Wisconsin Cracks Down on Sisters

http://host.madison.com/news/local/bishop-robert-morlino-cracks-down-on-madison-nuns-for-espousing/article_37f434d0-4325-11e2-a826-001a4bcf887a.html#.UMd1vBa91AV.email

Bishop Robert Morlino cracks down on Madison nuns for espousing 'New Ageism' and 'indifferentism'

11 hours ago • DOUG ERICKSON | Wisconsin State Journal | derickson@madison.com | 608-252-6149

Two longtime Madison nuns who lead an interfaith spirituality center have been banned by Madison Catholic Bishop Robert Morlino from holding workshops or providing spiritual direction or guidance at any Catholic churches in the 11-county diocese.
Sisters Maureen McDonnell and Lynn Lisbeth, both Sinsinawa Dominicans, have diverged too far from Catholic teaching, according to a confidential memo sent Nov. 27 to priests on behalf of Morlino. A copy of the memo was leaked to the State Journal.
Two other women connected to the interfaith center, called Wisdom's Well, also have been banned as part of the same action.
The memo says Morlino has "grave concerns" about the women's teachings, specifically that they "espouse certain views" flowing from such movements as "New Ageism" and "indifferentism." The latter, according to the memo, is "the belief that no one religion or philosophy is superior to another."
The women "may not share an authentic view of the Catholic Church's approach to interreligious dialogue," the memo said.
Brent King, a spokesman for the diocese, said three other potential parish guest speakers, all male, have been banned "in recent years." The women are not prohibited from attending Mass or, if Catholic, from receiving communion, King said. Asked whether they could contribute to parish life in other ways, such as reading Bible passages from the pulpit or chairing a church committee, King said that would be up to individual priests.
The action comes amid a papal crackdown on nuns. Earlier this year, the Vatican accused the most influential group of Catholic sisters in the U.S. of "serious doctrinal issues" for not following Rome's lead on topics such as the male-only priesthood and homosexuality.
Interfaith approach
Wisdom's Well was founded in Madison in 2006. The center has no physical facility but offers workshops and retreats on topics such as nonviolence, contemplative living and Christian meditation.
The center's website says it "serves to support those who desire to grow spiritually, seek inner wisdom, and yearn for a transformative spirituality." Its mission statement says the center is "grounded in the Christian tradition, while embracing the wisdom found in other religious traditions."
Along with the sisters, the third staff member is Beth O'Brien, a married mother of two and a religious layperson affiliated with the Benedictine community. She also is banned, as is Paula Hirschboeck, a philosophy professor at Edgewood College in Madison who helped found Wisdom's Well but is no longer on its staff.
The women declined comment, referring questions to the Dominicans of Sinsinawa Congregation, based in southwestern Wisconsin.
'Valued members'
The order's spokeswoman, Tricia Buxton, released a statement saying McDonnell and Lisbeth are "respected and valued members" of the order, and that both women "have been dedicated to religious life and preaching and teaching Gospel values for nearly 50 years." The Sinsinawa Dominicans "wholeheartedly support our sisters and hold them in prayer as we continue our mission of participating in the building of a holy and just church and society," the statement said.
Buxton said Sinsinawa Dominicans have never before faced a prohibition like this in the diocese. The order has 521 sisters.
Both McDonnell and Lisbeth are well-known in Madison. McDonnell served for 21 years on the campus ministry staff at Edgewood College, her alma mater. Lisbeth regularly leads classes in spirituality at the Madison Senior Center.
At the time the memo went out, McDonnell was co-facilitating a series of weekly classes with 12 students at St. James Catholic Church in Madison titled, "Just Peace Initiative: The Challenge and Promise of Nonviolence for Our Time." The class has been moved, according to an organizer, who did not want the new site published.
Diocese's 'duty'
The memo sent to priests says the four women "are not to be invited or allowed to preach, catechize, lead spiritual or prayer instructions or exercises, or to provide spiritual direction or guidance at churches, oratories or chapels within the Diocese of Madison." No publicity materials from Wisdom's Well are to be allowed inside parishes.
The memo does not give specific examples of things the women may have said that violate church teaching. Rather, the memo references problematic statements on the center's website, including that the sisters embrace "the wisdom found in other religious traditions."
King said it is both the diocese's duty and right to ensure parish speakers transmit true church teaching. "A proposed speaker's association with a group whose philosophy is inconsistent with the Catholic faith disqualifies a proposed speaker," he said.
The prohibition against the sisters came only after the diocese "patiently and prudently" investigated the matter, King said. The memo says the diocese "sought clarification" from the sisters, but "the responses from these individuals proved insufficient and inconclusive to resolve grave concerns."

Basel Switzerland votes on Equality in the Church

 

Comment: This great initiative  is one that many will be watching.

 

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

http://iglesiadescalza.blogspot.com/2012/12/catholics-in-basel-may-vote-on.html

Catholics in Basel may vote on the abolition of celibacy and women's ordination

Le Croix (With APIC; English translation by Rebel Girl)
11/30/2012

On Tuesday, November 27th, the synod of the Roman Catholic Church in Basel, Switzerland, recognized the validity of the "Initiative for Equality in the Church" which requires notably the abolition of priestly celibacy and the ordination of women. "We take the concerns of the initiative seriously, Christian Griss, the chairman of the synod, declared Thursday to the Basler Zeitung daily.

In the neighboring canton of Basel Land, a similar initiative has been launched and will be submitted to the synod when it meets in Liestal on Monday, December 3rd. But the executive of the Synod has already asked that it be considered valid.

Nearly 3000 signatures, including those of several theologians, were collected to support this "Initiative for Equality in the Church" launched jointly in the two half-cantons of Basel. If passed by the synod of Basel Land, it may be submitted to a popular vote before the summer of 2013, and if accepted, the cantonal ecclesiastical authorities would be required to commit to the abolition of priestly celibacy and the ordination of women.

The scope of this initiative is however limited to church civil law structures and will not effect the ecclesial level. However, its supporters hope to have a effective means of pressure against diocesan and Roman authorities.

In Switzerland, the Catholic Church is organized in a two-tier system: in addition to the canonical structures specific to the Catholic Church (dioceses, parishes), there is effectively a system of ecclesiastical corporations benefiting from a public law statute both at the cantonal and communal levels. These corporations, which are democratically elected, notably distribute the church taxes they receive, but do not have the right to modify the conditions of admission to Catholic ministries, which remains the responsibility of the Magisterium.

