On the occasion of the 54th Commission on the Status of Women (March 1 - 12, 2010), members of St. Joan's International Alliance will gather in New York at the United Nations to represent the Alliance, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). Over 2,000 NGO reps from around the world are expected for this Commission, which will focus on "Beijing + 15."
Our caucus, "RELIGIONS (starting with our own) AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN" continues the many years' work of the Alliance in the League of Nations and the United Nations to end gender discrimination against women. When religions and society collude in discrimination, women (and their children) are deprived and endangered.
The caucus will be held on Wednesday, March 3 at 7 p.m. and Thursday, March 11 at 3 p.m. at the Presbyterian Conference Room in the Church Building. Outside the UN: Saturday, March 6, 10 a.m.
Speakers Rev. Gabriella Ward, Dr. Catherine Kroeger and Dr. Pat Burke ("Repression of Women in Scripture and in Society: Is There a Connection?")
Location: Pilgrim Church, 75 Hicks Street in Brooklyn Heights, where the voices of Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln still linger to encourage us.
Contact: Janice Sevre-Duszynska, (859-684-4247)
Dr. Dorothy Irvin (612-387-3784)
Living Gospel Inclusivity and Empowerment Now- https://bridgetmarys.blogspot.com/2025/10/rev-dr-bridget-mary-meehan-arcwp-chat.html
Friday, February 26, 2010
Excommunication, Coverups and Corruption in the Roman Catholic Church
A Reflection by Ken Chaison
"I don’t think that I am afraid of being excommunicated by a church where abuse of children was kept secret for decades, and where enablers, like Cardinal Law, have been promoted. Law was whisked off to Rome and given a prestigious post, probably to keep him out of the limelight, not to mention the grasp of any criminal proceedings which might have ensued. Of course there are no courts in the U.S. where bishops would be tried for conspiracy because prosecutors are elected in this country and politicians want the endorsement of the bishops to engender the ‘catholic’ vote. (At minimum, they don’t want the bishops to oppose them.)
Actually, I like to think that these men have excommunicated themselves in the eyes of God for their actions. And the pope, as pope, and in his prior position as “Defender of the Faith,” had a lot of power in selecting the enablers, probably knew about the abusers and ‘turned a blind eye’ for decades, so he is responsible too.
The Pope recently convened a summit of Irish bishops over 325 claims of abuse in Ireland. Some bishops there have resigned or offered to do so. There are thousands of claims in the U.S., but no summit here; no resignations here. A bishop in Canada also recently resigned over pornography – he did not even touch any kids.
But there is no outrage over the thousands of lives affected in the U.S. It is all very arbitrary and corrupt.If I were excommunicated, I think that I would have some T-shirts made up. “I have been excommunicate by the Pope….. Ask me about it.” It might start some lively conversations."
Ken kenchaison@yahoo.com
"I don’t think that I am afraid of being excommunicated by a church where abuse of children was kept secret for decades, and where enablers, like Cardinal Law, have been promoted. Law was whisked off to Rome and given a prestigious post, probably to keep him out of the limelight, not to mention the grasp of any criminal proceedings which might have ensued. Of course there are no courts in the U.S. where bishops would be tried for conspiracy because prosecutors are elected in this country and politicians want the endorsement of the bishops to engender the ‘catholic’ vote. (At minimum, they don’t want the bishops to oppose them.)
Actually, I like to think that these men have excommunicated themselves in the eyes of God for their actions. And the pope, as pope, and in his prior position as “Defender of the Faith,” had a lot of power in selecting the enablers, probably knew about the abusers and ‘turned a blind eye’ for decades, so he is responsible too.
The Pope recently convened a summit of Irish bishops over 325 claims of abuse in Ireland. Some bishops there have resigned or offered to do so. There are thousands of claims in the U.S., but no summit here; no resignations here. A bishop in Canada also recently resigned over pornography – he did not even touch any kids.
But there is no outrage over the thousands of lives affected in the U.S. It is all very arbitrary and corrupt.If I were excommunicated, I think that I would have some T-shirts made up. “I have been excommunicate by the Pope….. Ask me about it.” It might start some lively conversations."
Ken kenchaison@yahoo.com
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
A Reflection on the Sex Abuse Scandal in Ireland: Vatican Accountability and Spiritual Power
After reflecting on the articles, a few things are apparent to me.
