Zappone to take misogyny message to Vatican
CHILDREN’S Minister Katherine Zappone will speak out against misogyny in the Catholic Church when she visits the Vatican later this week.
The minister said she agrees totally with former President Mary McAleese’s recent address at a women’s conference in Rome.
Ms McAleese described the Church as “one of the last great bastions of misogyny” at the Voices of Faith event.
She argued women do not have strong role models in the Church and warned the hierarchy that an organisation that is “homophobic and anti-abortion... is not the Church of the future”.
The gathering was originally supposed to be held in the Vatican, but was moved after Irishborn US Cardinal Kevin Farrell said it was “not appropriate” for the two-term President and a number of other outspoken women to be taking part.
It subsequently took place in the headquarters of the Jesuit religious order just across the road from Vatican City.
However, the Children’s Minister has said she is willing to carry Ms McAleese’s message inside the Vatican when she takes part in a series of events to mark St Patrick’s Day.
“I definitely concur with Mary McAleese’s thoughts. I would have been of that view for many, many years. I think it’s really important to continue the dialogue,” Ms Zappone told the Irish Independent.
The selection of Ms Zappone as the minister to visit the Vatican is likely to raise some eyebrows.
She was to the forefront of the marriage equality campaign which the Catholic Church opposed and is largely responsible for ensuring a referendum on the Eighth Amendment was included as a commitment in the Programme for Government.
“I will be both visiting the Holy See in the context of the Ambassador’s Residence and also having lunch in the Irish college in Rome, where I expect a number of clerics will gather. I hope to share some of my concerns in that regard,” the Dublin South West TD said.
Ms Zappone indicated she does not want any confrontation with the Church but believes it is “important to continue the dialogue”.
“I’ ll be there as a senior minister from Ireland. I’ll bring a respect for different aspects of the tradition but certainly not the misogyny of the Roman Catholic Church,” she said.