Text of the Initiative for Equality in the Church (short version)

In recent years and decades in governments and corporations, the demands for gender equality have been implemented more and more. Similar development in the Roman Catholic Church is moving forward slowly or is even blocked. The exclusion of women from the priesthood solely because of their sex is contrary to the fundamental right of gender equality as well as the Gospel of Jesus, which calls for a community of equals. Discrimination against women in the Roman Catholic Church is unacceptable to us, and we need to set an example.

The backlog of reforms and other yet unresolved issues makes our Church not credible. Therefore, many people find it more difficult to identify with her and to remain a member.

Because quite a bit has been done within the church in recent years, but with little effect, we, the women and men of the Roman Catholic Church of Basel-Stadt and the Roman Catholic Church of Basel-Land, are resorting to the democratic means of an ecclesial constitutional initiative.

This initiative will require the authorities of the Roman Catholic Church of Basel-Stadt and the Roman Catholic Church of Basel-Land (ie, the synods and councils of the churches), to work towards the Roman Catholic Church allowing equal admission to the priesthood, regardless of marital status and gender.

This means:
- the abolition of compulsory celibacy and
- the admission of women to the priesthood


We hope that other cantonal churches will follow the path of an ecclesiastical constitutional initiative.

The proponents of the Initiative profess to be acting out of love for the Church, and say tehir actions are in keeping with canon 212(2) which states that "the Christian faithful are free to make known to the pastors of the Church their needs, especially spiritual ones, and their desires." (CIC). Stay tuned...

Irish priest association supports Bourgeois

http://ncronline.org/feature-series/roy-bourgeois

Dennis Coday | Dec. 7, 2012

Roy Bourgeois

 

The church reform group that represents about a quarter of Ireland’s Catholic priests issued a statement of support Friday for Roy Bourgeois, the U.S. Maryknoll priest that the Vatican laicization and dismissed from his order because of his support of women’s ordination.
The Association of Catholic Priests (Ireland) called on the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith “to cease this type of abuse, to restore Fr. Bourgeois to the full exercise of his ministry and to allow for open and honest discussion on issues that are of crucial importance for the future of the Church.”
“We believe that this type of action, ordered by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and implemented by the Maryknoll Order, is unjust, and ultimately counter-productive,” reads the statement from the association.
“Dismissing people because they have sincerely held views that are contrary to those of the Vatican, but which are widely shared by the Catholic faithful, will not end discussion and debate on these topics,” it says.
The Association of Catholic Priests, which was founded by eight priests two years ago, has grown to represent about 1,000 of Ireland’s some 4,000 priests. The association aims at the “full implementation of the vision and teaching of the Second Vatican Council” and a “re-structuring of the governing system of the Church,” according to the group’s constitution.
The association has also called for an end to mandatory celibacy and for the ordination of women.
As an example of the widespread support for women priests among the Catholic Faithful, the statement from the association cited a year-long “listening process” in the diocese of Killaloe, a mainly rural diocese in Ireland, in which participants “expressed the opinion that the ordination of women should be openly discussed, particularly in view of the projected shortage of priests in the next few years.”
The leadership team of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, one of the largest groups of Catholic sisters in the western hemisphere, issued a similar statement of support for Bourgeois on Nov. 28.
One of the Irish priests’ association’s cofounders, Redemptorist Fr. Tony Flannery , a popular author and retreat director, is himself under Vatican scrutiny according to press reports from earlier this year.
Flannery was ordered to stop writing and speaking and to go to a monastery for a period where he would “pray and reflect” on his situation.
Following is the complete statement from Ireland’s Association of Catholic Priests.

Statement of Support for Fr. Roy Bourgeois
The Association of Catholic Priests (Ireland) is saddened and disappointed by the dismissal of Maryknoll priest Fr. Roy Bourgeois from the priesthood and from his religious congregation, and his excommunication from the Church that he has served for almost half a century.
We believe that this type of action, ordered by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and implemented by the Maryknoll Order, is unjust, and ultimately counter-productive. Dismissing people because they have sincerely held views that are contrary to those of the Vatican, but which are widely shared by the Catholic faithful, will not end discussion and debate on these topics.
In fact it will only serve to highlight the urgent need to face the problems around ministry in the Church. Participants in a year long ‘listening process’ in the diocese of Killaloe, a mainly rural diocese in Ireland, expressed the opinion that the ordination of women should be openly discussed, particularly in view of the projected shortage of priests in the next few years.
Surely this is yet another of many examples of the sensus fidelium calling for change so that, in future, the Eucharist can be available to the Church community.
We call on the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to cease this type of abuse, to restore Fr. Bourgeois to the full exercise of his ministry and to allow for open and honest discussion on issues that are of crucial importance for the future of the Church.
On behalf of the Leadership of the ACP:
Fr. P.J. Madden; Fr. Sean McDonagh; Fr. Brendan Hoban; Fr. Tony Flannery

[Dennis Coday is NCR editor.]

A must see video

http://patrickjwall.wordpress.com/2012/11/29/the-history-of-sex-abuse-and-cover-up-in-the-catholic-church-in-three-minutes/

Jesuit, 92, penalized after eucharistic liturgy with woman priest

Published on National Catholic Reporter (http://ncronline.org)

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Jesuit, 92, penalized after eucharistic liturgy with woman priest

Joshua J. McElwee | Dec. 3, 2012

A Catholic priest who participated in a eucharistic liturgy with a woman priest last month has been ordered to no longer celebrate the Mass or perform any other priestly duties.
Jesuit Fr. Bill Brennan, a 92-year-old Milwaukee-area priest, said the superior of his religious community told him of the restrictions Nov. 29, saying they came at the request of Archbishop Jerome Listecki.
Brennan, a retired parish priest and former missionary to Belize, participated in a liturgy Nov. 17 with Janice Sevre-Duszynska, a woman ordained in the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests movement.
Brennan said he was hesitant to confirm the news regarding his loss of faculties because he was also ordered not to talk to the press.
"I'm risking my existence in the Jesuit order by talking to you," Brennan told NCR. "But if I've committed a serious sin, [the archbishop] is supposed to be responsible for condemning me ... he's supposed to stand up and be responsible for that."
Brennan said the restrictions include:

• Suspension of priestly faculties, prohibiting him from performing any priestly duties in public;
• Refraining from contact with media, "through phone, email, or any other means";
• Not appearing as a Jesuit at any "public gatherings, protests or rallies";
• Not leaving the Milwaukee area "for any reason" without his superior's permission.

