A somewhat minor controversy has been creeping around the upcoming canonisation of Blessed Mary MacKillop next Sunday. For all you hardened Church-watchers, there is no need to explain what it is and who's involved. Poor Blessed Mary, like Blessed John Henry Newman, has been sapped up by the usual suspects and misinterpreted to prop up their agenda.
Blessed Mary, as the whole world probably knows by now, was excommunicated by her local bishop. This is often painted by self-styled progressives as the Church clamping down on a woman who was independent, strong and innovative. The latest twist to this is that she was excommunicated because she exposed an abusing priest (who was Irish, God help us!) and the powers that be wanted to protect him and so punished Blessed Mary. That little scenario has no historical evidence to back it up, and Blessed Mary's postulator had to issue a statement in recent weeks correcting the inaccuracies. Yes, the Sisters of St Joseph discovered an abusing priest and reported him, and he was dealt with - no connection with Blessed Mary's excommunication.
The issue which led to her condemnation concerned the rule she had written for her new congregation. The bishop wanted greater control over the sisters, but Blessed Mary was trying to get Pontifical approval and establish the congregation under the Pope, which gave them greater autonomy. Every single founder aims to achieve that for their congregation, apart from anything else, it allows greater freedom in establishing communities in other countries. In all her efforts Blessed Mary had the support of Rome, and her excommunication was found to be illicit by an episcopal commission.
So what happened? Mary fell foul of a controlling bishop who had fallen under the influence of another priest who was looking to be avenged for a perceived offense by Blessed Mary's co-founder, Fr Julian Woods. It was the little green-eyed monster at work rather than a proto-feminist being persecuted. Her bishop gradually got sense and lifted the excommunication. The rule would cause other problems later with her co-founder and led to a breach between the two. Ironically it was a change in the rule, concerning poverty, suggested by Rome which Blessed Mary wholeheartedly agreed with. The priest could not accept it and went off. The two were later reconciled.
So, instead of a woman battling against the patriarchal forces of the Church, we have a holy daughter of the Church, gifted with a vision and charism by God, spending her life in trying to make it a reality, with the full support of the Church - and admiration of the Pope - Blessed Pope Pius IX had tremendous regard for her, and yes, battling some local Church authorities who did not share the broad breath of vision she and Church universal had. See any parallels today?
Was Blessed Mary a feminist? In the way St Teresa of Avila, St Catherine of Siena, St Bridget of Sweden, St Therese of Lisieux, St Edith Stein were - yes. In the way some of our modern woman religious are: redefining Christianity in the light of a mother goddess, rebelling against the teachings of the Church, demanding the ordination of woman, abandoning their vows to assume personal ministries which have more to do with the occult than Christianity....no. An objective examination of Blessed Mary's life reveals she has little in common with these ladies. Perhaps she is being raised to altars by God at this time as a model of true Christian feminism and as a light for all us, as a teacher in these times when certain contentious issues are causing difficulties within the Church.
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