|
We are Citizens of Europe! Daring to overcome frontiers – Respecting differences
On August 21st at the opening of the 7th General Assembly of the Ecumenical Forum of European Christian Women (EFECW) in Murten, Switzerland, the honorary president and one of the founders of the Forum, Ruth Epting, Swiss Reformed, addressed to the assembly about her concerns of our turbulent times. The Forum was born 24 years ago in the aftermath of the World War II and in the chill of the Cold War. “Today again different forces are in power, forces that may lead us to despair. We will deal with those issues these coming days.” Guidance will be provided by the Prophet Isaiah with words “For you shall go out in joy, and be led forth in peace.”
Though women’s ordination is not the major concern of the Forum, this delicate matter arose many times in the opening speech and in many encouraging greetings. The question underlining the matter was why exactly women are discriminated against in churches and society. A Member of the Council of Europe and Swiss Parliament, MP Rosmarie Zapfl-Helbling spoke about human rights of women in church and society. Women who stand for peace and human rights find themselves often in great risk of life, like the Women in Black, who dare to stand there, where violence and injustice happens. Yet none of these women have been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.
Zapf-Helbling said that women and human rights is really a paradox, because women are not always considered to be human when we see how they are discriminated against. Men deny this, because they do not realise all the difficulties women must face every day both in church and society. If Jesus is seen only as a man instead of human being (and God!), this excludes all women. In this context it is understandable that many women ask if they are considered to be less than man and therefore not allowed to be members of the decision making bodies of their churches.
In the various cultures, we must not accept any violations in the name of tolerance against women’s rights. Culture can be misused as smoke screen in for abuse of power over women, like in mutilation of women’s gender organs. “In the democratic, constitutional state the right of difference exists, but never the right to differentiate”, MP Rosmarie Zapfl-Helbling concluded.
Women need to be vigilant
Ecumenical greetings to the Forum were offered by several organisations and denominations. The Bishop from United Methodist Church, Dr Patrick Streiff reminded in his message that Methodist movement has got its first women ordinates as early as 1880, and during this year a woman was elected as bishop. Ms Marian Bach brought greetings from the Frauen Netzwerk der Evangelischen Methodistischen Kirche.
The Bishop of Christkatholischen Kirche der Schweiz, Fritz-René Müller from Bern said that he treasures the co-responsibility and competence of the women in the church. “I am especially proud how the women bring precious renewal again and again to this church. I have also great joy in announcing that Anne-Marie Kaufmann-Konrad, who also works for this General Assembly, became the first ordained woman in our church last June this year”, bishop Müller said in his message.
President of Arbeitsgemeischaft christlicher Kirchen in der Schweitz Mr Ruedi Heinzer warned in his message against growing Islam, which is a threat to women’s rights, as well as fundamentalism and aggressive patriarchism. Women cannot afford to rest on their laurels.
General Secretary of the Conference of European Churches (CEC), The Venerable Colin Williams spoke about gender mainstreaming as a solution to include women in all church activities and decision making bodies. He thanked the Forum for its input in the World Soccer Cup in this summer in bringing to general attention the horrific problem of trafficking in women. He gave a special invitation to the 3rd European Ecumenical Assembly in Sibiu, in 2007: “We are working hard to try to ensure that at least 40 % of those attending from CEC member churches will be women”.
Bishop Kurt Koch from Basel reminded us in his message to the Forum, of how Europe has historically been the place of painful church schisms, which have largely shaped the nations and Europe in general. That is why it is vital for Europe to be the place, where the unity in Christ between the churches will be re-established. In this field Forum plays an important part.
Metropolitan Jérémie of from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, Mons. Aldo Giordano, Secretary of the European Bishops Conference, Ms Ursula Angst from Evangelische Frauenbund der Sweiz, Ms Käthi Böhm from Verbande christkatholischer Frauen der Schweiz, Pfr. Thomas Wipf, president of the Schweiz. Evangelischer Kirchenbund SEK. Ms. Verena Bürgi from Schweizer Katholischen Frauenverbund and many others sent their warm and appreciative greetings to the Assembly.
Frau Thalmann from the communal council of Murten welcomed the Assembly to the medieval city of Murten which is part of the historical defence line consisting of a range of several strategically situated towns like Fribourg and Thun
Bible studies in three languages on the theme “You will go out with joy” from Isaiah 22:12 were given by Dr. Evanthia Adamtziloglou (Greek Orthodox), Hélène Küng (Reformed), Dr Regula Grünenfelder (Roman-Catholic) and Rev. Anne-Marie Kaufmann-Konrad (Old-Catholic). Isaiah the Old-Testament prophet warned and comforted the Israeli, who were driven to exile in Babylon and later led back to their God-given country. He prophesied about God’s Suffering Servant, who is generally regarded to represent Jesus Christ. In Jewish tradition he is the symbol of suffering . Isaiah is an eschatological Prophet promising an illustrious future in God’s Kingdom to those who trust in God.
How to handle violence?