1. The Murphy report of sex abuse by priests in the Archdiocese of Dublin connected the dots and held the Vatican accountable. It was not just criminal priests, bishops who hid the abuse, a criminal justice system that failed, but the Vatican itself who refused to answer questions of its role in the debacle that is like a cancer destroying the moral fiber of our church. These two articles below reach the conclusion that motivated the Irish bishops to travel to Rome. The bishops operated under orders from headquarters.
2. The U.S. media has largely ignored and/or under-reported the story of Vatican accountability. Why?
3. Radical Reform is needed in a church that punishes faithful Catholics like Roman Catholic Womenpriests with excommunication, but ignores or covers-up , from the top-down, the criminal behavior of pedophiles and and the bishops who shuffled them from parish to parish, country to country.
4. Ask yourself, what would Jesus, who had male and female disciples do? In the Gospel, he welcomes the children, gathers them in his arms and speaks out against harming them. What do you think Jesus would say to the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church today about the sex abuse scandal that has destroyed so many lives?
5. The greatest abuse is the abuse of spiritual power. The hierarchial model must be transformed to a discipleship of equals model where all are one and all united in God's love in mutual service. All of us are empowered by our baptism to live vibrant lives of faith united with God and one another. No one, not the bishop or pope, has the power to throw us out of the family! Excommunication does not cancel our baptism! We the people have the spiritual power we need to live holy, faithful lives in love with God and with others.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Justine Mc Carthy,"We can't have faith in a church with these leaders" http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article7034885.ece
"On May 29, 2008 he issued a decree that any woman attempting to be ordained a priest, or any bishop who assists her, would be excommunicated. The gravity with which the powers-that-be in Rome regard the outrage of a woman’s priestly vocation is reflected in the severity of the punishment. For priests who rape children, the worst possible punishment is defrocking, but a woman attempting to join the clerical club is denied the sacraments — including the last rites — and her eternal soul is damned. A Louisiana-born priest, Roy Bourgeois, was excommunicated in 2008 for participating in a “mock ordination” of a woman. "
and Marci A. Hamilton's article, "The Pieces of the Puzzle are Falling into Place: Catholic Officials, a Global Web of Childhood Sexual Abuse, and the Judgment of History"
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/hamilton/20100218.html
"Meanwhile, at the same time that the Irish bishops were demanding accountability from the Holy See, discovery in a Wisconsin case -- as I discussed in my last column -- showed that the Holy See and in particular, then-Cardinal Ratzinger (who, of course, is now the Pope) were the official handlers for abusing priests in the United States. The exchanges that litigation unearthed show that there is little question that bishops operated under orders from the highest levels of the Roman Catholic hierarchy on the issue of clergy who had been caught sexually abusing children. "
1. The Murphy report of sex abuse by priests in the Archdiocese of Dublin connected the dots and held the Vatican accountable. It was not just criminal priests, bishops who hid the abuse, a criminal justice system that failed, but the Vatican itself who refused to answer questions of its role in the debacle that is like a cancer destroying the moral fiber of our church. These two articles below reach the conclusion that motivated the Irish bishops to travel to Rome. The bishops operated under orders from headquarters.
2. The U.S. media has largely ignored and/or under-reported the story of Vatican accountability. Why?
3. Radical Reform is needed in a church that punishes faithful Catholics like Roman Catholic Womenpriests with excommunication, but ignores or covers-up , from the top-down, the criminal behavior of pedophiles and and the bishops who shuffled them from parish to parish, country to country.
4. Ask yourself, what would Jesus, who had male and female disciples do? In the Gospel, he welcomes the children, gathers them in his arms and speaks out against harming them. What do you think Jesus would say to the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church today about the sex abuse scandal that has destroyed so many lives?
