Today (Wednesday) is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent for the various denominations who observe. For Catholics, the day came with the positive news that Pope Francis is stable, sitting up, and doing well, though there is still no indication as to when he might leave the hospital or return to any of his duties. As parishioners and acolytes gather to have a smudge placed on their forehead, this year’s observance is an especially important time of reflection as many have lost jobs, diminished incomes, and are trying to figure out their place in a convoluted world.

This is a critical time for women as well. Various governments, including the US, have diminished women’s rights in several ways this year. In the US, they’ve become victims of an anti-DEI campaign they weren’t expecting. They are not only finding that their jobs are gone but that many private sector employers are not willing to hire them, either.

Put the two groups together, and it would seem that some storm clouds have appeared in the form of very angry Catholic women. Upset that the recently ended Synod on Synodality, a three-year-long global consultation of Catholic faithful called by Pope Francis in 2021, closed without any significant change, the women are going on strike.

Organized by the Women’s Ordination Conference, a 50-year-old group based in Rome that advocates for women to be made priests, bishops, and deacons, the Catholic Women Strike is planned to go through Easter, April 20. It also includes a day of action on March 9, where women are invited to protest and advocate for greater inclusion and influence in the church.

“We’re calling the women of the Catholic Church to join together in striking from sexism by withholding labor, time, and financial resources from the church during Lent,” said Kate McElwee, executive director of the Women’s Ordination Conference.

One can understand their concern, and perhaps their outrage. According to the church’s own statistics, women provide roughly 80% of the church’s ecclesial services. Almost all of the church’s charitable services would shut down completely if all the women were to leave.

Still, there is a question as to whether this is the right time. With Pope Francis in the hospital, teetering back and forth between this life and the next, only the most significant disturbance is going to gain his attention. Does anyone want to be guilty of creating the stress that finally kills the pope? The timing seems ill-prepared.

Still, even with the pontiff clutching his rosary firmly in his hand, the conference is suggesting that women refrain from attending Mass, send letters to their local priest or bishop highlighting the need for recognition of women’s roles, or withhold donations and work. The potential for disruption within the church is dramatic. Yet, not all women feel as though going on strike, taking a break from the work they value, is the best way to make their point.

In an interview with the Religious News Service (RNS), one of the women who will protest outside the Denver cathedral said she can’t do much more for the strike. She performs countless ministries for the Christ on a Mountain parish, including leading the choir as a soloist and working on a committee to provide underprivileged families with everything from Christmas gifts to grocery cards. Hamilton also visits nursing homes with the parish’s deacon to make sure that the elderly have the Eucharist once a month. During her interview with RNS, she was cooking a casserole for a funeral service.

“I will not withhold my ministry because, to me, it would hurt other people. It would hurt mostly the women that I work alongside because their workload would double,” she said, “but I do see the necessity of having more power, or at least having a place at the table in the church, and we really don’t have that.”

Plenty of other women feel the conflict between the need for change and their avowed mission to the church. One Italian woman said, “If you are a woman who is very active in promoting women’s roles, they might be happy if you are not there,” she said. “Being present is also a form of resistance that needs to be maintained.”

In some ways, giving up church for Lent might seem counterintuitive. The whole purpose of the observance is to give up an earthly indulgence so that one might have more time to focus on religious thoughts. If one isn’t going to go to church, is there much point in observing Lent at all?

Still, the church, like most religious institutions around the world, continues to be clueless to the power and strength of women. One of the top stories on RNS at the moment is “Why are Southern Baptists still arguing about women preachers?” Six weeks ago, President Shitforbrains threw an absolute hissy fit when a woman, Bishop Mariann Budde instructed him to simply “show mercy.” The entrenched patriarch of religion is deeply afraid of losing its power should women finally grow tired of their nonsense and stand up to them.

Will anyone outside the church pay attention? Probably not. RNS isn’t exactly on everyone’s pleasure reading list. We open it occasionally around the CLight offices because it makes The Publisher’s head explode. This could be an important moment, though. We’ll have to see how this act of resistance plays out.