I grew up, in Galway, in the 1970s, daughter of a Catholic mother and a Church of Ireland father. As a family, we attended Mass at the Catholic church and Service at the Church of Ireland on alternate weeks.
I am grateful that this enabled me to grow up with an utter disregard for denominational difference, and since then I have found my spiritual home with the liberal, non-doctrinal Unitarian church.
In April of last year, I watched – to my surprise – with complete absorption, the service of inauguration of Pope Benedict XVI, as supreme earthly leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
As I watched, I was more and more struck by the spectacle of row, upon row, upon row of hundreds, maybe even thousands of cardinals, bishops and priests.
And every single one of them a man.
I realised, that even though the question of women priests had not been the reason why I’d moved away from the Catholic Church, there is no way that I could now belong to a spiritual community, which will not accept women into the heart of its leadership and ministry.
I am, however, very conscious that for many people, women and men, this is the community within which they walk their path towards God. And so, in respect for the religious choices of others, I want to finish by sharing part of a prayer, which I wrote in the week, following the inauguration.
Great God of all
Bestow upon Pope Benedict XVI
the spiritual gifts which he will need
as he undertakes this great responsibility of leadership and care.
Grant to him
wisdom, to guide his speech and actions;
courage, that he may follow the good and not the expedient;
Above all grant him Your love, that all of his actions be motivated by love.
Grant to all people
the humility to know
that glimpses of truth revealed to each of us
are but part of the truth
As far as we, in conscience, can
may we honour the truth of our fellow travellers
and always reach out to them in love.
Amen
Maud Robinson.