5. The greatest abuse is the abuse of spiritual power. The hierarchial model must be transformed to a discipleship of equals model where all are one and all united in God's love in mutual service. All of us are empowered by our baptism to live vibrant lives of faith united with God and one another. No one, not the bishop or pope, has the power to throw us out of the family! Excommunication does not cancel our baptism! We the people have the spiritual power we need to live holy, faithful lives in love with God and with others.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Justine Mc Carthy,"We can't have faith in a church with these leaders" http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article7034885.ece
"On May 29, 2008 he issued a decree that any woman attempting to be ordained a priest, or any bishop who assists her, would be excommunicated. The gravity with which the powers-that-be in Rome regard the outrage of a woman’s priestly vocation is reflected in the severity of the punishment. For priests who rape children, the worst possible punishment is defrocking, but a woman attempting to join the clerical club is denied the sacraments — including the last rites — and her eternal soul is damned. A Louisiana-born priest, Roy Bourgeois, was excommunicated in 2008 for participating in a “mock ordination” of a woman. "
and Marci A. Hamilton's article, "The Pieces of the Puzzle are Falling into Place: Catholic Officials, a Global Web of Childhood Sexual Abuse, and the Judgment of History"
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/hamilton/20100218.html
"Meanwhile, at the same time that the Irish bishops were demanding accountability from the Holy See, discovery in a Wisconsin case -- as I discussed in my last column -- showed that the Holy See and in particular, then-Cardinal Ratzinger (who, of course, is now the Pope) were the official handlers for abusing priests in the United States. The exchanges that litigation unearthed show that there is little question that bishops operated under orders from the highest levels of the Roman Catholic hierarchy on the issue of clergy who had been caught sexually abusing children. "
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Article on Irish Sex Abuse Scandal : Oath of Secrecy Required of Victims by Vatican
The Sunday Times
February 21, 2010
Justine McCarthy: We can’t have faith in a church with these leaders
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article7034885.ece
For the people who run the Vatican these days to present themselves as unaligned and uncontaminated watchdogs patrolling the safety of the faithful in Ireland against the criminal negligence of the bishops is redolent of the days when the IRA and Sinn Fein protested that they were two separate and distinct organisations. The catalyst for 24 Irish bishops travelling to Rome last week was, supposedly, Judge Yvonne Murphy’s exposure of a cover-up of child sexual abuse by priests. Inherently salient to that cover-up was a Vatican document entitled Crimen Sollicitationis, which deals with the sin of soliciting in the confessional and extends its jurisdiction to the “worst crime” of child sexual abuse in a small paragraph at the back of the document. It rules that anyone making an accusation against a priest must take an oath of secrecy, as Marie Collins, who was abused by a priest in Crumlin children’s hospital, has attested happened to her.
When the Murphy Commission wrote to the CDF in September 2006, the year after Levada’s appointment as prefect by Benedict, it requested information about the promulgation of Crimen Sollicitationis. The CDF did not reply. It wrote instead to the Department of Foreign Affairs, bleating that the commission was flouting diplomatic protocols, despite the commission being independent of the government. "
justine.mccarthy@sunday-times.ie
February 21, 2010
Justine McCarthy: We can’t have faith in a church with these leaders
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article7034885.ece
For the people who run the Vatican these days to present themselves as unaligned and uncontaminated watchdogs patrolling the safety of the faithful in Ireland against the criminal negligence of the bishops is redolent of the days when the IRA and Sinn Fein protested that they were two separate and distinct organisations. The catalyst for 24 Irish bishops travelling to Rome last week was, supposedly, Judge Yvonne Murphy’s exposure of a cover-up of child sexual abuse by priests. Inherently salient to that cover-up was a Vatican document entitled Crimen Sollicitationis, which deals with the sin of soliciting in the confessional and extends its jurisdiction to the “worst crime” of child sexual abuse in a small paragraph at the back of the document. It rules that anyone making an accusation against a priest must take an oath of secrecy, as Marie Collins, who was abused by a priest in Crumlin children’s hospital, has attested happened to her.
When the Murphy Commission wrote to the CDF in September 2006, the year after Levada’s appointment as prefect by Benedict, it requested information about the promulgation of Crimen Sollicitationis. The CDF did not reply. It wrote instead to the Department of Foreign Affairs, bleating that the commission was flouting diplomatic protocols, despite the commission being independent of the government. "
justine.mccarthy@sunday-times.ie
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Fr. Roy Bourgeois: Breaking Silence on Women's Ordination: Addresses Abuse of Power by Hierarchy, Makes Case for Women Priests /Florida
Fr. Roy Bourgeois addresses issue of Sexism/Justice
for women called to priesthood
in Roman Catholic Church. (See clips below)
Maryknoll priest, Fr. Roy Bourgeois Makes Case for Women Priests, Addresses Abuse of Power by Hierarchy to large gathering in Sarasota, Florida on Feb. 20, 2010, See clips of Fr. Roy's presentation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7aSqhVcaLs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBNrGBN2v98
Maryknoll priest, Fr. Roy Bourgeois Makes Case for Women Priests, Addresses Abuse of Power by Hierarchy to large gathering in Sarasota, Florida on Feb. 20, 2010, See clips of Fr. Roy's presentation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7aSqhVcaLs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBNrGBN2v98
Fr. Roy Bourgeois Breaks Silence on Women's Ordination, Challenges Hierarchy, Affirms Women Priests' Movement/Sarasota, Florida.