Brennan said he hasn't had any formal communication with Listecki.
Jeremy Langford, the director of communications for the Jesuits' Chicago-Detroit province, which is merging with the Wisconsin province, said in a statement Monday the order removed Brennan's priestly faculties "after conversation with the Archdiocese of Milwaukee."
The Jesuits "did not approve or sanction" the November eucharistic liturgy and "regrets Fr. Brennan's participation in it," read the statement.
"The Wisconsin province has no plans to take any further action," Langford said in an interview, calling Brennan a "wonderful Jesuit" who has "fought for great causes his whole life."
Julie Wolf, communications director for the Milwaukee archdiocese, said the restrictions on Brennan were a "mutually agreed upon decision" between Listecki and Brennan's Jesuit provincial, Fr. Tom Lawler.
Brennan likened his support for women's ordination to support for women's suffrage: He remembers that at one time, his mother was not able to vote.
"I was born in 1920," Brennan said. "All the while my mother was carrying me and six months after, she could not vote. That's the real initiative in my attitude toward women's ordination."
Brennan said he understands arguments that women do not have a right to ordination and said ordination is a "privilege that is granted to men."
"Why isn't it granted to both?" the priest asked. "And the fundamental approach that I have is that, after all, women have an eminent role to play in the work of creation of children with men. What about the sanctification process? Don't they have any share in the preaching of the Gospel?"
The Vatican labels the ordination of women in the Catholic church as a grave offense and says participants are excommunicated latae sententiae, or automatically. Pope John Paul II's 1994 letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis effectively forbade discussion of the issue, saying the church's teaching on the matter was to be "definitively held by all the Church's faithful."
Before deciding to participate in the November liturgy, Brennan said he discussed the matter with Lawler. The invitation to join Sevre-Duszynska at the liturgy was causing him a "real, genuine conscience problem," Brennan said he told Lawler.
"I'm not trying to defy the church," Brennan said he told Lawler, adding that he sees women's ordination as a legitimate question. "Why is it that this privilege of celebrating the Mass and preaching, why is that exclusively a male privilege? Where do we get that? Isn't that worth discussing?"
Lawler told him not to assist at the liturgy, Brennan said.
"At the time, I was still struggling to try to decide what I wanted to do, because obviously I knew I might end up outside the Jesuit order," Brennan said. "But I just felt this was an earthy issue, and you can't cover it over with spiritual or authoritarian dictates."
Roy Bourgeois, another longtime priest who supports women's ordination, was notified of his dismissal [1] from his religious order, the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, over the same issue Nov. 19.
Bourgeois, who served with Maryknoll for 45 years, first came into controversy with his order after he participated in Sevre-Duszynska's ordination in the Womenpriests group in 2008.
The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests is an international initiative that ordains both men and women. It counts among its members more than 150 women who have been ordained priests and bishops by the organization since it began in 2002.
Brennan co-presided at a liturgy with Sevre-Duszynska during the annual gathering of SOA Watch, a group founded by Bourgeois in 1990 to protest a U.S. Army training school at Fort Benning, Ga., formerly known as the School of the Americas.
The SOA Watch gathering, which takes place in Columbus, Ga., each November, calls for the closure of the Army school, now known as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation. The school in the past has been implicated in human rights abuses in Latin America.
Sevre-Duszynska said the idea to ask Brennan to participate in the liturgy initially came at last year's SOA Watch gathering, where she had celebrated a similar liturgy [2] with Franciscan Fr. Jerry Zawada.
Sevre-Duszynska had remembered meeting Brennan at the 2010 SOA Watch gathering, she said, when the two were part of a group of 29 people who were arrested [3] outside the gates of Fort Benning for stepping out of a designated protest area.
The liturgy at this year's event was dedicated to people who risk arrest for issues of conscience, "who have devoted their lives to bringing the Kin-dom here on Earth," Sevre-Duszynska said.
A Milwaukee-area native, Brennan served for 17 years in Belize when it was still a British colony, known as British Honduras. Following that, he served in Milwaukee-area parishes, primarily with Latino communities.
Asked whether he was worried about further restrictions being place on him for his support of women's ordination, Brennan said: "When you have a conscience problem, you have to follow your conscience and then take the consequences. I have to take the consequences."
[Joshua J. McElwee is an NCR staff writer. His email address is jmcelwee@ncronline.org.]

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Source URL (retrieved on 12/03/2012 - 17:40): http://ncronline.org/news/people/jesuit-penalized-after-eucharistic-liturgy-woman-priest

Editorial: Ordination of women would correct an injustice

 http://ncronline.org/node/40306?utm_source=NCR+&utm_campaign=ncrendorsement&utm_medium=email

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Editorial

The call to the priesthood is a gift from God. It is rooted in baptism and is called forth and affirmed by the community because it is authentic and evident in the person as a charism. Catholic women who have discerned a call to the priesthood and have had that call affirmed by the community should be ordained in the Roman Catholic church. Barring women from ordination to the priesthood is an injustice that cannot be allowed to stand.

The most egregious statement in the Nov. 19 press release announcing Roy Bourgeois' "excommunication, dismissal and laicization" is the assertion that Bourgeois' "disobedience" and "campaign against the teachings of the Catholic church" was "ignoring the sensitivities of the faithful." Nothing could be further from the truth. Bourgeois, attuned by a lifetime of listening to the marginalized, has heard the voice of the faithful and he has responded to that voice.

Bourgeois brings this issue to the real heart of the matter. He has said that no one can say who God can and cannot call to the priesthood, and to say that anatomy is somehow a barrier to God's ability to call one of God's own children forward places absurd limits on God's power. The majority of the faithful believe this.

Let's review the history of Rome's response to the call of the faithful to ordain women:

In April 1976 the Pontifical Biblical Commission concluded unanimously: "It does not seem that the New Testament by itself alone will permit us to settle in a clear way and once and for all the problem of the possible accession of women to the presbyterate." In further deliberation, the commission voted 12-5 in favor of the view that Scripture alone does not exclude the ordination of women, and 12-5 in favor of the view that the church could ordain women to the priesthood without going against Christ's original intentions.

