Dear Cardinal Dolan: Is the Pope Catholic?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carol-dechant/is-the-pope-catholic-letter-to-cardinal-dolan_b_1472421.html
Dear Cardinal Dolan,
Because "60 Minutes" names you Our Man in Rome (as the most likely to become the first American Pope), I'm writing to ask about the Vatican's investigation of American nuns -- presumably for not being "Catholic enough." Can you find out: What is the Pope thinking? Can you influence this disastrous endeavor?
Let's assume the Vatican lacks knowledge of the role of nuns in American history: those women who pioneered health treatments, of cancer and hospice (Sister Rose Hawthorne Lathrop), of alcoholics (Sister Mary Ignatia) and of lepers (Mother Marianne Cope); who built schools --through college -- to educate African- and Native-Americans more than 80 years before our Civil Rights movement began (St. Katharine Drexel); and the colonist who founded the first American religious order (St. Elizabeth Seton) to care for poor children. Does the Pope know that American nuns developed the first infant incubator, built and ran the hospital that became Mayo Clinic and founded the world's largest private school system? That nuns were once THE educated working women in our country, establishing orphanages, hospitals and social service agencies with creativity, grit and perseverance (and sometimes being silenced by their bishops for their innovations).
If the Pope does not consider this history significant to today's nuns, please appeal to the Vatican's self-interest. I'm aware that public relations is not a Vatican concern (nor even a concept) and that our hierarchy responds globally to crises with advice only from its lawyers. But isn't it time to ask the Pope: How's that been working out for you? It's time to suggest firing the lawyers and hiring a public relations consultant.
Please don't forget to quote those adjectives the U. S. media use to describe this "insulting" "immoral" "abusive" "sexist" "hostile" investigation. Newspapers claim the nuns are "being bullied" by the Vatican, and speculating that the underlying motive of this "inquisition" is for the Vatican to raid the assets of female religious orders to help pay claims from the pedophile lawsuits. Note that this is just what our Catholic media is saying!
Please also warn the Pope about repercussions in terms of branding and image. These elderly women -- their average age is 70 -- who've spent their lives as poorly paid servants in parishes and communities, are still working because they were given no pensions or health care benefits. They cannot afford to retire. Their only rest will come in their coffins, when each sister is buried with the letter she wrote when she entered her convent decades ago, telling why she chose to serve God by serving others. Common decency aside, common sense dictates that sympathy will be for these women, rather than for the powerful men investigating them.
It's also been reported that because the Vatican suspects our nuns of disregarding Catholic teaching on certain hot-button issues, it needs to determine if these sisters are verifiably Catholic. No doubt birth control is one of these issues. But why pick on our nuns? More than 77 percent of American Catholics consider using birth control morally acceptable. None of us can recall the last time we heard a priest support the Vatican's birth control ban from the pulpit; even our pastors -- looking into parishes with two-child families -- know that that ship has sailed. It left way back in 1963, when the pill was prescribed by Catholic doctors for the health and welfare of mothers and families. Our nuns should be the last to be interrogated on this issue, and at this late date.
Our Catholic media also speculates that the investigation is an attempt by the Vatican to influence American politics, specifically to oust President Obama. Has anyone pointed out to the Pope that even Catholic Republicans did not vote for the Catholic, Rick Santorum, who championed the Church's birth control ban? GOP Catholics support the Mormon!
Perhaps the sisters have been discussing the ordination of women and married people, though open discussion of this is forbidden by the Vatican. Please inform the Holy Father that we've all been discussing that, for decades. Tell him about the doctrines we cherish, the First Amendment to our Constitution, and Article 6, #1782 in the Catechism on "Moral Conscience": "Man has the right to act in conscience and in freedom so as personally to make moral decisions. He must not be forced to act contrary to his conscience. Nor must he be prevented from acting according to his conscience, especially in religious matters."
OK, let's admit that the "f-word" has surfaced in coverage of this nightmare, as the most damning charge of all. U.S. bishops reportedly alerted the Vatican that many of our nuns are ... Feminists. That may be because our American sisters took Vatican II and Pope John XXIII seriously 50 years ago, when they were challenged to rethink their vocations, "to make the truth of the Gospel shine," and to "dedicate [them]selves without fear to that work which our era demands of us." The nuns quit wearing the medieval habits that separated them from others, and many moved from convents into a larger community to serve in new ways. They also embraced the Council's call for dialogue, by not only talking with but listening to those they serve, many of whom are poor women. Would that our hierarchy could seek and get such an education!
These questions remain: Does the Pope really want to force American Catholics to choose between standing with our nuns or with a male hierarchy interrogating them for nebulous infractions, with a stated agenda of keeping their findings secret? Where could we find Jesus in all this -- among our nuns, whose life of service is based on the Gospels' call to justice and charity, or in the Vatican, whose concerns appear to be power and secrecy? At the very least, let the investigators ask those who know our nuns best -- the homeless, prisoners, battered women and their children, immigrants, inner-city students, the disabled, the bereaved and the bullied -- if these elderly women are "Catholic enough." And if not, then who is? Is even the Pope "Catholic enough"?
Carol DeChant founded the public relations firm DeChant-Hughes & Associates, Inc. Her recent book is "Great American Catholic Eulogies" (ACTA Publishers).

