CTA stands with Dr. Margaret Nutting Ralph

"In the fall, Pope Francis expressed his vision for the church as a big tent, not a small chapel that holds only a few. Those of us in Call To Action agree and have been working for over 35 years for a "big tent" church that is more welcoming and inclusive," wrote CTA Executive Director, Jim, in The National Catholic Reporter (NCR) last week. "My vision of a "big tent" church does not include an employer censoring a colleague's credible work just because she has engaged Catholics who hold various opinions on important issues facing the church." His comments were in response to the news that Dr. Margaret Nutting Ralph, who presented a workshop at the annual Call To Action Conference last year, had had her work censored as a result.

Dr. Ralph led a workshop at the Conference last year about Bible contextualism. According to NCR, Liturgy Training Publications, which is owned by the Chicago archdiocese, did not have a problem with the idea of a workshop on Bible contextualism. Instead, they decided that being associated with CTA was enough to make her guilty of supporting women's ordination and have taken her work out of the materials they contracted her to contribute to.

Call To Action was blessed to have Dr. Margaret Nutting Ralph join us at the 2013 conference and dialogue with participants about scripture and the use of contextual methods, just as we've been blessed to host so many prominent scholars like Sr. Joan Chittister, Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, John Allen, Dr. Diana Hayes, Dr. Paul Lakeland, Dolores Huerta and countless more. Her work, ministry, and leadership in the Church deserve our gratitude and respect.

We will continue to work for a Church that celebrates dialogue and does not silence; this is why our conference exists and why our chapters host educational events – to raise up all Catholic voices and perspectives in a spirit of openness and dialogue. Register for Conference today, and check out our events calendar to learn from local events near you.