PHOEBE. PHOEBE was launched in March 2000
in Tokyo, responding to the invitation of WOW in year 1998 when the first
steering goup met in London in preparation for the First Conference in Dublin.
Though our climate here is not so encouraging to the cause, and we are only a
handful of members, inspired and encouraged by worldwide movements, we like to
be a part of WOW dreaming of our future Church. A long way yet, but we like to
take this as a part of our undertaking of the structural reform of the Church
where the ministerial responsibility should be shared and the church should be
enriched for the service of our peoples.
We (PHOEBE) are about a dozen women: lay and religious with diversity in
age, nationality and profession: a feminist theologian, teachers, social
scientist, justice and peace activist, jounalist, church workers, etc. We meet
regularly and our objectives are as follows:
To observe and analize the situations of the women in RC
To conscientize the women about the reality of our Church
To raise our voices when necessary in direct or indirect way in
writing to the authority as well as to the mass media
To study the history of sexism and the arguments on ordination of
women
To interact with other ecuminical groups by inviting to our group as
well as participating and collaborating with such groups
To use every possible means and opportunity to invite our sisters
(and brothers as well) to share our concern and objectives.
Prof. Dr. Elizabeth Gossmann.
German, born in 1928, has been living in Japan for decades.
Studied Theology and Philosophy at University of Munster and Munich.
Belonged to the first group of lay Theologians since 1947.
One of the first two women to received the doctor degree in Catholic
Theology in 1954. Presented the thesis for 'habilitation' to qualify for a
professioship in Theological faculty, but German Bishops' Conference stopped
the process with the reason of my being lay. After writing another thesis,
received 'habitation' in the Philosophical faculty of University of
Munich.
Published on: Medieval Franciscan Theology, Historical Studies on
Medieval Women Writers of Mystical Theology (Hildegard of Bingen and others),
Feminist Theology (which existed before the term was formed), Japanese
Religions as well as the history ofChristianity in Japan
Contacts: February to April, September to November in Tokyo:
Tel. 813-3334-4624 Fax. 813-370-1753; May to August, November to the end of
February in Germany: Tel. 49-89-791-3879.
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