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To the Press!!
Dear Madam/Sir,
During the past few days, the press agencies kof Germany and Austria have extensively covered the ordination of the bishop in the Alm Valley and the ordination of women priests that is planned for 29 June 2002. In that context especially the name of Monsignor Romulo Braschi has often been mentioned.
So far no media person has approached Braschi personally. I have done so this morning. This is the outcome: Monsignor Braschi has asked me to send you his position regarding the events, to clear his good reputation.
This is what I will now do.
Mgr. Braschi was born in Argentina in 1942. In 1966 he was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in Buenos Aires. He was a member of the Marian Catholic religious Congregation. At the university he obtained the doctor’s degree in theology.
The unrest that happened during the dictatorship in Argentina, during which the Roman Catholic Church did not act against the military dictatorship in Argentina, Romulo Braschi got involved with the Basic Communities in the Catholic Church. “Only in 2000 did the Catholic Church publicly acknowledge its omissions and complicity during the military dictatorship in Argentina”, excerpt from one of Mgr. Braschi’s writings. Braschi took the side of ordinary people against the dictatorship. This brought him in conflict with the position of the Catholic Church at the time.
In the context of these disturbances in Argentina, he committed himself personally to the needs and concerns of people, and cooperated with the Charismatic Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ.
Mgr. Romulo Braschi received his episcopal ordination from Bishop Roberto Padin. His apostolic succession has been proved to our group by professionally vetted documents going back to the 15th century.
Another Roman Catholic bishop, the retired Roman Catholic Bishop Geronimo Podesta, ordained Mgr. Romulo Braschi in the apostolic succession on 30 January 1999. Podesta was appointed Roman Catholic bishop through a papal decree. He educated Roman Catholic clergy, was president of the Bishops’ Conference and Cardinal elect. As a respected ecclesiastical dignitary he decided he could no longer agree with the sexual morality of the Catholic Church with all its errors (celibacy, contraception, paedophilia) and, being the internationally respected person he was, he acknowledged his wife. During the ordination Podesta expressly formulated this task: that Mgr. Braschi should commit himself to the ordination of women and should himself ordain women.
Mgr. Romulo Braschi has devoted his whole life to the charismatic help of people. He works both for the spiritual, as well as the physical, wellbeing of each individual. He helps especially the sick, on whom he imposes hands and to whom he imparts healing through God’s power.
Until now he has been very circumspect and responsible regarding his apostolic succession. So far he has only ordained one woman to be priest.
The problems which the press accuses him of, are due to the fact that he refuses to ordain just anyone who wishes ordination. All accusations against Mgr. Braschi come from a group in Switzerland who wanted to force Mgr. Braschi to ordain them. Mgr. Braschi emphatically denies all allegations made against him. Nothing of the things published is true. When the group wanted to force him to ordain them, Mgr. Braschi replied: “I will only ordain competent, trained, conscious men and women, not freaks”.
Mgr. Braschi is one of the bishops with whom we have made contact in the context of the ordination of women priests. Mgr. Braschi has invited each one of us, who would like to receive ordination, to a personal discussion, in which he interrogated us regarding motivation, fitness, education and pastoral approach. He has consulted the committee of examination, academic theologians and university professors, to test the suitability of the candidates.
On account of his Catholic apostolic succession, which Mgr. Romulo Braschi received from two sources and which has been professionally proved, he fulfils the conditions to impart a valid sacramental ordination. Just like Bishop Hickman and other bishops, he stays in close contact with the group that wishes to be ordained. He is in consultation with us on which bishop whould ordain the women, or whether the bishops should decide with the women which bishop should ordain each of the women. For the handing on of power through ordination is also a process of communication, and it makes a difference how it is conducted. Mgr. Braschi fulfils all the selection criteria of our group: he is educated, sensitive and truly christian. His life style is not a norm for us. The sexual morality of the Catholic Church has shown itself to be absurd. We are not prepared to go along any further with the limits imposed by the Roman Catholic Church on account of a particular style of life, namely celibate, married, etc.
The allegations which have been spread by the Archbishops in Munich (Cardinal Wetter) and Vienna, derive from a dubious source. None of these critical persons has thought it important to speak to Mgr. Romulo Braschi as a human being. None of the Cardinals and Bishops in function have taken the trouble check on Mgr. Braschi’s apostolic succession. Instead of this, an individual in our midst has been condemned in a slanderous and unchristian manner, a manner with no respect for the human person. The official Church has thereby disqualified itself.
As human beings, the least we should give each other is consideration, listening to what the other person says, respect, and regard for unbiassed information. In his press release of last Friday Cardinal Wetter does an injustice not only against the man Romulo Braschi, but also against the press whom he calls ‘hords of press people’, presenting them as idiots. He ignores in this way every form of civility and respect, and takes up the position of a dictatorial enemy of people, nor has he the slightest regard for his fellow brothers and sisters. How different were Jesus’ words: “Come to me all you who are tired and burdened ....”! The hierarchy in the Catholic Church of Austria should ask themselves how far they are working for people, or against them - as dictators.
Dr. Gisela Forster
Spokesperson of the group of women to be ordained
Spokesperson of the group of women to be ordained
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