In Inter Insigniores (dated Oct. 15, 1976, but released the following January), the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said: "The Church, in fidelity to the example of the Lord, does not consider herself authorized to admit women to priestly ordination." That declaration, published with the approval of Pope Paul VI, was a relatively modest "does not consider herself authorized."

Pope John Paul II upped the ante considerably in Ordinatio Sacerdotalis (May 22, 1994): "We declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful." John Paul had wanted to describe the ban as "irreformable," a much stronger stance than "definitively held." This met substantial resistance from high-ranking bishops who gathered at a special Vatican meeting in March 1995 to discuss the document, NCR reported at the time. Even then, bishops attuned to the pastoral needs of the church had won a concession to the possibility of changing the teaching.

But that tiny victory was fleeting.

In October 1995, the doctrinal congregation acted further, releasing a responsum ad propositum dubium concerning the nature of the teaching in Ordinatio Sacerdotalis: "This teaching requires definitive assent, since, founded on the written Word of God, and from the beginning constantly preserved and applied in the Tradition of the Church, it has been set forth infallibly by the ordinary and universal Magisterium." The ban on women's ordination belongs "to the deposit of the faith," the responsum said.

The aim of the responsum was to stop all discussion.

In a cover letter to the responsum, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, then head of the congregation, asked presidents of bishops' conferences to "do everything possible to ensure its distribution and favorable reception, taking particular care that, above all on the part of theologians, pastors of souls and religious, ambiguous and contrary positions will not again be proposed."

Despite the certainty with which Ordinatio Sacerdotalis and the responsum were issued they did not answer all the questions on the issue.

Many have pointed out that to say that the teaching is "founded on the written Word of God" completely ignored the 1976 findings of the Pontifical Biblical Commission.

Others have noted that the doctrinal congregation did not make a claim of papal infallibility -- it said what the pope taught in Ordinatio Sacerdotalis was that which "has been set forth infallibly by the ordinary and universal magisterium." This too, however, has been called into question because at the time there were many bishops around the world who had serious reservations about the teaching, though few voiced them in public.

Writing in The Tablet in December 1995, Jesuit Fr. Francis A. Sullivan, a theological authority on the magisterium, cited Canon 749, that no doctrine is understood to have been defined infallibly unless this fact is clearly established. "The question that remains in my mind is whether it is a clearly established fact that the bishops of the Catholic Church are as convinced by [the teaching] as Pope John Paul evidently is," Sullivan wrote.

The responsum caught nearly all bishops off-guard. Though dated October, it was not made public until Nov. 18. Archbishop William Keeler of Baltimore, then the outgoing president of the U.S. bishops' conference, received the document with no warning three hours after the bishops had adjourned their annual fall meeting. One bishop told NCR that he learned about the document from reading The New York Times. He said many bishops were deeply troubled by the statement. He, like other bishops, spoke anonymously.

The Vatican had already begun to stack the deck against questioning. As Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese reported in his 1989 book, Archbishop: Inside the Power Structure of the American Catholic Church, under John Paul a potential episcopal candidate's view on the teaching against women's ordination had become a litmus test for whether a priest could be promoted to bishop.

Less than a year after Ordinatio Sacerdotalis was issued, Mercy Sr. Carmel McEnroy was removed from her tenured position teaching theology at St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana for her public dissent from church teaching; she had signed an open letter to the pope calling for women's ordination. McEnroy very likely was the first victim of Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, but there have been many more, most recently Roy Bourgeois.

Blessed John Henry Newman said that there are three magisteria in the church: the bishops, the theologians and the people. On the issue of women's ordination, two of the three voices have been silenced, which is why the third voice must now make itself heard. We must speak up in every forum available to us: in parish council meetings, faith-sharing groups, diocesan convocations and academic seminars. We should write letters to our bishops, to the editors of our local papers and television news channels.

Our message is that we believe the sensus fidelium is that the exclusion of women from the priesthood has no strong basis in Scripture or any other compelling rationale; therefore, women should be ordained. We have heard the faithful assent to this in countless conversations in parish halls, lecture halls and family gatherings. It has been studied and prayed over individually and in groups. The brave witness of the Women's Ordination Conference, as one example, gives us assurance that the faithful have come to this conclusion after prayerful consideration and study -- yes, even study of Ordinatio Sacerdotalis.

NCR joins its voice with Roy Bourgeois and calls for the Catholic church to correct this unjust teaching.

Father Roy's father died last night

'Father Roy Bourgeois' father died very peacefully last night, in his sleep. Roy is on his way to Louisiana and suspects that he will be there with his family most of the week.

He appreciates all the solidarity and support that you have given him over the past 10 days. He is
 very grateful and it means a lot to him.

 If you would like to send your condolences, you can send him a letter or a
 card to

 Father Roy Bourgeois
 SOA Watch
 PO Box 3330
 Columbus GA 31903

Catholic Church Needs to End its Sexism

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/letters/catholic-church-needs-to-end-its-sexism-16244045.html

Roy Bourgeois:They finally got him

Comment:  Yes-Roy has been dismissed-but in light of these acts against Catholic people, could this hierarchical administration be considered "Catholic".  I do not think so.  I think the Vatican hierarchy is schismatic, acting against the church and the people of God.  I think they have placed a Catholic rendition of "holy Jihad-a war against those made enemies.  In our case, Women who are ordained become criminals; and priests, bishops and the pope  himself, who harbored criminals that murdered the souls of our children and those who care for them are "saved and honored". 

Surely "Catholics" understand basic morality.....and that the Vatican's behavior does not represent basic Catholic beliefs.

Diane Dougherty, ARCWP

Roy Bourgeois: They finally got him

Tom Roberts | Nov. 20, 2012

http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/roy-bourgeois-they-finally-got-him

 

Ah, they finally got him, as we all knew they probably would. Eventually. And with a press release it was done: Fr. Roy Bourgeois, a Maryknoll priest for 45 years, was told that the Vatican "dispenses" him "from his sacred bonds."

And the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, caught in the culture that finds advocating for women's ordination such a grievous and unpardonable offense, "warmly thanks" Roy "for his service to mission and all members wish him well in his personal life."
And so it goes, as Vonnegut would say. So it goes.

