The Independent News Source
NCR on Kindle - NCR classifieds - YouTube - Twitter - Facebook - Email Alerts - RSS
Women priests carry on despite Vatican
Publication date:
June 27, 2008
Section:
G1. News Despite a recent decree that reiterates the official Vatican stance that women cannot be ordained and that those who attempt it are automatically excommunicated, women continue to step forward for ordination.
Three women are to be ordained to the priesthood and one woman as a deacon July 20 in Boston. Presiding at event will be Bishop Dana Reynolds, who is the first U.S. bishop for the Roman Catholic Womenpriests movement.
At a ceremony in Boston’s Church of the Covenant, Reynolds will ordain Gloria Ray Carpeneto, Judy Lee and Gabriella Velardi-Ward to the priesthood and MaryAnn McCarthy Schoettly to the deaconate.
On its Web site, Roman Catholic Womenpriests Movement lists 26 priests and 11 deacons in North America. Among these are two Canadians, James Lauder of Victoria and Monica Kilburn-Smith of Calgary, who were ordained priests May 29, the day before the Vatican decree was published on the front page of L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper. (The movement occasionally ordains men.)
“Both the one who attempts to confer a sacred order on a woman, and the woman who attempts to receive a sacred order, incur an excommunication ‘latae sententiae,’ ” or automatically, said the decree from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Dominican Fr. Augustine Di Noia, undersecretary of the congregation, said the decree makes clear that the people directly involved in ordinations excommunicate themselves automatically; it is not a penalty imposed by the local bishop or the universal church.
Two leading advocacy organizations issued statements rejecting the Vatican decree.
Roman Catholic Womenpriests said its members are “loyal members of the church who stand in the prophetic tradition of holy disobedience to an unjust law.”
The Washington-based Women’s Ordination Conference said the Vatican decree “reminds Catholic women once again of the animosity they face from the hierarchy, despite being the backbone of most Catholic parishes throughout the world.”
The group contended that the Vatican is afraid of “the growing numbers of ordained women and the overwhelming support they are receiving.”
The prohibition against women’s ordination is “based on arguments that have been refuted time and again,” the statement said.
National Catholic Reporter June 27, 2008
Good! This is the only
Good! This is the only option Rome has left Catholic women who are called by the Holy Spirit to be priests and deacons. They have slammed the door in our faces and only through thousands and thousands of exiled ordinations will the hierarchy finally realize our time has come. For many years men of color were denied admittance to Holy Orders. Now through ordained women serving in the catacombs of the modern persecuted part of the Church, the faithful will have the priests they need and deserve.
I support these women and I
I support these women and I am thankful that they have the courage of their convictions. It needs to reach a critical mass before it will be recognized. God knows how much our church needs their gifts and their service.
I support these women and
I support these women and hope that many more will be added to their numbers. If one really reads about the early church they will find that women were the ones encouraging their children and husbands to become Christian. Rember we had married priests and bishops in the early church. That changed so why cannot the idea of women priests become a new change.
It is wonderful to see such
It is wonderful to see such dedicated women stepping up and sharing the God given Love instilled in them at their Baptism. As one who was rejected and used by the males of my Church for many years, leaving me wondering in the desert, I am grateful to be Home again within a Community who stands for Justice and Joy. One who is Christ to ALL. At our Table ALL are welcomed. Thank you for your courage and love.
as one of the Danube 7
as one of the Danube 7 ordained women i can tell you from first hand experience that excommunication "reserved to the holy sea " laid on us on july 22nd 2002 (feastday of mary magdalene) was almost more useful than the ordination we received june 28th 2002 (feast of Peter&Paul)
most of the faithful seeking help and consolation from us have themselves been "de facto" excommunicated and it does my heart good to assure them that God loves them despite the hard heartedness of the roman hirarchy.
when the spirit is at the heart of a movement all that comes from it will benefit us and those we serve.
what we women need is more courage of heart and less acceptance of injustice.
so...... if you feel called to become a priest; JUST DO IT!
Sophia will guide you and in God's time your church will thank you
summer blessings
dagmar
I am female, I am a Roman
I am female, I am a Roman Catholic, and I possess an MDIV. Though I respect your position dagmar, I do not agree with your statement, "if you feel called to become a priest; JUST DO IT!" An authentic call does not operate that way. An authentic call from the Holy Spirit cannot be controlled - not by the Holy See - and not by yourself.
I have felt called to the Roman Catholic priesthood since I was seven years old. And I have on more than one occasion prayed for discernment as to whether or not to leave the Roman Catholic community to become a member of the Episcopalian faith community and seek ordination there. I have too much love for my Roman Catholic faith to arrogantly disregard Canon Law. You have effectively cut yourself off from the Roman Catholic faith community, because to be a full member you need to stand in solidarity with Pope Benedict and the entire Catholic community -- which includes all of its history and traditions and struggle in finding its identity in our post-modern era. You have hurt the very community you are trying to embrace -- because you are taking the incorrect approach to a worthy cause. Every one of you who have been ordained are guilty of this. If you want to effect authentic change for the Roman Catholic faith community, then you need to work with members of the heirarchy you disdain, in order to channel the life of the Spirit for such change.
Now I have studied Canon Law and have written an extensive research paper regarding Canon 1024 which prohibits women from receiving valid orders. There is no documented historical account of any female receiving valid priestly ordination. However, there are documented accounts of women undergoing diaconate ordination ceremonies in both the West and the East up until the sixth and 9th centuries, respectively; however, in the West, the role of women deacons was less liturgical in nature than in the East, and by the 3rd century women were no longer given clergy status.