In August 23rd the topics of minorities and immigrants were explored. Is it possible to overcome violence and discrimination against them?
Dr Ruth-Gaby Vermot-Mangold, MP, President of the Peace Women across the Globe described the horrors of minorities in many places. She spoke of the rights of the minorities, like Roma and Sinti, who are easily disrespected, because they have no voice, no platform where to tell of their predicaments. They are only noticed, when something dramatic like bombings in Kosovo happen. People notice minorities only when their normal lives are disrupted, like having waves of asylum seekers entering the country.
In the Kosovo war in 1990 the Roma got no protection from the local people, nor from the UN-Peace Keeping Forces (KFOR). “It is not an overstatement to say that the Roma are ignored by international helpers”, Dr. Vermot-Mangold said.
In Groznyy, , reconstruction is slowly underway, but corruption is high. Unemployment rate is 70 %, environment largely soiled and many babies are born deformed. People live in fear of bandits, murderers and kidnappers. Over 300 people are missing. Some human rights groups try to bring cases to court but do not often succeed and many family members of the victims end up mishandled or disappeared.
So what can we do? “Take responsibility, don’t be silent! We need information, networking and knowledge. Subjugation is always political and power-related. Nobody gives their power away. Misuse of power must be corrected”, Dr. Vermot-Mangold urged.
Kathy Galloway from Iona Community compared the two Biblical stories about Ruth (The Book of Ruth) and the Canaanite woman (Matthew 15). Both women were suppliants, needing assistance to survive. The Moabite woman Ruth was in a vulnerable position as foreigner in . She put her hope in a man who could possibly help her. The story has a happy ending: the man, Boaz, marries her. The Canaanite woman is also a foreigner, despised and alone with her sick daughter. She insists on Jesus healing her daughter. Jesus hesitates, but the woman is resolute: Jesus must heal her, whether she is an Israelite or not. Jesus realised then that He was sent for the Gentiles, too, and healed the girl.
“Ruth was accepted; the Canaanite woman was affirmed in her difference. These strategies we are familiar with in Europe”, Galloway concluded. Today’s “Moabites” and “Canaanites” are the immigrants coming as supplicants to be received and accepted. Are we able to put aside our own subconscious fears and vulnerability and offer them what we would like to receive in their place, Kathy Galloway asks.
In the workshops many topics on human rights from migration and trafficking to bioethics and spirituality were discussed and studied. In the human rights group, led by Ms. Sandra Tückmantel from Amnesty International, violence against women in the family was discussed. We are hypocritical if we point our fingers at other cultures and religious groups and forget that in our Christian homes violence and submission are as frequent as in theirs. We must encourage women to have self-confidence and oppose this kind of abuse in their own and in their daughters’ lives.
On Thursday evening participants enjoyed magnificent church concert in the German Church of Murten, where soprano Marjatta Viirto from Finland and organist Susanne Rüfenacht from Murten performed works from several Christian traditions. Marjatta Viirto is also treasurer of the Forum. The concert was for the benefit of Ruth Epting Fund, which grants scholarships for EFECW participants of less well-off countries.
On 25th of August the 50th Anniversary of The Fellowship of the Least Coin (FLC) was celebrated. The Vice-President of the FLC, Ms Jill King pointed out that EFECW is the European representative of the FLC, and a vital organ of it.
A new Coordinating Committee was elected. The Forum has got three co-presidents, one from each of the main Christian tradition. The new co-presidents are: Dorothy Knights, of Protestant tradition from Great-Britain; Elena Timofticiuc, Orthodox from Romania and Martina Heinrichs, Roman Catholic from Netherlands. Johanna Friedlein, Lutheran from Germany, Nata Hovorkova, Baptist from Slovakia; Anne Lagerstedt, Lutheran from Finland; Sylvia Nercessian, Armenia Evangelical from Greece; and Marina Trema, Orthodox from Estonia were elected to the Co-ordinating committee.
Superwoman needed?
Do women of Europe need a female Charlemagne, who would bring Europe together in terms of justice and integrity of creation? This and much more was discussed at round table talks on the theme Citizens of Europe - where are the frontiers of democracy by Ms. Irène Gysel Nef, Editor Swiss TV (ZFR) as the moderator; theologian Ms. Li Hangartner, MP and Co-présidente des Femmes socialistes suisse Ms Roth-Bernasconi; Dr Hella-Hoppe from EPS institute for theology and ethic; and Christina Neff from Environment Trust Switzerland.
Women’s rights are human rights, nothing less! Women have to unite their forces and exercise their power through politics, economy, churches and every day decisions. Environment must be taken into consideration in every decision; if nature does not survive, we cannot. Europe is by no means perfect, but it has a lot to offer to other continents as an example in pursuit for justice and peace.
On Saturday Dr. Veronica Prüller-Jagenteufel from Austria addressed the GA. In her keynote speech Daring to overcome frontiers – Visions. In Plenary session the new Guidelines 2006-2010 were adopted; the GA-message and GA-resolutions were also introduced and adopted.
Anne Lagerstedt
home
|
