Women's ordination may be a forbidden topic in official Catholic circles, but it got a liberal airing among the people of God at CTA in Milwaukee. Andrea Johnson, coordinator of the Women's Ordination Conference (WOC) in the U.S., had just returned from the Oct. 16-18 strategy meeting of WOW -- Women's Ordination Worldwide, and gave a full report. WOW is an international advocacy network formed at WOC's suggestion during the 1996 European Women's Synod in Austria by groups from 14 nations on five continents. The network is flourishing: affiliates from Spain, Austria, Germany, England, Ireland, South Africa, France and Australia had delegates at the London meeting. The cumulative effect of activity in so many countries is striking: cooperation with a bishops' survey in Australia, despite one bishop refusing communion to the WOW leader, Ann Nugent; support from President Mary McAleese of Ireland, where Women Eucharists are common, and some bishops approve; endorsement of women deacons at the official Dialogue for Austria; witness at Germany's official Katholikentag, a nationwide "Cathoolic Day" convention.

WOW is setting up a rapid response system via Internet for dissemination of WOW statements, and is planning an international conference in 2001 or 2002. WOW will also develop its own theological statement responding to recent Vatican pronouncements, and will work on reformulating ecclesiology to fit a redefined priestly ministry including women.

Men too must stand up
Ray McGovern of Holy Trinity parish, Washington, D.C., gave a moving personal account of "the Standing," his silent protest against exclusion of women by standing in his place during Mass, Sunday after Sunday -- why he did it, the firestorm of controversy it stirred up, and what lessons he learned. The whole affair is captured by journalist Jim Naughton in the popular book, "Catholics in Crisis." First awakened to the issue by his youngest daughter's rage at a 3rd grade CCD class that told her one sacrament was banned for females, McGovern sees non-ordination as patently unjust, and connected with all the other injustices visited upon women by a sexist Church and a sexist society. "This is not a women's issue," he pleaded at the close. "It's a justice issue. None of us can duck it and still claim to follow Jesus. We must work together."