Book Report (sort of)

Sr. Helena attended the RBTE and picked up some free books for me. (These were free samples from various religious publishers; some were galley proofs.) One of the books was "Good Catholic Girls: How Women Are Leading the Fight to Change the Church" by Angela Bonavoglia (whose last name means "good-will"). Among the recommendations on the back cover are words from Sr. Jeannine Gramick ("pioneering minister to Catholic homosexuals") and Mary Ramerman ("ordained Catholic priest"). Poor things.

I guess I am thinking of the history of the Church. The people who really changed the Church in the best way didn't set out to do that. They were simply focused on living the Gospel and proclaiming it effectively. Many of these people (we call a good percentage of them saints) were thorns in the sides of ecclesiastical leaders who were more comfortable with staid mediocrity. Some of them found ways to get around, to maneuver within the "system," because their goal was not fixed on the system, but on something bigger. Think of St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac skirting the obligation of cloister for consecrated women by deliberately not including solemn perpetual vows in the women's congregation they founded! Just fluttering through the pages of "Good Catholic Girls," though, you find lots of people with righteous feelings about their agendas, but it is hard to see how things like "fighting for reproductive rights" (has its origin in the Gospel.

I'm going to read the book, just to be informed. (Besides, sometimes when I get irritated I also get creative.) Then I will send the book to Sr. Bernadette in Rome. She is feminist without being weird and ugly about it. She may be the one to formulate a healthy response.

Anyway, books. There will be another one coming out on a completely different subject, and it promises to be fantastic: a book by Joseph Ratzinger (!) about John Paul II. Put me on that mailing list!