Maryknoll priest, Fr. Roy Bourgeois spoke to over 150 people in Sarasota, Florida on Feb. 20, 2010 at St. Andrew United Church of Christ. A soft-spoken gentle presence, Fr. Roy humbly shared the story of his journey from serving in Vietnam to serving as a Maryknoll priest in Bolivia. He was shocked by the poverty that he saw there and became aware that the U.S. government was supporting the institutions that propped up dictatorships and impoverished the majority of the people in South America. The United States military trained Latin American soldiers who engaged in torture techniques and death squads in their home countried. Fr. Roy started the School of the Americas Watch to close this facility located in Ft. Benning, Georgia. In 2010, Fr. Roy has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work that has brought thousands of supporters to work for the closure of this facility.
On Aug. 9, 2008, Fr. Roy attended the ordination of a woman priest, Janice Sevre Duszynska in lexington, Kentucky. The Vatican responded immediately by demanding that he recant or be automatically excommunicated. The Maryknoll Community continues to support Fr. Roy and he receives numerous requests to speak to supporters of women priests.
In his presentation, Fr. Roy Bourgeois made a powerful case for women priests, citing Jesus example and the early tradition of women in ordained ministry in our church. Citing patriarchy as the problem, Fr. Roy pointed out that there have been 12,000 reported cases of sex abuse by RC clergy in the U.S. Not one priest or bishop who covered up this abuse was excommunicated. Yet, women who are ordained and those who attend their ordinations are excommunicated. "This is the real scandal," Fr. Roy said sadly, and he raised the keynote issue of his presentation: "Who are we to say that God is not calling women to serve as priests?" One could hear a pin drop in the church!
Fr. Roy challenged the bullying methods of intimidation that the bishops are using to instill fear in the hearts of the faithful. Some Catholics, he noted, are afraid of even being seen at his talks in case they might lose their jobs if they are reported to the diocese! This abuse of power that is rooted in patriarchy. Like racism, sexism in the church must be resisted and changed.
Concluding on a positive note, Fr. Roy said that no threat, not even excommunication, will stop the movement for justice for women in the church. Yes, indeed, the Spirit is a'moving in our midst and women priests are here to stay, even if the hierarchy doesn't like it!
www.romancatholicwomenpriests.org
Dr.Dorothy Irvin presents Levi Award offered by The Minnesota St. Joan's Community together with Lydia's Gathering to Courageous Catholics, Witnesses for Justice and Equality for Women in the Church.
Dr. Dorothy Irvin, Roman Catholic, theologian and archaeologist, explained that Levi was one of the apostles. She stated that in the Gospel of Mary, Levi stood up for Mary Magdalene when she was attacked by Peter.
Dr.Dorothy Irvin presents Levi Award offered by The Minnesota St. Joan's Community together with Lydia's Gathering to Courageous Catholics, Witnesses for Justice and Equality for Women in the Church.
Dr. Dorothy Irvin, Roman Catholic, theologian and archaeologist, explained that Levi was one of the apostles. She stated that in the Gospel of Mary, Levi stood up for Mary Magdalene when she was attacked by Peter.
The Levi award is presented to individuals who have been punished for their courage in standing up for justice for women in the church. The first recepient was Fr. Roy Bourgeois whose attendance at a woman priest ordination resulted in an automatic excommunication from the Vatican.
On Feb. 20, 2010, Dr. Irvin presented the Levi Award to Sister Louise Akers who was prohibited from teaching in any organization, including parishes, directly related to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The second recepient of the Levi Award was Ruth Kolpack who was fired by Bishop Morlino from the pastoral position that she held for 26 years at St. Thomas Parish in Wisconsin.
This prestigous award was presented to both these women for their courageous witness to Gospel equality.
