Dissident Feminists seek inclusion in Catholic Directory

Action: protests, please (see below for details). This is a long-running story. The 'Catholic Women's Network', renamed 'Women Word Spirit', openly campaigns for women's ordination and lends its support to a raft of predictable dissident causes in the Church (ordination of married men to the priesthood, abortion, civil partnerships, contraception, inclusive language, etc. etc.: see the links on their site for a sample). Despite this being documented for years, the Catholic Directory Panel, chaired by Bishop Malone, have year after year included this organisation in the list of Catholic organisations in the Directory, on the basis of a patently insincere claim by WWS that they accept the teaching of the Church. Full details in the most recent Patricia Phillips article, No 8, to be found under "Further Reading" on the 'Catholic Feminism' website; see the earlier ones for background

WWS missed out on the 2007 Directory due their own administrative incompetence, but there is every reason to think that they will be included in the 2008 Directory. Even more scandalously, they are included in the official body for 'women' set up by the Bishops' Conference (England and Wales), the National Board of Catholic Women.

Decisions on the Directory are made in August. Protests should go to:
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor (Chairman of the Bishops' Conference),
Bishop Vincent Malone (Chairman of the Catholic Directory Panel)
Archbishop Patrick Kelly of Liverpool (National Board of Catholic Women liaison),
The Apostolic Nuncio (see sidebar)
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome (see sidebar).