PressRelease: Historic 2nd Ordination in Lexington as Donna Rougeux willbe ordained a Roman Catholic Woman Priest

PressRelease:  Historic 2nd Ordination in Lexington as Donna Rougeux willbe ordained a Roman Catholic Woman Priest

Releasedate:  May 9, 2012
Contact: Janice Sevre-Duszynska, 859-684-4247, rhythmsofthedance@gmail.com
BishopBridget Mary Meehan, 703-505-0004, sofiabmm@aol.com
DonnaRougeux, 859-221-3082, dlrougeux@insightbb.com
See:http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
http://bridgetmarys.blogspot.com/

On Saturday, June 9,2012 at 3:00 p.m. Donna Rougeux of Lexington, Kentucky will be ordained apriest in the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests.  The presidingbishop will be Bridget Mary Meehan of Falls Church, Virginia and Sarasota,Florida. The ceremony will take place at the Unitarian Universalist Church ofLexington, 3564 Clays Mill Road, Lexington, Kentucky 40503.

As a pre-ordinationevent, on Saturday, June 2 at 10 a.m. "Pink Smoke Over the Vatican"will be shown at the Kentucky Theater, 214 East Main Street, Lexington 40507.The 58-minute documentary by filmmaker Jules Hart is the story of the justicestruggle for ordination for women in the Roman Catholic Church. Tickets are $10at the door. A Q/A will follow.

All are welcome to theordination and pre-ordination screening.

Media are invited to apre-ordination press conference on Saturday, June 9, at 1:30 p.m. at the churchwith the candidate and Bridget Mary Meehan. Call Janice (859-684-4247) toschedule an interview.

The ordinand istheologically prepared and has many years of experience in ministry. 
Donna LeMasterRougeux graduated from Lexington Theological Seminary in 2009 with a Masters inPastoral Studies. She completed a residency with Hospice of the Bluegrass in2010, earning four units of Clinical Pastoral Education. She has worked as aHospice chaplain since she finished the residency and plans on becoming acertified chaplain. Donna is married and has three teenagers.
"I am sothankful that God has called me to work for reform in the Roman CatholicChurch. I hope that my daughters, granddaughters and all women will be foreverchanged and affirmed to follow God's call because of the work that thismovement has done and will do in challenging the Church to be the Kin-dom onEarth."
The Association ofRoman Catholic Women Priests rejoices in a “holy shakeup” that millions ofCatholics worldwide welcome. The good news now is that male priests, bishops, acardinal as well as theologians have expressed their support of female priests.They are following in the footsteps of Maryknoll Roy Bourgeois whose propheticcall for a dialogue on women priests is being heard in more and more placestoday in our Church.
“Nothing can stopthe movement of the spirit toward human rights, justice and equality in ourworld and in our Church,” said Bridget Mary Meehan. “The full equality of womenis the voice of God in our time.”
ARCWP celebratesthe Leadership Conference of Women Religious and the nearly 60,000 womenreligious they represent in the United States. We reject the unjust, bullyingbehavior of the scandal-ridden Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of theFaith who has ordered the LCWR to reform itself more closely to "theteachings and discipline of the Church." It is the corrupt hierarchy, whohas spent billions of dollars and devastated the lives of thousands of youth inthe sexual abuse crisis that needs reform, not the dedicated nuns in the U.S.Now is the time for the LCWR to speak truth to power. Declare a nuns'emancipation proclamation from Vatican control. Challenge Vatican misogynypublicly. Affirm primacy of conscience and gender equality including women'sordination.
The Women Priestsmovement in the Roman Catholic Church advocates a new model of priestlyministry united with the people with whom we minister. We stand in propheticobedience to Jesus who calls women and men to be disciples and equals. Themovement began with the ordination of seven women on the Danube in 2002. Todaythere are over 130 in the movement worldwide. ARCWP is in the United States andLatin America. Our specific charism within the broader global Roman CatholicWomen Priests initiative is to live Gospel equality and justice for women inthe Church and in society now. We work in solidarity with the poor andmarginalized for transformative justice in partnership with all believers. Our visionis to live as a community of equals in decision making both as an organizationand within all our faith communities. We advocate the renewal of the vision ofJesus in the Gospel in our Church and world.