Since, neither of these women could be present, Jack and Helen Duffy, leaders in the Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community, accepted the award on their behalf. http://www.lydiasgathering.org/
http://www.romancatholicwomenpriests.org/
http://www.marymotherofjesus.org/
Brief Clip introducing award: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps00oe54Ec0
http://www.romancatholicwomenpriests.org/
http://www.marymotherofjesus.org/
Brief Clip introducing award: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps00oe54Ec0
Saturday, February 20, 2010
"The Pieces of the Puzzle Are Falling into Place: Catholic Officials, a Global Web of Childhood Sexual Abuse, and the Judgment of History"
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/hamilton/20100218.html
The Pieces of the Puzzle Are Falling into Place: Catholic Officials, a Global Web of Childhood Sexual Abuse, and the Judgment of History
By MARCI A. HAMILTON
Thursday, February 18, 2010
In 2002, the Boston Globe broke the story of Cardinal Bernard Law's cover-up of widespread childhood sexual abuse by serial pedophiles in the Boston Archdiocese. In the wake of the coverage, United States Senator Rick Santorum, himself a Catholic, declared what many assumed to be true -- that the problem was peculiar to Boston. According to Santorum, the child sexual abuse had been caused by the lax morals of a very liberal city.
Santorum's particular theory was laughable, but his core assumption that the problem was geographically limited needs to be examined carefully – for although this claim of exceptionalism has proved completely false, it has continued to be repeated, in other contexts, all over the country and the world. And as long as the problem of Catholic clergy child sex abuse is seen as local, ending it will be elusive – because strings are being pulled from high up in the hierarchy.
Pretending Each City's – and Diocese's – Problems Were Specific to It AloneYet, in 2002 and after, the media still covered the Boston story as if it were distinctive to Boston. And, after the Boston scandal broke, the Bishops held an emergency meeting in Dallas and declared that the issue was behind them. Of course, today we know that was hardly the case.
After the Boston situation received publicity, victims of child sex abuse by Catholic priests started coming forward in many other American cities, with the pattern of abuse and cover-up repeating itself again and again. There is no room here to list them all, but they have included Bridgeport (Conn.), Chicago, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Portland, San Diego, and Spokane. There were recycling bins for the abusers in New Mexico, Maryland, and Canada. A priest could abuse several children in just about any state, take a break in New Mexico (where more children could be abused), and then be sent back to either the original diocese for re-posting, or another city. A handful of honorable prosecutors made the issue a priority, documenting the problem through grand jury reports -- but only a handful. The assumption continued to be that this must be a localized problem in certain dioceses, not one that was endemic to the organization – that is, entrenched throughout the entire Catholic hierarchy and system.
The media in each city focused on the abuse in that city, and the bishops in each city said, after some abuse was finally brought to light, that it was all history now.
The Growing Realization that the Problem Was – and Is -- Greater and More GeneralThen the list of dioceses with sexual abuse allegations grew longer and longer -- to the point that no state was untouched. Priests started to complain that the "scandal" had started to taint all priests unfairly. Many lifelong – and especially, older -- Catholics rejected out of hand the notion that the problem was deep-seated, or that it might involve the entirety of the Church. For them, this was a short-term bump in the long history of the Catholic Church. Some, though, saw the pattern and formed the Voice of the Faithful -- a collection of devoted Catholics who see the child sex abuse scandal as having revealed an unfortunately built-in problem, not just an isolated set of criminal and tortious acts.
Editors began to treat the stories of abuse, though, as simply redundant, and often caved to the pressure from bishops not to engage in alleged "anti-Catholic bias" by covering one story after another about abuse by priests. The bishops hired public relations firms to spread the word that legislative reform in response to the knowledge of priest abuse was nothing but anti-Catholicism, and to repeat the false claim that all of the abuse had been publicly reported and was safely in the past.
However, lawsuits were filed in numerous jurisdictions, and discovery was demanded, with concomitant news coverage of the lengthening list of abuse allegations. The ambitious American bishops then began to vie among themselves as to who would be the most successful in turning back lawsuits and related legislative reform. Once again, there was an apparent pattern of behavior in response to the public revelations and the lawsuits. The very same arguments against the victims, their attorneys, and legislative reform in this area were floated in far-flung states -- from California, to Delaware, to Wisconsin, and more.
A Problem that Crossed Not Just State, But National Boundaries
Still, the media treated the cases as location-specific. Editors were driven by the need for a contemporary and local "news hook" and did not invest in investigative reporting to cover the (much) larger story. National coverage of the Holy See's 1962 document, Crimens Solicitationes, which threatens excommunication for bringing "scandal" to the Church by telling outsiders about the sexual abuse of children was – and remains -- sparse. Yet that document provides an embarrassingly obvious hint that the problem was – and is -- endemic and entrenched, and that the cover-up has been constructed from the top down. Was the media in denial over child sex abuse (which is common in our society) or over heinous behavior by the largest church in the United States -- or both? Who knows? Either way, the denial was deep-rooted and pernicious, and unless one has been watching closely, the larger story has escaped the attention of most Americans.