Bourgeois' case is a prime illustration of what, today, the institution can and can't tolerate. Bourgeois' major offense, the sin that is unforgiveable in the eyes of the church, for which penalty is removal from the order which he has served for nearly half a century and dismissal from the community, was advocating for women's ordination.

It's a clear case: the priest attended a woman's ordination ceremony and, as the release noted, his "disobedience and preaching against the teaching of the Catholic Church about women's ordination led to his excommunication, dismissal and laicization."

The three biggies, all at once, all wrapped up in less than four years' time.

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The point has by now been made by countless readers and others who see the gaping discrepancy in what church leaders finds tolerable and intolerable. But it is worth stating once more, in public and for the record.

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.
He then goes on to discuss 'The Cardinals Who Nearly Destroyed the Church'.

The point to be made, now that Bourgeois is out, is an obvious one. There are cardinals who have had as much to do as any individual might with the near destruction of once grand Catholic communities in places like Boston and Philadelphia, who have been permitted to remain priests and go quietly into retirement.

Not a word has been said by Rome or by his successors about Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua who had a large space in Philadelphia's chancery office that was filled with files recounting sexual abuse of children.

Bevilacqua oversaw priests who were involved in nothing short of sexual torture of youngsters. And he hid their deeds until the statutes of limitation kicked in and the priests could no longer be prosecuted. They would retire, and he would escape the law and any Vatican sanction until he could retire.

His successor, Cardinal Justin Rigali, ignored the charter that the bishops themselves had been forced to construct in the course of the scandal. He violated the church's rules and likely violated civil law by not reporting alleged abusers. And off he quietly went, as a middle manager in the chancery office headed to jail.

Cardinal Bernard Law, everyone knows, had to leave Boston because of the enormous public pressure and the outrage of his priests, but he took a cushy job in Rome and retained his seats on at least six powerful Vatican congregations, including the Congregation for Bishops, until he was allowed to quietly retire.

In Kansas City, Mo., Bishop Robert Finn, convicted in September of one count of failing to notify police that one of his priests had taken hundreds of lewd photographs of children, is still a bishop.

Finn recently attended a national meeting of bishops, and not one of them publicly raised the issue. The body of bishops, which has repeatedly apologized for unspecified "mistakes" in the handling of the abuse crisis and repeatedly promised transparency and accountability, couldn't bring itself to mention the glaring contradiction and hypocrisy in its midst.

Not a word from the Vatican. Not a word from Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the conference. All were silent. And not a word from Finn about the damage and expense he has already cost the diocese.

What's glaringly clear is what's tolerable and what's not tolerable to the all-male, celibate culture of hierarchy.

Roy Bourgeois wanted to talk about the rights of women in the church. That's the ecclesial crime that will get you kicked out.

http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/roy-bourgeois-they-finally-got-him

Take Action for Roy Bourgeois

http://bridgetmarys.blogspot.com/2012/11/take-action-to-support-roy-bourgeois-now.html

Take Action to Support Roy Bourgeois, Man of Conscience, Priest of the
People, Prophet for Justice in the Catholic Church"The Vatican Cannot
Dismiss the Issue of Gender Justice in the Catholic Church"

Yesterday we received the sad news that Maryknoll has chosen to dismiss
the voice of one of their own who has spent over 40 years of ministry
following his conscience and standing up for the oppressed.

Fr. Roy refused to be silenced when his conscience dictated that he
speak out, you can support him by sharing his story and continuing to
have conversations about the unjust power structures in the church.

1. Share the story. Fr. Roy Bourgeois has written a booklet about
his own faith journey and discernment of conscience. He encourages you
to use his story as a conversation starter with your own friends,
family and community.

Download a copy of his story My Journey from Silence to Solidarity and

use the book as a tool to break the silence on women's ordination

Order copies from me (All donatons go to Roy)

You can also send copies of the book to your
friends, priest, local news editor and others in your community.

Diane Dougherty add57@numail.org

2. Support Fr. Roy.

Send letters of support to Fr. Roy

P.O. Box 15057

Washington, DC 20003

or

2135 W Roscoe
Suite 1N Chicago, IL 60618

3. Pledge to continue the conversation. This holiday season,
pledge to share Roy’s story with family and friends and to talk with
them about the roles of women in our church community.

4. “The Vatican and Maryknoll can dismiss me, but they cannot
dismiss the issue of gender equality in the Catholic Church. The demand
for gender equality is rooted in justice and dignity and will not go
away.” ~ Fr. Roy Bourgeois

Our prayers are with Roy Bourgeois, man of conscience, priest of the
people, prophet for justice in the Catholic Church. In his response to
the Vatican Dismissal, Roy wrote:

" As Catholics, we profess that God
created men and women of equal worth and dignity. As priests, we
profess that the call to the priesthood comes from God, only God. Who
are we, as men, to say that our call from God is authentic, but God's
call to women is not? The exclusion of women from the priesthood is a
grave injustice against women, our Church and our loving God who calls
both men and women to be priests. When there is an injustice, silence is
the voice of complicity. My conscience compelled me to break my silence
and address the sin of sexism in my Church. My only regret is that it
took me so long to confront the issue of male power and domination in
the Catholic Church."

http://bridgetmarys.blogspot.com/2012/11/vaatican-dismisses-fr-roy-bourgeois.htmlSee
More
Let us support Roy Bourgeois, a courageous prophet, with our prayers
and by breaking the silence about women's ordination in solidarity with
over 150 women priests who are living justice in inclusive communities
now in the United States, Canada, South America and Europe.
Janice Sevre-Duszynska, ARCWP, 859-684-4247, rhythmsofthdance@gmail.com
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP, 703-505-0004, 703-671-6712 sofiabmm@aol.com
www.arcwp.org

Bridget Mary Meehan
sofiabmm@aol.com

Statement from Roy Bourgeois by way of WOC

For Immediate Release

"The Vatican and Maryknoll can dismiss me, but they cannot dismiss the issue of gender equality in the Catholic Church."

November 20, 2012

Contact: Erin Saiz Hanna

(202) 675-1006

Dismissal of Fr. Roy Bourgeois from Maryknoll Religious Order

Statement from Executive Director, Erin Saiz Hanna

The Women's Ordination Conference (WOC) is heartbroken to report that the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has canonically removed Roy Bourgeois from his community the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers because of his support for women's ordination.

