Women and gay people -- waiting for justice in the Roman Catholic Church

Please read this excellent essay by Jamie Manson recently published in NCR: Are Francis and Parolin playing good cop-bad cop on same-sex marriage?  We found the two paragraphs below especially interesting: 

If the vote (for marriage equality) in Ireland proves anything, it is that both Francis, the good cop, and Parolin, the bad cop, will fail in their efforts. Ireland demonstrates that the pope's understanding of acting mercifully toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people will not be adequate to bring them into the pews.

Sure, Pope Francis believes the church should minister warmly to LGBT people, but he also believes they should never be given the impression that their relationships have the same potential for goodness and holiness as heterosexual relationships. The pope's brand of mercy suggests that LGBT Catholics should be tolerated by the church, but not embraced with genuine justice.  continue

What we found interesting is the way in which the Vatican led church treats gay catholics so closely mirrors the unjust way that they treat women.   To illustrate the point we modify Jamie Mansons’ text:

Sure, Pope Francis believes the church should minister warmly to WOMEN, but he also believes they should never be given the impression that THEY have the same potential for goodness and holiness IN PRIESTLY MINISTRY AND CHURCH LEADERSHIP ROLES as THOSE BLESSED ENOUGH TO HAVE BEEN BORN WITH MALE BODY PARTS. The pope's brand of mercy suggests that WOMEN should be tolerated by the church, but not embraced with genuine justice.

We love Jamies' phrase "embraced with genuine justice".  This is exactly what we have a both human and baptismal right to expect from OUR Church.

The Roman Catholic Church must embrace both Women and lesbian/gay people with genuine justice. We’re waiting Francis. ORDAIN WOMEN NOW.  MARRY GAY AND LESBIAN COUPLES NOW.
Justice demands nothing less.