Roman Catholic Womenpriests; Music Director Forced to Resign after comments supporting justice for women in church/Washington Post/Michelle Boorstein

Music director says she was told to resign for comments on status of women in Catholic Church
By Michelle Boorstein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 27, 2010; 12:19 PM

The music director at a traditional Catholic parish in Fairfax says her pastor demanded her resignation after she was quoted in a Washington Post article sympathizing with the women's ordination movement -- an assertion he denies.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/27/AR2010012702258.html

Last Saturday, Jan. 23, the Washington Post published an article giving an update on the impact of our Roman Catholic Womenpriests Movement, highlighting the progress and support from women leaders including women leaders like Erin Hanna of Women's Ordination and Sister Maureen Fiedler. The article began with a description of a Mass in my home in N.Va. See link to article.

Sr. Maureen Fiedler wrote in the National Catholic Reporter the story of Sylvia Mulherin, who was forced to resign because she made a positive comment about women's ordination as a justice issue.

"Sylvia Mulherin, 69, a former nun and music director at St. Leo's Parish in Fairfax, Va., was quoted as saying this: "Jesus was progressive in his treatment of women but, over time, men unjustly pushed women out. Maybe the women don't have to come in the back door, but we still have to sit in the pews."
The very next day, she was told to tender her resignation immediately!
In a message she sent to her choir members and colleagues, she said:"My sole point is that I believe women have not achieved true equality in the Church and this fact deserves further consideration by the Church's leadership. This position is apparently unacceptable in the Diocese of Arlington."

Bridget Mary's comment:
When an institutional church gets so afraid of a movement for justice and equality for women in the church, that thoughtful dialogue and questioning is no longer acceptable, it is in danger of not only losing millions of Catholics who believe that Jesus treated women and men as equals, but also risks losing its soul by failing to follow Christ's example and the early church tradition of women in ordained ministry.
Bridget Mary Meehan
Music director loses job over pro-woman quote National Catholic ...The major photo featured Bridget Mary Meehan, one of the women bishops in the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement. But the article was wide ranging, ...