Synod advisor Weiler: Overcoming "toxic masculinity" in the church

Madrid - Sister Birgit Weiler is one of the advisors to the Synod on synodality which is meeting for the second time in October. The religious woman, who lives in Peru, has now called for the "toxic masculinity" in the church to be overcome. We are already on the right path, she said.

Published on 16.09.2024 at 11:46 –

Birgit Weiler, a theologian and nun living in Peru, has called for "toxic masculinity" in the church to be overcome. The Gospels report that Jesus criticised the patriarchal social structures of his time and treated women as equals, Weiler said during an online lecture by a women's network on the topic of synodality of the Latin American bishops' council CELAM, the news portal "Religión Digital" reported on Sunday. Many men would also support the necessary ecclesial changes that contribute to "being more and more a church of disciples of Jesus", said the nun.

With regard to the participation of women with voting rights in the global synodal process and the increasing number of female leaders in the Vatican, Weiler said: "We are in the process of breaking through the glass ceiling." It is the prevalent prejudices about women in the Church that make it difficult for women to live their vocation to the full. "Even the church is not free from the machismo that exists in society." It is directly linked to clericalism. Weiler welcomed the fact that the working paper of the second session of the Synod on synodality, which is now due to begin in October, provides for women to be involved in concrete decisions.

Weiler comes from Germany and has lived in Peru for more than 30 years, where she teaches theology. She is a theological advisor to CELAM and the Amazonas Church Conference CEAMA. In February, Pope Francis appointed the nun as an advisor to the Vatican General Secretariat of the Synod. (rom)