1. RCWP

This was mentioned in Tikkun, in the context of the current moral crisis within the Catholic Church:

“Attempts to transform the repressive authoritarian hierarchy of the Catholic Church have not received publicity. There are such attempts in every authoritarian hierarchy from authoritarian families to religions to educational systems. Since I am writing about a specific authoritarian hierarchy, the Catholic Church, I want to mention one of the many groups working to transform that hierarchy. This group does not limit itself to one particular manifestation of the hierarchy such as their homophobia or their secrecy on issues of predator priests and colluding Church superiors. The group, the Roman Catholic Women Priests (RCWP), is committed to transforming more than the Church’s discrimination against women. RWCP calls on women and qualified men to become priests together and transform the Church’s authoritarian hierarchy into a ministry united with the people they serve. They want an inclusive spirit and commitment to a democratic Church of equals. In 2002 they ordained women as priests committed to a democratic Church. In 2008 the current Pope, Benedict XVI excommunicated the women priests and the Bishops who ordained them. They posed a threat to the authoritarian hierarchy that the Pope was quick to address in escalating steps that culminated in excommunication. The women and their Bishops did not accept the Pope’s authoritarian pronouncement. They continue to lead democratic congregations. They have their counterparts urging the transformation of all authoritarian hierarchical institutions. They affirm the morality of the deepest respect for people who can never be treated as things or robbed of the truth and respect they deserve.”

2. An appeal from Sojourners’ Jim Wallis

“We have talked, dreamed, and prayed about the possibility and power of bringing together, from across the life of the churches, the many voices that are calling for social justice. It’s many of us now: Evangelicals and Mainline Protestants, Catholics and Pentecostals, Black, Hispanic, and Asian-American churches — focusing our personal faith on the most urgent public issues our world is now facing. From human trafficking to HIV/AIDS, from inner-city education to global poverty, from racial justice to nuclear weapons, from immigrant families to access to health care, from the status of women and girls to conflict resolution in the Middle East, from creation care to homelessness — Christian voices are being heard and people of faith are mobilizing.

… Glenn Beck’s attacks on deeply held Christian principles of social justice have ironically brought newfound attention, focus, and discussion about what it truly means to be a “social justice Christian.” As wrong and often vitriolic his caricatures, insults, and attacks on such core gospel teachings and biblical tenets have been, they have provided what is often called a “teachable moment” and perhaps, a mobilizing moment as well. The Beck attack on Christian social justice has given us an opportunity to teach what true gospel principles are and offers us an opportunity to reach out to even more people who are being attracted by the biblical call to social justice — which is the mission statement of Sojourners.

So we are now discerning whether this is the right time to move beyond the discussions, and as Congressman John Lewis says, to “put some feet on our prayers” and launch “A Million Christians for Social Justice.”