THE ASSOCIATION OF

ROMAN CATHOLIC WOMEN PRIESTS

INVITES YOU TO  

THE LITURGY OF ORDINATION

TO THE PRIESTHOOD

Donna LeMaster Rougeux

Ordaining Bishop

Bridget Mary Meehan

June 9, 2012     3:00 P.M.

Unitarian Universalist Church of Lexington

3564 Clays Mill Road

Lexington, Kentucky 40503

Dinner at the church will follow

RSVP TO:  dlrougeux@insightbb.com

Read more about Donna here:

arcwp.org

http://arcwp.org/biogs.html

http://www.kentucky.com/2011/09/10/1876391/catholic-hierarchy-wrong-women.html#storylink=misearch

Georgetown’s Kathleen Sebelius invitation called a ‘direct challenge’ to bishops

Comment:  Thank you Georgetown-for giving witness to the fact that the Catholic Church is not represented by the radical politics of the evangelical right.....Catholicism is much broader than the political left or right....dd

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/under-god/post/georgetowns-kathleen-sebelius-invitation-called-a-direct-challenge-to-bishops/2012/05/07/gIQA7qxY8T_blog.html
“The left-liberals who run the show at Georgetown have found a way to signal to the world that the nation’s oldest Catholic, and most famous Jesuit, university stands with the Obama administration in its war (to use, if I recall correctly, Kathleen Sebelius’s own word) against the Catholic bishops and others who oppose the HHS mandate as a violation of religious freedom and the rights of conscience (you know, the enemies of women’s ’reproductive health’). By honoring Secretary Sebelius, they can help to undermine the bishops’ credibility and blunt the force of their witness as leaders of the Catholic church....

Association of Catholic Priests discuss Church's future

Excellent Article-question: What will we do if the hierarchy (appointed) will NOT move along to reform?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17973830

Declare a Nuns' Emancipati​on Proclamati​on from Vatican Control

The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priestscelebrates the Leadership Conference of Women Religious and the nearly 60,000women religious they represent in the United States. We reject the unjust,bullying behavior of the scandal-ridden Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrineof the Faith who has ordered the LCWR to reform itself more closely to “theteachings and discipline of the Church.”  It is the corrupt hierarchy, whohas spent billions of dollars and devastated the lives of thousands of youth inthe sexual abuse crisis that needs reform, not the dedicated nuns in the UnitedStates.

Now is the time for the LCWR to speak truth to power.Declare a nuns’ emancipation proclamation from Vatican control. ChallengeVatican misogyny publicly.  Affirm primacy of conscience and genderequality including women's ordination.
 
"As a Sister for Christian Community, I belong to anindependent community of women religious not under Vatican control,"Bridget Mary Meehan, bishop of ARCWP, reflects. “This means that I am blessedwith freedom to live my vocation as a woman priest. "

Nuns who are called by God and their communities shouldbe able to serve as priests.

“Religious communities of women have been the backbone ofthe church and the heart that pumps hope through the life of the church,” saidnewly ordained woman priest Miriam Picconi of Palm Coast, Florida.

 In the Biblical prophetic tradition the sistershave devoted their lives to living Gospel justice and reading the signs of thetimes.  They have heard the cries of the poor, the exploited and theabandoned.  Lifting oppression and birthing community and right relations,women religious have been at work transforming the world.

 We as women priests express our gratitude to thesisters, our mentors and teachers, who have been inspired by the Spirit. They have re-discovered and reaffirmed in us the Feminine Wisdom of God. They have blessed the love and commitment of same-sex partnerships.  Theyhave encouraged us women called to priesthood to live out our call.  Theyhave been prophetic voices for the liberating activity of the Spirit in ourchurch and world.  We stand in prayerful solidarity with all nuns and theLCWR in time of crisis. May women religious lead the church into a new beginningof justice and equality!

Association of Romen Catholic Women Priests, arcwp.org

The Spirit is blowing through my Motherland......

