The Pope and patriarchy

I haven't been reading or watching anything about the pope, so every time I catch a bit of the Vatican crowds on TV, or color pictures in the newspaper of a white haired old man waving or later embalmed on a royal bed, I groan inside.

I have serious issues with wealthy displays of Catholicism, flawed Christianity and patriarchy. I believe the former do a great deal to promote the latter. Judaism has its own patriarchal mechanisms, but they are MUCH harder to find in the practice and texts of reformed Jews.

Nothing does more to promote patriarchy than the pope. You could argue that nothing does more to promote religious heirarchy than the pope, but it's much more specific than that if you happen to be female.

This glorified priest didn't believe women could serve as a representative of Christ like priests do (a problem in itself, but still). Instead, women serve Christ, and their husbands.
This glorified priest didn't believe women should use birth control, ever.
This glorified priest, if he followed Augustine's teachings, believed that women become men when they go to heaven.

How do you start from there and become a glorified representative of faith and religious purity?

Starting from nowhere, how does any, albeit influential, human become treated like a god after death?

How is this anything but vain?

How is this anything but a display of wealth and religious heirarchies?

How is it that our leaders want so desperately to be a part of this display?

I'm not angry.

I'm disgusted.

The Jesus I was taught to value would not have approved of any of this--for himself, or anyone else! And G_d said to put no idols before G_d!


I do not see Christianity or spiritual purity in this--I see very expensive tribal displays of the worship of gods on earth--and I turn away from it. Instead I think of those individuals who have lived and lost their lives for much more, say Ghandi, for a start. What did his funeral look like? Let us remember that heroes on earth are still men and women, not gods, and are definitely not every priest, rabbi, or minister.

Peace

The blog of a feminist who cooks (like me!) and who actually has been paying attention to pope TV: Pope, Croaked