What is it with dissidents and stoles?

Protesters gathered in silent vigil outside the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Saint John Tuesday as part of a fight to have women ordained as Catholic priests./p>

Members of the Catholic Network for Women’s Equality (CNWE) are devoted Catholics and they love their church, but they want it to change with the times.

The group of about 14 women and two men wore purple stoles, or scarves, around their necks and passed out purple flyers for an hour before entering the church.

"Purple is the traditional colour of penance and renewal in the church. We are here because we have committed ourselves to seek out a community of compassion for all. We believe in that, but we find ourselves in a church that discriminates based on gender," said event organizer Cathy Holtmann.

Ms. Holtmann has a masters degree in theology; she is a part-time professor of Religious Studies at St. Thomas University in Fredericton and has been involved in the movement for 15 years.

"The Purple Stole Action is a symbolic action that creates awareness that there are Catholics working for reform," she said.

"Women are discriminated against, and religion has helped to foster that." [Source]

There is a certain irony to protesting outside of a Cathedral named Immaculate Conception and complaining that the Church discriminates against women. Over and over again we have articles describing people who are devoted Catholics who are in fact disobedient to Church teaching. Devotion without dedication to the Church is no devotion at all unless you include devotion to your personal idea of what the Church should be. Cathy Holtmann is also a catechist and choir director who leads the children in "action songs." She is also aligned with a group that supports the U.N. millenium goal’s for sustainment (read contraception and abortion.) She has also been part of the World Social Forum which is a utopian anti-Capitalist group that actively supports abortion, homosexual marriage, and legalized prostitution. Every time you scratch a little bit into the surface of those who support women’s ordination you almost always find that what they want to change goes much further.

Judith Meinert hands out information on The Purple Stole Action

Holtmann