Anointing of hands at Ordination of
First Latin American Woman Priest
U.S. Catholic
Bryan Cones
..." in excerpts of his new book-length interview Light of the World (Ignatius), Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged the moral possibility of a person with HIV using a condom to prevent the infection of a sexual partner"...
"This change-phobia among many Catholics is perhaps the more interesting dimension of the story. Despite the fact that church history is littered with changes in not only custom and practice but moral teaching (slavery, torture, and usury, to name a few), acknowledging them is almost anathema. ..."
Bryan Cones
..." in excerpts of his new book-length interview Light of the World (Ignatius), Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged the moral possibility of a person with HIV using a condom to prevent the infection of a sexual partner"...
"This change-phobia among many Catholics is perhaps the more interesting dimension of the story. Despite the fact that church history is littered with changes in not only custom and practice but moral teaching (slavery, torture, and usury, to name a few), acknowledging them is almost anathema. ..."
"Paul first restates Jesus’ command in four different ways but then modifies it: “If the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so; in such a case the brother or sister is not bound” (1 Cor. 7:15), therefore free to remarry. Faced with a new problem, Paul adapts. Jesus said no divorce; Paul says no divorce, too—unless there is a really good reason.
..."It just means that the fullness of truth, as a dimension of the divine mystery, is beyond our human comprehension. Our salvation, after all, isn’t predicated on being right about everything all the time. In fact, thank God, we’re still saved even when we’re wrong. "
Bryan Cones is managing editor. This article appears in the February 2011 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 76, No. 2, page 8).
..."It just means that the fullness of truth, as a dimension of the divine mystery, is beyond our human comprehension. Our salvation, after all, isn’t predicated on being right about everything all the time. In fact, thank God, we’re still saved even when we’re wrong. "
Bryan Cones is managing editor. This article appears in the February 2011 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 76, No. 2, page 8).
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Will Pope Benedict change his mind about women priests like he did about condoms? In Light of the World, his new book, Pope Benedict stated that even if the church wanted to ordain women, it could not! Does that mean he (sorta, maybe, wants to if it was alright with Jesus), but, insists he can't do it because Jesus only ordained the Twelve. So if we followed this line of reasoning, the Catholic Church would only ordain married Jewish males!
But, the good news is that even Vatican scholarship has indicated change is possible on the issue of women priests. The Pontifical Biblical Commission in 1976 concluded that there is nothing in scripture to prohibit women's ordination. Jesus did not ordain anyone, male or female. The priesthood as we know it emerged later in the church's history and there were women priests, deacons and bishops. (See Ute Eisen, Women Officeholders in the Early Church, and Gary Macy, The Hidden History of Women's Ordination, and Dorothy Irvin's archaelogical discoveries for the evidence.)
There are over 100 Roman Catholic Women Priests in Europe, Canada, the United States, and Latin America. TIME rated women priests #6th most popular religious story in 2010, the Huffington Post rated us #5 top story. Yes, indeed, the Holy Spirit is a'moving in the Catholic Church as we offer the church the gift of a renewed priestly ministry in a community of equals. You can view clips of our ordinations, liturgies in movies on youtube and read about our experiences and ministries in books such as Come by Here by Judy Lee, Living Gospel Equality Now by Bridget Mary Meehan and Women Find a Way (edited by Elsie McGrath, Bridget Mary Meehan and Ida Raming) now available in German!
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
6 comments:
"So if we followed this line of reasoning, the Catholic Church would only ordain married Jewish males! "
Same tired argument, and a poor one. The fact that the men selected were Jewish has more to do with geographic convenience than any sort of divine requisite that all bishops and priests be Jews or Jewish converts. Put simply, there weren't a lot of Chinese, Russian, African, North American (and so forth) men in the area for Him to name as Apostles. On the other hand, there were plenty of women around, including many among His followers that He chose not to name to the Apostleship.
The Pontifical Biblical Commission in 1976 concluded that there is nothing in scripture to prohibit women's ordination.
Pointless considering that since 1976 this issue has been clarified by the Holy Father (and reaffirmed by the prefect of the CDF, our current Pope) as being a teaching to be definitively held by all the faithful. Pope Paul VI also defended the male priesthood.
"Jesus did not ordain anyone, male or female."
Then your life's work to create an "inclusive priesthood" is in vain.
"The priesthood as we know it emerged later in the church's history and there were women priests, deacons and bishops."
Not an ounce of truth, especially when it comes to priests and bishops. The "deaconess" is not the same as the modern deacon.
"TIME rated women priests #6th most popular religious story in 2010, the Huffington Post rated us #5 top story."
Two agenda-driven periodicals. What is this supposed to mean anyway? Are we to determine our doctrines based upon what some liberal elites decide is important and newsworthy?
"Yes, indeed, the Holy Spirit is a'moving in the Catholic Church as we offer the church the gift of a renewed priestly ministry in a community of equals"
It might also be that the Holy Spirit is at work in defending the male priesthood. Have you given that possibility any thought, or are you and your movement the sole arbitrators of when the Holy Spirit is truly in action?
It might also be that the Holy Spirit is at work in defending the male priesthood. Have you given that possibility any thought, or are you and your movement the sole arbitrators of when the Holy Spirit is truly in action?
Have you given the opposite possibility any thought? Or do you just accept self-declared Authority as the sole arbitrators of when the Holy Spirit is truly in action?
"Have you given the opposite possibility any thought? Or do you just accept self-declared Authority as the sole arbitrators of when the Holy Spirit is truly in action?"
In my personal opinion, it seems unlikely that the Spirit would lead people into schism and away from Christ's Church and the Truth contained within. If the Spirit is indeed at work with this movement, then we will certainly find out in the future on the day of judgment. Until then, I think we should refrain from guessing and asserting when the Spirit is and is not at work.
Yet you somehow know that the Truth is contained within Christ's Church. How do you know that? How do you know it's not human error?
this makes me giggle:
"In my personal opinion, it seems unlikely that the Spirit would lead people into schism and away from Christ's Church and the Truth contained within"
so, dr. k, if you believe that to be true, then you should really throw Roman Catholicism (and any other christian tradition really) out the window, since it (RC) was defined and developed after the GREAT schism :-)
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