“Injustice cannot come infallibly from a just God.” by Judith A. Cox

Bishop Theodora, St. Praxedis,
Mary, Mother of Jesus in
St. Praxedis Church in Rome
(left to right)


Ordination of Roman Catholic Women
Priests in Sarasota, Florida


Women’s Value as Catholic Priests
On this Easter weekend, thoughts go to Jesus and all that transpired throughout his death and resurrection. In Ann Gray’s letter to the editor of 4-21-11, she states that Jesus ordained the twelve male apostles at the Last Supper and that is her argument that women cannot be priests. The next few days of His life prove otherwise. The twelve male apostles were in hiding through His suffering and death. They abandoned him. Who were the faithful disciples who followed Him to the cross and were with him when he died? Mary, his mother and the first person to bring into being the body and blood of Christ and Mary, the Magdalene, were with him through it all. Jesus rewarded Mary, the Magdalene, by allowing her to be the first to know of His resurrection. He then sent her to announce it to the twelve male apostles still in hiding. She has been called Apostle to the Apostles.
Yes, Jesus was very unusual in his time to value women and take them into his ministry. He sent the Samaritan woman to preach to her neighbors and welcomed Mary and Martha to listen to his words.
The best case that could be made for women in the Catholic priesthood, was written by Fr. Roy Bourgeois, a Maryknoll priest who has been threatened with eviction from his order and
excommunication from the Catholic Church because of his support of the Roman Catholic Womenpriest movement. He states the following:
(1) As Catholics, we believe that we were created in the image and likeness of God and that men and women are equal before God. Excluding women from the priesthood implies that men are superior to women.
(2) Catholic priests say that the call to be a priest is a gift and comes from God. How can we, as men, say: "Our call from God is authentic, but your call, as women, is not"? Who are we to reject God's call of women to the priesthood? I believe our Creator who is the Source of life and called forth the sun and stars is certainly capable of calling women to be priests.
(3) We are told that women cannot be priests because Jesus chose only men as apostles. As we know, Jesus did not ordain anyone. Jesus also chose a woman, Mary Magdalene, to be the first witness to His resurrection, which is at the core of our faith. Mary Magdalene became known as "the apostle to the apostles."
(4) A 1976 report by the Pontifical Biblical Commission, the Vatican's top Scripture scholars, concluded that there is no valid case to be made against the ordination of women from the Scriptures. In the Episcopal, Methodist, Lutheran, United Church of Christ, Presbyterian and other Christian churches, God's call of women to the priesthood is affirmed and women are ordained. Why not in the Catholic church?
(5) The Holy Scriptures remind us in Galatians 3:28, "There is neither male nor female. In Christ Jesus you are one." Furthermore, the Second Vatican Council's Pastoral Constitution on The Church in the Modern World states: "Every type of discrimination ... based on sex. .. is to be overcome and eradicated as contrary to God's intent.
His reasons are the best I have seen. If you agree with him, please write his superior
Rev. Edward Dougherty, M.M. Superior General Maryknoll Fathers & Brothers
P.O. Box 303 Maryknoll NY 10545 in support of his stand on women in the priesthood and his 44 years in the Maryknoll missions.
There are many groups who want the Catholic priesthood to be expanded for many different reasons. Hopefully, the faithful Catholic laity will demand that this happen and value the gifts that women have to give to the Catholic priesthood.
Judith A. Cox