Fr. Bourgeois' dedication to social justice, his unwavering conscience, and his personal friendships with women called to priesthood compelled him to bravely speak out against the inequality of women in our Church. As a Maryknoll priest for forty years, he has consistently followed the gospel of Jesus by speaking out against injustice, risking everything for what he knows to be right.

Perhaps no longer a priest in the eyes of the Vatican or Maryknoll community, Fr. Roy will remain a prophet in the eyes of the marginalized. Fr. Roy joins a much larger Church - the Church of the people of God - who understand that men and women are equal in the eyes of God. History is on our side, and someday, as they are canonizing him, the Vatican will apologize for this painful mistake.

I spoke with Fr. Bourgeois this morning. While he is devastated to lose his community, and saddened by the harshness of this final step, he remains steadfast in his faith and conscience. He has asked for solitude and prayers during this time of transition.

Supporters are encouraged to mail letters of support to the WOC office (P.O. Box 15057 Washington, DC 20003). In addition, Fr. Bourgeois, the dedicated activist, recommends supporters order or download a copy of his story My Journey from Silence to Solidarity and use the book as a tool to break the silence on women's ordination. Please watch for further actions to support Fr. Roy.

The following is a statement from Fr. Bourgeois. Any additional inquiries may be directed to me at (202) 675-1006.

November 20, 2012

STATEMENT ABOUT MY DISMISSAL FROM MARYKNOLL

I have been a Catholic priest in the Maryknoll community for 40 years. As a young man I joined Maryknoll because of its work for justice and equality in the world. To be expelled from Maryknoll and the priesthood for believing that women are also called to be priests is very difficult and painful.

The Vatican and Maryknoll can dismiss me, but they cannot dismiss the issue of gender equality in the Catholic Church. The demand for gender equality is rooted in justice and dignity and will not go away.

As Catholics, we profess that God created men and women of equal worth and dignity. As priests, we profess that the call to the priesthood comes from God, only God. Who are we, as men, to say that our call from God is authentic, but God's call to women is not? The exclusion of women from the priesthood is a grave injustice against women, our Church and our loving God who calls both men and women to be priests.

When there is an injustice, silence is the voice of complicity. My conscience compelled me to break my silence and address the sin of sexism in my Church. My only regret is that it took me so long to confront the issue of male power and domination in the Catholic Church.

I have explained my position on the ordination of women, and how I came to it, in my booklet, My Journey from Silence to Solidarity. Please go to: www.roybourgeoisjourney.org.

In Solidarity,

Bishop Bridget Mary's response to the hierarchy

Monday, November 19, 2012

Vatican Dismisses Fr. Roy Bourgeois from Maryknoll/ Roman Catholic Women Priests are a Spiritual Revolution that is shaking up the Vatican! Thank God!

http://ncronline.org/news/people/maryknoll-vatican-has-dismissed-roy-bourgeois-order

Erin Hanna, Donna Rougeux, Ree Hudson, Fr. Roy Bourgeois, Janice Sevre-Duszynska
(UPI photo)

The Vatican's surprise dismissal of Fr. Roy Bourgeois is a power play meant to intimidate supportive priests of the international Roman Catholic Women Priests' Movement. It will not work. Nothing will stop Roman Catholic Women Priests who are part of the spiritual revolution that is shaking up the Vatican.

On the contrary, Vatican opposition to the international Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement is the gift that keeps on giving. Hundreds of priests in Europe are on record as supporters of women's ordination. One recent example is Jesuit Bill Brennan , who co-presided with Janice Sevre-Duszynska, a Roman Catholic Women Priest at a Progressive Catholic liturgy on Nov. 17, 2012. More and more Catholics welcome women priests' led liturgies in inclusive communities where all are welcome at the table.

Fr. Roy may no longer be a Maryknoll priest according to the Vatican, but he will always be a prophetic priest of the people. Fr. Roy confronted the "old boys network" in the Vatican with the truth; sexism is a sin that is always wrong.

Fr. Roy Bourgois's courageous prophetic witness to Gospel equality is a lesson that the Vatican needs, but resists because they are afraid of women priests. Yes, gentlemen, we represent change in the clerical model. Our renewed model of priestly ministry advocates oneness with the people we serve, not separation or a spiritual class system with the hierarchy on top and the laity on the bottom. Gospel equality is our motto. All the baptized are "personae Christi", not just the priests as the Vatican proclaims.

All Catholics are called to be followers of Jesus who treated women as disciples and equals. The Risen Christ chose Mary of Magdala to the be the apostle to the apostles. Women were ordained during the first thousand years of the church's history. The institutional church cannot continue to discriminate against women and blame God for it. Roman Catholic Women Priests are a breath of fresh air in the Catholic Church, and a holy shakeup whose time has come.

Kudos to Fr. Roy and the hundreds of male priests who publically stand for justice in the Catholic Church, challenging the "elephant in the living room" of institutional sexism! The time for the full equality of women in the Catholic Church has come. Thank you, Fr. Roy, for your courage and solidarity.

Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
www.arcwp.org
sofiabmm@aol.com
703-505-0004

Roy Bourgeois is Dismissed from Maryknoll Community-

http://ncronline.org//news/people/maryknoll-vatican-has-dismissed-roy-bourgeois-order

