Monica Hellwig (feminist systematic theologian) died yesterday, at only 74 years old. Her shoes will be hard to fill, in part because of her towering intellect, in part because of the questions she chose to consider (not too many people are interested in them) and in part because she was untouchable by the Catholic hierarchy. Not very many people have enough psychological and external security to say some of the things she said.
We are all guests of God's hospitality. I guess it was time for her to go home. But it's hard to imagine that her work here was done. She had just days ago accepted a new job, so presumably she wasn't expecting to die just yet.
She changed my life when she wrote in The Eucharist and the Hunger of the World,"to accept the bread of the Eucharist is to accept to be bread and sustenance for the poor of the world." As the world-wide bishops begin a synod on Eucharist, undoubtedly interested in broadening the list of people to whom they can deny Eucharist, there is some irony here. Perhaps instead of praying that she rest in peace (just yet), we should pray that her spirit haunts a few bishops' hearts over the next few days ;) Don't fail us now, Monica!
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