure it's all not too feminist.
I just. I'm just done.
Vatican Reprimands a Group of U.S. Nuns and Plans Changes
I have spent years of my life hanging onto the belief that the Church could and would change. I have argued in its defence. I have worked in its schools and nurtured its children.
But now I am done. The straw done broke the camel's back; and this is it.
I stuck by in the belief that action would be taken on the child abuse cases; I was wrong. I assumed that the church's stance on homosexuality would change; maybe it will, one day. I was raised in a community which told me that the voices of the women were heard as clearly as the men, but my adult experience tells me vastly different. The Church has made it clear - indeed, has been making it clear over and over for years now - that people like me are not welcome. Women who are attracted to other women need not apply; women who are attracted to both men and other ladies might actually be worse. Women who don't want to get married and have babies. Anybody who wants sex, but not babies. Anyone who wants babies but not marriage, or marriage but not babies. Gay people, trans people, people who don't fit the gender binary or don't feel comfortable there. People who are like me, people I love, people who deserve more fucking dignity than 'Change to fit our standards'.
And now, women who dare to fucking think for themselves and having fucking opinions and structure their organisation in a way that suits their needs, without first checking with their thrice-damned fucking overlords in the Vatican to make sure it's all not too feminist.
I just. I'm just done.