Roy Bourgeois, a longtime peace activist and priest who had come under scrutiny for his support of women's ordination, has been dismissed from the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, which he served for 45 years, according to the congregation.
The Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith made the dismissal in October, according to a news release issued Monday afternoon by the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers.
Dominican Fr. Tom Doyle, a canon lawyer acting on Bourgeois' behalf, told NCR he was not aware of the move.
Doyle said he and Bourgeois met with Maryknoll's superior general, Fr. Edward Dougherty, in June, and the issue of dismissal had not been discussed.
"The idea then was that things would continue and they would not dismiss Roy and they would continue to dialogue," Doyle said. "And then this just happened, unilaterally. [Bourgeois] had no idea."
Bourgeois was not available for comment Monday afternoon.
Mike Virgintino, the manager of communications for the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, declined to answer any questions about the matter.
"I cannot answer any additional questions," Virgintino said. "We have to stay with that statement. I can't answer anything more."
The statement reads: "The Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, on October 4, 2012, canonically dismissed Roy Bourgeois from the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America, also known as the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers.
"The decision dispenses the Maryknoll priest from his sacred bonds."
Monday's statement from Maryknoll puts a cap on years of discussion about Bourgeois' role in the order following his participation in the ordination of Roman Catholic Womanpriest Janice Sevre-Duszynska in August 2008.
Shortly after, Bourgeois was notified by the Vatican congregation that he had incurred a latae sententiae, or automatic, excommunication for his participation.
Over a period of years, the congregation had not responded to requests for clarification on the matter.
Monday's statement from Maryknoll states that Bourgeois' "disobedience and preaching against the teaching of the Catholic Church about women's ordination led to his excommunication, dismissal and laicization."
"With this parting, the Maryknoll Society warmly thanks Roy Bourgeois for his service to mission and all members wish him well in his personal life," the statement concludes. "In the spirit of equity and charity, Maryknoll will assist Mr. Bourgeois with this transition."
Maryknoll asked Bourgeois to publicly recant his support of women's ordination, telling the priest in a March 2011 letter he faced laicization and removal from the order if he did not comply.
In a series of letters and interviews since then, Bourgeois has said he could not comply with the request.
"In essence, you are telling me to lie and I say I do not believe God calls both men and women to the priesthood," Bourgeois wrote in a formal reply to Maryknoll's request. "This I cannot do, therefore I will not recant."
Maryknoll's leadership took a vote on removing Bourgeois from the order in the spring. While the order would confirm at the time that a vote had taken place, it would not comment on its outcome.
Doyle told NCR at the time that Maryknoll Fr. Mike Duggan, the U.S. regional superior of the order, informed Bourgeois of the vote, which was a split decision.
Doyle said Duggan told him two council members voted in favor of dismissal and three members abstained.
After the spring vote, Doyle and Bourgeois met with Dougherty on June 6.
In interviews following that meeting, Bourgeois said the discussion made no mention of his removal, but instead focused on the rights of conscience of Catholics and "the importance of people of faith and members of Maryknoll to be able to speak openly and freely without fear ... of being dismissed or excommunicated."
Bourgeois is known for his work with SOA Watch, a group he founded in 1990 to protest the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, a U.S. Army training school at Fort Benning, Ga., formerly known as the School of the Americas.
Bourgeois served for 45 years in Maryknoll, with 39 years as a priest.
[Joshua J. McElwee is an NCR staff writer. His email address is jmcelwee@ncronline.org.]
The full statement from the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers follows:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Congregation For The Doctrine Of The Faith
Canonically Dismisses Roy Bourgeois

Maryknoll, New York – November 19, 2012 – The Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, on October 4, 2012, canonically dismissed Roy Bourgeois from the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America, also known as the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers. The decision dispenses the Maryknoll priest from his sacred bonds.

As a priest during 2008, Mr. Bourgeois participated in the invalid ordination of a woman and a simulated Mass in Lexington, Kentucky. With patience, the Holy See and the Maryknoll Society have encouraged his reconciliation with the Catholic Church.

Instead, Mr. Bourgeois chose to campaign against the teachings of the Catholic Church in secular and non-Catholic venues. This was done without the permission of the local U.S. Catholic Bishops and while ignoring the sensitivities of the faithful across the country. Disobedience and preaching against the teaching of the Catholic Church about women’s ordination led to his excommunication, dismissal and laicization.

Mr. Bourgeois freely chose his views and actions, and all the members of the Maryknoll Society are saddened at the failure of reconciliation. With this parting, the Maryknoll Society warmly thanks Roy Bourgeois for his service to mission and all members wish him well in his personal life. In the spirit of equity and charity, Maryknoll will assist Mr. Bourgeois with this transition.

Wonderful Inclusive Liturgy at SOA watch, Columbus, GA

From Bridget Mary's blog

Jesuit Priest Bill Brennan, 93, of Milwaukee Co-Presided with ARCWP priest Janice Sevre-Duszynska at Progressive Catholic Coalition Liturgy

Jesuit priest Bill Brennan, 93, of Milwaukee co-presided with ARCWP priest
Janice Sevre-Duszynska at SOA Watch vigil, Nov.17 in Columbus, GA. The inclusive liturgy is sponsored by the Progressive Catholic Coalition. Over 350
participated.

Janice Sevre-Duzysnka ARCWP and Jesuit Bill Brennan co-preside at litugy

Peace-Activists attend Liturgy



ARCWP Priests and Katy Zatsick and Janice Sevre-Duszynska

ARCWP Priest Diane Dougherty in red stole

Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (ARCWP) priests Janice Sevre-Duszynska and Katy Zatsick carry our banner to witness in solidarity with others from many faiths and no faith for justice and non-violence. Thousands gather each year in Columbus, GA. to demonstrate for the closing of The School of the Americas because it has been linked to death squads who have killed thousands in Latin America. ARCWP stands for justice for all, justice for the marginalized, justice for the poor, justice for women including women's ordination in the Catholic Church.
www.arcwp.org

God's Women ACP Ireland

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/letters/gods-women-3085580.html

• The recent Association of Catholic Priests survey, which found that almost 90pc of Irish Catholics would support married priests and that 77pc were in favour of women being ordained, hopefully denotes a fruitful new awakening and not just another religious hot-air bubble.

As Catholics, we believe that Christ created 'mankind' in his own image and likeness, both man and woman. The word 'wo-man', which is probably of Hebrew origin, means 'from man'.

In the natural process, one cannot exist without the other -- putting the emphasis on equality. Likewise, the wording from the sacrament of marriage: "The two become one."

Records have it: the Catholic Church ordained women priests and bishops for nearly 11 centuries. The Bishop of Pelagio complained in the 14th Century that women were still being ordained as priests and hearing confessions. The New Testament implies that women presided at eucharistic meals in the early church. So why not again?

Women are far more active in the church, more religious, enthusiastic, sensitive and caring than men.

Up to the Council of Trent in the 16th Century, 50pc of priests were married and accepted by the people. Peter, the first pope, and the other apostles that Jesus had chosen were for the most part married men. Seven popes were married with children and Pope St Silverus had a son who became Pope St Homidas in the Fifth Century.

It was a change of Catholic Church rules that brought about celibacy in order to prevent church property getting into the hands of married couples and their children. Modern-day legislation would easily handle that. We have several married priests in the Catholic Church worldwide today and it seems to work.

As a regular church-goer, I'm very happy in my relationship with Jesus Christ and the teachings of His church. I would, however, feel lacking if I did not support optional celibacy and the ordination of women priests.

