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Saturday, May 31, 2008

Letter to Cardinal Levada: Response to Roman Catholic Womenpriests' Automatic Excommunication


May 30, 2008 (577th anniversary of the burning at the stake of St.Joan d'Arc)
Dear Cardinal Levada,
I read with interest the Vatican decree on women's ordination and excommunication, which leaves me a bit saddened at having been left out…of an "honor" to which I, and fellow members of the congregations to whom priests of the Roman Catholic Womenpriests minister, feel we are equally "entitled."
My wife Helen and I are Catholic grade school, high school (SJ & OP), and University (Loyola U) graduates, and we are common sense, Holy Spirit-filled Catholics, in good standing. We attend, when we are in Florida in the winter, Bridget Mary Meehan's Mary Mother of Jesus Housechurch, and are active, supportive members of that little community. We are in complete solidarity with our pastor, Bridget Mary, and if she is to be 'chastised,' 'punished,' or excommunicated---a move with neither sense nor wisdom--we then feel we must be included in such an edict. Though we are convinced of the invalidity of the "celibate males only" man-made rule (based on unexamined and specious dogma), and the extreme resort to "excommunication," nonetheless, be that the approach of 'official church,' then we don't think it just for you to have Bridget Mary, other friends of ours in RCWP, and the RCWP Bishops 'burned at the stake,' without including us, their supporters in the same 'reward.' Very similar to Jesus, and the women and men who were His true followers, isn't it?
As I am so persuaded that the Holy Spirit is NOT behind this Vatican's decree on excommunication, I am equally convinced the Holy Spirit IS indeed the motivating Force in this long-overdue change in the Church of Jesus Christ, our Church.
I send this note through our Pastor, Bridget Mary, and our Shepards, Bishop Dana and Bishop Patricia, for their information, not like an hierarchical 'chain-of-command, which is not part of the MO of RCWP. I send this to you in a spirit of love and compassion, praying the same Holy Spirit, Who prompted me to write this, will touch you as you read it, and open your mind and heart to what that same Spirit wants you to receive.
Very sincerely, with the love of Jesus,
Jack Duffy

1 comment:

Nancy said...

Gimme a break...woman priests???? There is no such thing! I say this with all the christian love I can muster....but...the Roman Catholic Church is NEVER going to allow women priests so GET OVER IT!