The stories then started to float across the Atlantic from Ireland that many priests there had sexually abused Irish children. Lots and lots of children. Irish prosecutors dug deep and produced two reports. One report detailed how the Irish Church had victimized numerous children in church-run residential schools. Horrifying in itself, the report also served as a reminder of the many stories from Australia – stories that were never widely circulated in the United States -- of the omnipresent sexual and physical abuse of children in church-run residential schools there. The second report, which was 700 pages long and dubbed the "Murphy Report," and focused on the Dublin Archdiocese, painstakingly established that the hierarchy and the police had covered up persistent patterns of abuse. It also pointed to the Holy See as responsible in part for the perpetuation of abuse.
In the end, some Irish bishops were held accountable, with four even resigning after being shamed out of their offices. Then, the current Irish bishops demanded a meeting with the Pope, because they placed significant blame for the pattern of behavior on the Holy See. That meeting took place this week at the Holy See.
The Murphy Report also confirmed that Irish abusers were being shipped to the United States, where they abused American children. Some were sent back and some were permanently dumped here.
Meanwhile, at the same time that the Irish bishops were demanding accountability from the Holy See, discovery in a Wisconsin case -- as I discussed in my last column -- showed that the Holy See and in particular, then-Cardinal Ratzinger (who, of course, is now the Pope) were the official handlers for abusing priests in the United States. The exchanges that litigation unearthed show that there is little question that bishops operated under orders from the highest levels of the Roman Catholic hierarchy on the issue of clergy who had been caught sexually abusing children.
Thus, we have come to know with a certainty that at a minimum, Ireland, the United States, and the Holy See have been linked. And only the Holy See has transnational powers within the group.
Even while all of this information was developing, moreover, there was still a pervasive belief that certain clerical orders were beyond reproach on the issue, especially the widely-respected Jesuits. The lawsuits against the Jesuits for abuse in Alaska were not covered nationally in the media. Then, Germany erupted with stories of pervasive abuse in Jesuit-run schools. The sex-abuse victims are still coming forward, but one rector was recently quoted as saying that he expected that, in the end, they would identify over 100 victims of a single Jesuit perpetrator. And abuse is not limited to this one perpetrator; once again, it is pervasive. In other words, the situation in Germany is a mirror image of that depicted in the first Irish report and of the Australian experience with church-run residential schools. There is an undeniable pattern and web of connections, even for those who would do all that they can to deny child sex abuse and deny wrongdoing by the Roman Catholic Church. That pattern has led to suffering that is beyond human imagination.
Let's face it: there are only two options here: Either the repeated pattern of abuse and cover-up around the world constitutes a giant set of uncanny coincidences, or there is a single source of power directly responsible for the global pattern. The answer is obvious and that is why there are lawsuits currently pending against the Holy See in the United States. History will judge all of us if we do not bring this institution to account for the suffering of children. The Church officials' current behavior makes the selling of indulgences in the fifteenth century almost look quaint.
Marci Hamilton, a FindLaw columnist, is the Paul R. Verkuil Chair in Public Law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and author of Justice Denied: What America Must Do to Protect Its Children (Cambridge 2008). A review of Justice Denied appeared on this site on June 25, 2008. Her previous book is God vs. the Gavel: Religion and the Rule of Law (Cambridge University Press 2005), now available in paperback. Her email is hamilton02@aol.com. In the interest of full disclosure, she represents clergy abuse victims and other victims of childhood sexual abuse on constitutional and federal statutory issues, including one who is currently in litigation against the Holy See..
The Pieces of the Puzzle Are Falling into Place: Catholic Officials, a Global Web of Childhood Sexual Abuse, and the Judgment of History
By MARCI A. HAMILTON
Thursday, February 18, 2010
In 2002, the Boston Globe broke the story of Cardinal Bernard Law's cover-up of widespread childhood sexual abuse by serial pedophiles in the Boston Archdiocese. In the wake of the coverage, United States Senator Rick Santorum, himself a Catholic, declared what many assumed to be true -- that the problem was peculiar to Boston. According to Santorum, the child sexual abuse had been caused by the lax morals of a very liberal city.
Santorum's particular theory was laughable, but his core assumption that the problem was geographically limited needs to be examined carefully – for although this claim of exceptionalism has proved completely false, it has continued to be repeated, in other contexts, all over the country and the world. And as long as the problem of Catholic clergy child sex abuse is seen as local, ending it will be elusive – because strings are being pulled from high up in the hierarchy.