In a time of great change, these are moves towards real renewal that must bring all-round enhancement and interest in the Catholic Church.

James Gleeson

Thurles, Co Tipperary

Teen Refused Confirmation for supporting Gay marriage on Facebook

http://www.startribune.com/local/blogs/179500861.html

http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/380452/

Pell blames media 'smear'

Comment:  George Pell is an Opus Dei Archbishop who is steeped in a clericalism that denies a priest can do anything wrong-most particularly he higher they climb up the hierarchical ladder.

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/pell-blames-media-smear-20121113-29aj7.html#poll

More Jesus, Less Pope Patricia Fresen CTA Conference

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20121111/NEWS01/311110068/Speaker-Women-s-ordination-matter-justice-Catholics

"Nuns on the Bus" Modified by the Diocese of Arlington

http://www.arlingtondiocese.org/news.php?id=345
Statement Regarding the "Nuns on the Bus"2012-11-01

STATEMENT REGARDING THE "NUNS ON THE BUS" CAMPAIGN AND SAINT CHARLES BORROMEO CHURCH (ARLINGTON)

MICHAEL J. DONOHUE, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
DIOCESE OF ARLINGTON:

(Nov. 1, 2012) “Today, it came to the attention of the Diocese of Arlington that one of our parishes was planning to host the ‘Nuns on the Bus’ at a parish event tomorrow, in the lead-up to next week’s elections. The diocesan Political Activity Guidelines require parishes to submit a proposal in advance and consult with our Virginia Catholic Conference with regard to any planned event involving political or public policy issues. Those required steps were not taken for this event.

“The diocese therefore worked with the parish to modify the event so the Political Activity Guidelines would not be violated, while retaining the intended focus of the event on the parish’s outreach and social ministries. The ‘Nuns on the Bus’ are welcome to attend Mass at the parish, but they may not make any presentation, distribute any written material, or otherwise utilize the facilities of Saint Charles Borromeo Church in any way.

"It is unfortunate that the organizers of this event did not follow established diocesan procedures, which provide that that ‘No speakers are to be invited to events before receiving the reviewer’s approval.’ We recognize the concerns of many in the diocese raised by the scheduling of a ‘Nuns on the Bus’ campaign event at one of our churches and regret any inconvenience to those involved.”

Warning to Faithful by Diocese of St. Augustine:ARCWP's respose

Letter in part -PDF file could not be copied....

DIOCESE OF ST. AUGUSTINE,

TheTribunal

17 September 2012

Dear,

Recently I requested to meet with you through Father Phillips, the pastor of Holy Faith Church, regarding your attendance at a Eucharistic liturgical service-conducted by Dina O'Callaghan, an excommunicated Catholic woman.

I was disappointed to hear that you declined my invitation.

I was also disheartened to find out that you told Father Phillips you attended the service with full knowledge of Mrs. O,Callaghan's situation and magisterial teaching with regards to the ordination of women. Father Phillips has informed me that, while you have no intention of attending Mrs. O'Callaghan's services again, you cannot promise not to do so. Father Phillips therefore informed you that he can no longer permit you to represent the Church in public by serving as a “Reader”.

Enclosed are four documents that explain why the catholic church believes it is beyond her capacity to ordain……(woould not copy)

Please study and pray over them………

I must warn you, in accord with Canon Law, that if you choose to participate in the "Masses" conducted by Mrs. O,Callaghan and other members of the organization of Roman Catholic Women Priests or encourage others to attend you will be placing yourself outside the fulI communion of the Catholic Church and further actions may need to be taken by the Bishop up to and including denying you the reception of the sacraments.

Once again, please study and pray over the documents I have enclosed. I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide you and help you to remain in full communion with the Catholic Church.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Very Reverend Timothy M. Lindenfelser, J.C-L.

Judicial Vicar

Most Reverend Felipe J Estevez

Reverend John Phillips

Response from Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan and ARCWP leadership

******************************************************

To: Catholic Center

11625 Old St. Augustine Road

Jacksonville, FL. 32258-2060

Fax:904-262-6493

Phone: 904-262-3200

 

Dear Rev. Timothy Lindenfelser, Bishop Felipe J. Estevez and Rev. John Phillips:

 

The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (ARCWP) is saddened by your recent letter (see below) threatening to deny sacraments to Tom and Gwen Umlauf, faithful Catholics, who attended a liturgy at which one of our priests, Dena O'Callaghan, presided. Your threat to use denial of the sacraments to Tom, Gwen and anyone who attends women-priest led liturgies is an example of ecclesiastical bullying that Catholics everywhere are challenging.

 

We note that your letter condemns Dena O’Callaghan but fails to mention her husband, John , a Roman Catholic priest who presides alternately with her at Catholic Masses in their local communities in Ocala and elsewhere.

 

Even if you oppose the ordination of women as priests, it is unconscionable that you would single out a dedicated Catholic couple like Tom and Gwen Umlauf, and threaten to deny access to the sacramental life of the Church for attending a liturgy celebrated by a woman priest.

 

Roman Catholic Women Priests are living prophetic obedience to God who calls us to lead our church into a new era of gender justice rooted in Jesus’ example of Gospel equality and partnership. Even Vatican biblical scholars support our position. In 1976, the Pontifical Biblical Commission concluded that there is no evidence in Scripture that would prohibit women’s ordination in the Catholic Church. Sexism is a sin. The institutional church cannot continue to discriminate against women and blame God for it.

 

The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (www.arcwp.org) is walking in the footsteps of women like Saints Mother Theodore Guerin and Mary McKillop, both of whom were excommunicated by their bishops and canonized by Pope Benedict.

 

Primacy of Conscience takes priority over all laws. Therefore, Catholics, in all situations must follow their consciences. We affirm Gwen and Tom for their love of the church and courageous act of prophetic obedience to the Spirit.

 

Like the prophets who spoke truth to power, we challenge this example of ecclesiastical bullying as anti-Jesus and anti-Catholic. You attempt to sever members of the body of Christ, but they know that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:35-39).

 

We call you, Rev. Timothy Lindenfelser, Bishop Felipe J. Estevez and Rev. John Phillips, to walk in the footsteps of Jesus as our brothers and partners in ministry in a renewed priestly ministry.

 

 
From: The Leadership Circle of ARCWP:
Dena O'Callaghan, Dorothy Shugrue, Judy Lee, Bridget Mary Meehan
www.arcwp.org