Like a deer caught in the headlights, Cardinal Sean O' Malley defended the indefensible, sexism in the Catholic Church, in the 60 Minutes Interview with Norah O'Donnell. From both his body language and his words, you could tell that he was uncomfortable. In the end, Cardinal Sean, trying to avoid further alienating Catholic women who make up at least half of the church, caved and said if he, not Christ, had founded the church, then he'd love to have women priests!..."if I were founding a church, you know, I'd love to have women priests. But Christ founded it and what he he has given us is something different."
According to O'Malley, gender discrimination is all Christ's fault! Yet, we know that the Jesus of history called both women and men to be his disciples and in the Christ of faith, there is radical spiritual equality."In Christ, there is no Jew or Greek, slave or citizen, male or female. All are one in Christ Jesus." Galations 3:28
How can Pope Francis say that" inequality is the root of social equality," when the Catholic Church continues to treat women as second class citizens by their official teaching prohibiting women's ordination? The Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement is calling the church to live prophetic obedience to the Spirit. In our inclusive communities, all are welcome to receive the sacraments. The hierarchy cannot continue to discriminate against women and blame God for it like Cardinal Sean O'Malley did on Sixty Minutes. It is a sin and a failure to follow Jesus' example of Gospel equality. Pope Francis and his friend, Cardinal O' Malley need to put this on the Pope's to do list of needed reforms!
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP, www.arcwp.org, sofiabmm@aol.com
Historical Perspective on the Development of Priestly Ministry:
In
the early Christian community, the entire community celebrated Eucharist in the
house churches as there is no evidence that anyone was ordained in that historic
period. The ministry of bishop and deacon preceded the ministry of priest. In
the first centuries of Christianity, Christians gathered to break bread in
remembrance of Jesus in each other's own homes. The one who presided was most
likely the man or woman who hosted the gathering. Priests as the cultic role
that the church teaches today started in the second century and blossomed in the
third century. Jesus was not a Jewish priest who served in the temple offering
sacrifice. In 1 Peter we read, "But you are a chosen race , a royal priesthood,
a holy people, God's own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts
of God who called you out of darkness into God's marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9.
Thus, according to this passage, the entire Christian community are priests.
Later the RC church referred to this as the priesthood of the
laity.
It was not until Cyprian that we have the concept of the bishop
presiding at Eucharist in the place of Jesus. But even Augustine refuses to call
bishops "priests" in the sense of being mediators between God and the
community. This also raises the issue of the importance of eliminating atonement
theology from our liturgies.
The
ministry of priest as assistant to the bishop only emerged after the church grew
and the bishop needed additional help in celebrating
Eucharist. . So, in light of Cardinal O' Malley's interview on Sixty Minutes
blaming Jesus for discriminating against women in the current official church
teaching on women priests, I think it is important to keep in mind as Margaret
Ralph from Lexington, KY, concludes "So although, the New Testament authors are
familiar with the concept of priesthood, they say not a word about there being
any ordained Christian priests who had a specific, sacral cultic role in the
first hundred plus years of Christianity. We have no evidence to support that
Jesus ordained anyone. Neither Jesus himself, the twelve, nor the apostles were
priests in either a Jewish or Christian context." Margaret Nutting Ralph,
Why the Catholic Church Must Change, p. 85
"Speaking
out on the most important clergy sexual abuse issue in the United States, Boston
Cardinal Sean O’Malley said the Vatican must do something quickly about Bishop
Robert Finn, the Kansas City prelate convicted of failing to report child abuse
by one of his priests.
Finn, convicted two years ago, was sentenced to two years of probation for waiting six months before telling police that diocesan officials had found pornographic images of young girls on the computer of the Rev. Shawn Ratigan, one of his parish priests.
Ratigan pleaded guilty to child pornography charges and was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison; Finn has remained the bishop of the diocese.
Speaking to CBS News, O’Malley agreed
that under the Catholic Church’s zero-tolerance policy, he wouldn’t let Finn
even teach Sunday school in Boston, let alone head a diocese.
“It’s a question the Holy See needs to address urgently …. There’s a recognition of that from Pope Francis,” O’Malley told 60 Minutes reporter Norah O’Donnell in an interview scheduled to air Sunday..."
Finn, convicted two years ago, was sentenced to two years of probation for waiting six months before telling police that diocesan officials had found pornographic images of young girls on the computer of the Rev. Shawn Ratigan, one of his parish priests.
Ratigan pleaded guilty to child pornography charges and was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison; Finn has remained the bishop of the diocese.
“It’s a question the Holy See needs to address urgently …. There’s a recognition of that from Pope Francis,” O’Malley told 60 Minutes reporter Norah O’Donnell in an interview scheduled to air Sunday..."
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