Pretending Each City's – and Diocese's – Problems Were Specific to It AloneYet, in 2002 and after, the media still covered the Boston story as if it were distinctive to Boston. And, after the Boston scandal broke, the Bishops held an emergency meeting in Dallas and declared that the issue was behind them. Of course, today we know that was hardly the case.
After the Boston situation received publicity, victims of child sex abuse by Catholic priests started coming forward in many other American cities, with the pattern of abuse and cover-up repeating itself again and again. There is no room here to list them all, but they have included Bridgeport (Conn.), Chicago, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Portland, San Diego, and Spokane. There were recycling bins for the abusers in New Mexico, Maryland, and Canada. A priest could abuse several children in just about any state, take a break in New Mexico (where more children could be abused), and then be sent back to either the original diocese for re-posting, or another city. A handful of honorable prosecutors made the issue a priority, documenting the problem through grand jury reports -- but only a handful. The assumption continued to be that this must be a localized problem in certain dioceses, not one that was endemic to the organization – that is, entrenched throughout the entire Catholic hierarchy and system.
The media in each city focused on the abuse in that city, and the bishops in each city said, after some abuse was finally brought to light, that it was all history now.
The Growing Realization that the Problem Was – and Is -- Greater and More GeneralThen the list of dioceses with sexual abuse allegations grew longer and longer -- to the point that no state was untouched. Priests started to complain that the "scandal" had started to taint all priests unfairly. Many lifelong – and especially, older -- Catholics rejected out of hand the notion that the problem was deep-seated, or that it might involve the entirety of the Church. For them, this was a short-term bump in the long history of the Catholic Church. Some, though, saw the pattern and formed the Voice of the Faithful -- a collection of devoted Catholics who see the child sex abuse scandal as having revealed an unfortunately built-in problem, not just an isolated set of criminal and tortious acts.
Editors began to treat the stories of abuse, though, as simply redundant, and often caved to the pressure from bishops not to engage in alleged "anti-Catholic bias" by covering one story after another about abuse by priests. The bishops hired public relations firms to spread the word that legislative reform in response to the knowledge of priest abuse was nothing but anti-Catholicism, and to repeat the false claim that all of the abuse had been publicly reported and was safely in the past.
However, lawsuits were filed in numerous jurisdictions, and discovery was demanded, with concomitant news coverage of the lengthening list of abuse allegations. The ambitious American bishops then began to vie among themselves as to who would be the most successful in turning back lawsuits and related legislative reform. Once again, there was an apparent pattern of behavior in response to the public revelations and the lawsuits. The very same arguments against the victims, their attorneys, and legislative reform in this area were floated in far-flung states -- from California, to Delaware, to Wisconsin, and more.
A Problem that Crossed Not Just State, But National Boundaries
Still, the media treated the cases as location-specific. Editors were driven by the need for a contemporary and local "news hook" and did not invest in investigative reporting to cover the (much) larger story. National coverage of the Holy See's 1962 document, Crimens Solicitationes, which threatens excommunication for bringing "scandal" to the Church by telling outsiders about the sexual abuse of children was – and remains -- sparse. Yet that document provides an embarrassingly obvious hint that the problem was – and is -- endemic and entrenched, and that the cover-up has been constructed from the top down. Was the media in denial over child sex abuse (which is common in our society) or over heinous behavior by the largest church in the United States -- or both? Who knows? Either way, the denial was deep-rooted and pernicious, and unless one has been watching closely, the larger story has escaped the attention of most Americans.
The stories then started to float across the Atlantic from Ireland that many priests there had sexually abused Irish children. Lots and lots of children. Irish prosecutors dug deep and produced two reports. One report detailed how the Irish Church had victimized numerous children in church-run residential schools. Horrifying in itself, the report also served as a reminder of the many stories from Australia – stories that were never widely circulated in the United States -- of the omnipresent sexual and physical abuse of children in church-run residential schools there. The second report, which was 700 pages long and dubbed the "Murphy Report," and focused on the Dublin Archdiocese, painstakingly established that the hierarchy and the police had covered up persistent patterns of abuse. It also pointed to the Holy See as responsible in part for the perpetuation of abuse.
In the end, some Irish bishops were held accountable, with four even resigning after being shamed out of their offices. Then, the current Irish bishops demanded a meeting with the Pope, because they placed significant blame for the pattern of behavior on the Holy See. That meeting took place this week at the Holy See.