A statement from the Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland.
http://www.associationofcatholicpriests.ie/2012/05/statement-from-towards-an-assembly-of-the-irish-catholic-church/

Video-100,000 gathered in Dublin to support the 800 priests....wow...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17982360

James Martin SJ calls all to say thanks to the sisters

Well worth the time to watch.  Jim Maartin talks about how the Sisters responded to th Vatican to renew themselves and their communities and how important they are in the building up of the Church.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ALx-eolC1FI

http://articles.philly.com/2012-05-03/news/31556803_1_catholic-priest-grave-scandal-church-leaders

Church’s sexism is a scandal

May 03, 2012|By Roy Bourgeois

• 

Father Roy Bourgeois has urged the leaders of the Roman…

I have been a Catholic priest for years, and, like most people I know, I have been changed by my experiences over the years.
Growing up Catholic in a small town in Louisiana, I and others did not ask why the black members of our church had to sit in the last five pews during Mass, or why our schools were segregated. Nor did we, needless to say, ask why women could not be priests.
The military was my ticket out of Louisiana. I volunteered for duty in Vietnam, which became a turning point in my life. In the midst of all the violence and death of the war, my faith became more important, and I felt that God was calling me to be a priest.

Story continues below.

After four years in the military, I entered the Catholic Church’s Maryknoll Order, was ordained, and went off to serve the poor of Bolivia for five years.
Later, during my years of ministry in the United States, I met many devout Catholic women who were also called by God to be priests. Such women are rejected based on the church’s teaching that only baptized men may be ordained.
This makes no sense to me. Don’t we profess that God created men and women of equal worth and dignity? Doesn’t Scripture state clearly that “There is neither male nor female. In Christ Jesus you are one” (Galatians 3:28)? How can we men say our call from God is authentic, but the call women feel is not?
After much reflection, study, and prayer, I believe the exclusion of women from the priesthood is a grave injustice against women and our loving God, who calls both men and women to be priests. I also believe that to have a healthy, vibrant church, we need the wisdom, experiences, and voices of women in the priesthood.
The Vatican has referred to the ordination of women as “a grave scandal.” When most Catholics hear the word scandal, however, they think of the many priests who sexually abused children, and of the many bishops who covered up their horrific crimes.
Pope Benedict XVI is telling priests like me to be obedient to church leaders and refrain from questioning or discussing church teachings. This presents a problem, because the church teaches us the primacy of conscience. One’s conscience is sacred, because it gives one a sense of right and wrong, and urges one to do what is just. When we betray our consciences, we separate ourselves from God.
I often think about our silence in the days when the black members of our church had to sit in the last five pews. As a priest, I have learned that our silence in the presence of such injustices is the voice of complicity.
Sexism, like racism, is a sin. And no matter how hard we try to justify discrimination, in the end, it is not the way of God.
Roy Bourgeois is expected to be in Philadelphia for a discussion and screening of a documentary about women’s ordination, “Pink Smoke Over the Vatican,” at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Church of St. Luke and the Epiphany, 330 S. 13th St.

This World The Shame of the Church BBC

Every Catholic has the responsibility to sit down and listen to this.  It also is incumbent on us to form our own opinions and act.  Not tomorrow -today.  This did not happen in Ireland.  It happened in every country in the world.  In part one the narrator said the priest, Father Greene, had the disease, and the bishop spread it with every move.....It was also moved by the silence of the people.  There are NO systems that alter the movement of this fraud.

Bishop Wilton Gregory in Atlanta, my bishop, is as responsible as every bishop in the USCCB.  This act of clericalism is the tip of the iceburg...there is MUCH more to this documentary that the abuse of children.  There is the abuse of women who were cowed into silence, the intimidation of women religious now threatened with the dismantling of thier system including their property, the embezzlement of monies given by the faithful, trusting there would be a place in the future for our children....our heritage.  Few know that 3.3 billion has been given over to protect pedophiles. And that is in America alone.

But most of all-this continues by the silence and docility of its members.  My new goals are to encourage the raising of all voices by the many who ARE Catholic but have moved to the fringes in light of this pronounced clericalism. 

First-there must be an examination and revision of Canon Law by all members of our faith so that the voice of laity can be heard-NOT just men....certain systems must end-no more appointments of priests to parishes.  All parishes should recieve a resume and recommendations if a priest is to be reassigned.  Any priest who tears down the life of a parish by  removing anyone from their position because they have spoken out should be removed themselves AND a balance in power between the pastor and the people of the parish should be established immediately.

In Atlanta, I would like to see a firm movement toward renewal of Vatican II parishes and am calling for preparation groups centered in a Theological discussion of Priestly Ministries for all the Baptized.  Time, tithe and talent needs to be redirected toward this effort so that in 2016, on the 50th Anniversary of Vatican II, Atlanta can go back to its original mission and reboot its efforts to build the church the Spirit has led us to form.

By ending our silence and victimization, we will engage in the healing of the church and prevent further destruction of the body of Christ. 

Diane Dougherty, ARCWP


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ma9ALRpEVw  Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHhyju2GfdE&feature=relmfu   Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZW0zG9y_eI&feature=relmfu  Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFvKokHnNrQ&feature=relmfu Part 4