If you read the Vatican commentary to Pope Paul's encyclical after a Vatican study was conducted regarding women's ordination, even though priestly ordination was denied, the ordination of women to the permanent diaconate was still left open for future discussion. Even though the order of deacon is part of the same sacrament of Orders, that ministry is still distinct from that of priest and bishop. A priest is an extension of the Bishop who has full juridical and ecclesial authority, but a deacon's original role was not to be an extension of the Bishop, but an assistant to the Bishop.
Much of this information is contained within the publication on the implications of diaconate ordination of women that is published by the Canon Law Society of America. Pope Paul VI's encyclical is common knowledge, as well as the commentary.
There are far more women who would benefit at this point in history from being able to validly receive, within the Roman Rite, the sacrament of Holy Orders to sustain them in diaconate ministry which so many are already engaged and participating in. One of the primary functions of a permanant deacon is to stand up on behalf of the Church on matters of peace and social justice -- a deacon is involved in the ministry of service -- just as a chaplain is involved in the ministry of presence. If women are already engaged in diaconate ministry, if they were to receive Holy Orders they could receive the grace and strength from that sacrament in their service to the community. To me, that is a much more realistic objective that members of our heirarchy might be interested in exploring with women.
The Magisterium consistes of men who think rationally -- not emotionally -- and it is my sense they perceive Women Priests' disobedience not as a personal or institutional threat, but a concern of misleading and misrepresenting what actually constitutes a community. Excommunication means the cutting of oneself off from the community. I may not agree with the Canon Law, but there are channels available to challenge that law while at the same time honoring all members of the Catholic community. There is a huge difference between dissent and disoabedience. I will always remember the words of the character, Fr. Gabriel in the movie, "The Mission", as he addressed his brother priest, Fr. John, when John took a vote on deciding that a penance being performed by a slave trader in their midst was enough: "But he doesn't think so John. We're not members of a democracy Father, we're members of an Order."
President-elect Obama inspires so many people, because of his commitment to dialogue -- even with his adversaries who would not on the surface to most appear dialogical. If you trust the Holy Spirit as much as you say you do, then you can let go of the control and try to work with the Catholic Conference of Bishops to see if for their upcoming November meeting in 2009 there might be a space on their agenda to relook at women and the diaconate. If the Magisterium were to be open to examining this issue -- instead of getting sidetracked by priestly ordination -- this would be great progress. I for one do not want to see a schism take place within the Roman Church -- the Holy Spirit does not divide her house so that it cannot stand -- remember Christ's prayer for unity the night before he died in John's Gospel. What your group, Woman Priest advocates is not unity but division. The sad truth is the harder you fight for what you think is your right -- the more deeply your wheels spin into the sand. That harms other women who could otherwise have an intelligent and engaged dialogue with our bishops and other clergy, and with the Vatican in support of the permanent diaconate including women.
I am sure you do not agree with me. But one of the competencies for ministry requires that a minister is aware of other people's needs other than self -- and I wonder if your group has lost sight of this.
Respectfully,
Female Catholic
You express my heartfelt
You express my heartfelt sentiments exactly.
The patriarchal hierarchy
The patriarchal hierarchy are feeling threatened by these courageous women. In their action of oppression, the Princes of the Church are attempting to stifle these Spirit-filled women. This is a sin against the Holy Spirit. (Mt 12:32)
What the patriarchal hierarchy are doing to women is diabolical and quite sinister. The power of this sin is felt through the entire People of God.
May God have mercy on their souls.
Let us pray that the Light of Christ will shine through to the darkness of this sin that injures the entire Church.
I am in awe of these women
I am in awe of these women and their strength to answer their call from God. I am sure that this was not an easy choice to make. And I am sadden that the women were forced to take this step.
As a woman who has struggled
As a woman who has struggled for years to prayerfully and honestly discern the call I have felt from God to serve the Church, I understand the pain involved in following one's convictions. Even as a young girl of 6 years old, I deeply felt God calling me to follow Him in an intimate way. On a daily basis, a constant inner struggle has existed between following what I discern to be the promptings of the Holy Spirit and trying to work within the confines of the man-made rules of the Church. I speak quite honestly when I say I am in extreme agony over women's inaccessibility to be included in the diaconate. I have all the necessary training for this vocation, a strong, heart-felt desire, and, like all those struggling to discern a vocation, a belief that this is the direction in which God is calling me.
I am a Roman Catholic woman
I am a Roman Catholic woman and I feel called to serve God as a religious sister. I do not understand how you people can pretend you are Roman Catholic! Yes, the rules are Man made...and the MAN was Jesus, 2000 years ago he laid hands on St. Peter our first Pope. He also chose 11 other MEN to be his followers. After Judas betrayed him he chose another MAN to take his place. He made the rules.
If anyone knew what the culture would be like in 2008 it was Jesus! He still did not choose a woman to be a priest.
I do not agree with some of the things that happen in my job at "Bonds" (ficticous name), but I cannot go out and start a business of my own using my own opinions and beliefs and call it "Bonds". You people may feel called to be priests, but you cannot call yourselves Roman Catholic. You are certainly welcome to go to the other churches that have female clergy and be a pastor there.
I wish you all the best.
Post new comment