Media Release:Women Priests Urge Pope Francis to: Embrace Women Honor Primacy of Conscience Condemn Violent Attack on Woman Priest in New York

For Immediate Release:

August 21, 2015

Women Priests Urge Pope Francis to:

Embrace Women

Honor Primacy of Conscience

Condemn Violent Attack on Woman Priest in New York

From: The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (ARCWP) See: www.arcwp.org

Contact: Janice Sevre-Duszynska, 859-684-4247, rhythmsofthedance1@gmail.com

Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan, 703-505-0004, sofiabmm@aol.com See bridgetmarys.blogspot.com

The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests offer our prayers and solidarity to our sister priests in Roman Catholic WomenPriests, another branch of our international women priest movement, after the attack Wednesday night in Queens, New York on Dr. Alexandra Dyer, an ordained RCWP.  We pray for her healing and that of her assailant.

http://nypost.com/2015/08/20/woman-priest-burned-in-liquid-attack-was-ambushed/

If the attack was motivated as a hate crime to defend the Vatican’s prohibition of women’s ordination, we call on Pope Francis to make a statement condemning all violence against us as faithful Catholic women priests and to affirm our primacy of conscience in living out our prophetic obedience to Spirit. Moreover, we urge him to take action by lifting our excommunications and all punishments against our movement and supporters.

Misogyny is a worldwide oozing wound. Everyday we hear of violence toward women who are challenging patriarchy within their religion, their homes and other aspects of society. Two-thirds of the world’s poor are women and their children.

By embracing women’s equality and voices, Pope Francis would begin the healing of Mother Earth and her children.

There are now 220 ordained in the international women priest movement in 10 countries and serving more than 60 inclusive Catholic communities in the US where all are welcome to receive sacraments including gays, lesbians, and transgender as well as divorced and remarried.

One in three US adults who were raised Catholics have left the church, according to Call to Action and other sources, citing disillusionment with the church’s treatment of women as one reason. 70% of US Catholics support women priests.

In response to the growth of our movement, ARCWP will be ordaining three bishops on September 24^th at Pendle Hill, PA as Pope Francis visits the US.