The Murphy Report also confirmed that Irish abusers were being shipped to the United States, where they abused American children. Some were sent back and some were permanently dumped here.
Meanwhile, at the same time that the Irish bishops were demanding accountability from the Holy See, discovery in a Wisconsin case -- as I discussed in my last column -- showed that the Holy See and in particular, then-Cardinal Ratzinger (who, of course, is now the Pope) were the official handlers for abusing priests in the United States. The exchanges that litigation unearthed show that there is little question that bishops operated under orders from the highest levels of the Roman Catholic hierarchy on the issue of clergy who had been caught sexually abusing children.
Thus, we have come to know with a certainty that at a minimum, Ireland, the United States, and the Holy See have been linked. And only the Holy See has transnational powers within the group.
Even while all of this information was developing, moreover, there was still a pervasive belief that certain clerical orders were beyond reproach on the issue, especially the widely-respected Jesuits. The lawsuits against the Jesuits for abuse in Alaska were not covered nationally in the media. Then, Germany erupted with stories of pervasive abuse in Jesuit-run schools. The sex-abuse victims are still coming forward, but one rector was recently quoted as saying that he expected that, in the end, they would identify over 100 victims of a single Jesuit perpetrator. And abuse is not limited to this one perpetrator; once again, it is pervasive. In other words, the situation in Germany is a mirror image of that depicted in the first Irish report and of the Australian experience with church-run residential schools. There is an undeniable pattern and web of connections, even for those who would do all that they can to deny child sex abuse and deny wrongdoing by the Roman Catholic Church. That pattern has led to suffering that is beyond human imagination.
Let's face it: there are only two options here: Either the repeated pattern of abuse and cover-up around the world constitutes a giant set of uncanny coincidences, or there is a single source of power directly responsible for the global pattern. The answer is obvious and that is why there are lawsuits currently pending against the Holy See in the United States. History will judge all of us if we do not bring this institution to account for the suffering of children. The Church officials' current behavior makes the selling of indulgences in the fifteenth century almost look quaint.
Marci Hamilton, a FindLaw columnist, is the Paul R. Verkuil Chair in Public Law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and author of Justice Denied: What America Must Do to Protect Its Children (Cambridge 2008). A review of Justice Denied appeared on this site on June 25, 2008. Her previous book is God vs. the Gavel: Religion and the Rule of Law (Cambridge University Press 2005), now available in paperback. Her email is hamilton02@aol.com. In the interest of full disclosure, she represents clergy abuse victims and other victims of childhood sexual abuse on constitutional and federal statutory issues, including one who is currently in litigation against the Holy See..
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Roman Catholic Womenpriests: "What the World Needs Now is a New St. Patrick" by David Gibson How about St. Brigit too!
"At this point in the Catholic Church's long-running saga of the sexual abuse of children by priests there are few surprises and fewer heroes. The two-day "summit" in the Vatican that wrapped up on Tuesday brought the bishops of Ireland together to meet with Pope Benedict XVI to discuss the issue, much as leaders of the American hierarchy were summoned to Rome for an overnight palaver with Pope John Paul II in 2002. "
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
What the church needs now is a new St Patrick and St. Brigit!
How about a renewed church, rooted in partnership and equality that is Christ-centered, Spirit-led and justice oriented! Perhaps, a modern day verison of the the early Celtic model of St. Brigit of Kildare where women and men, celibate and married, lived side by side in a double monastery and raised their children in Christian Community. The church in Ireland needs a vibrant transformation that is rooted in Celtic spirituality. Some of this treasury includes a celebration of creativity, poetry, hospitality to the stranger, a warm welcome to all who cross our path, service to the poor, connectedness to earth and living beings, equal partnership between women and men, a mystical sense of communion with life and a dynamic embrace of a loving God who is very fond of us and the communion of saints as family members.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Roman Catholic Womenpriests: Vatican Warns Supporters of Women Priests
Sarasota, FL, United States (AHN) - The Vatican has threatened to excommunicate Catholics who support the ordination of the first women priests and deacon in Florida by an excommunicated former nun. http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7017834179
Response by Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan
First clarification I am not a former nun. While I belonged to a canonical community for ten years, the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters (Philadelphia) I now am a Sister for Christian Community which is an independent order of Sisters whose charism is to build Christian community wherever we are and to celebrate all people as God's family. Our prayer is "that all may be one".
Second clarification: We did not receive a letter from the Vatican or from our local bishop before these ordinations as this all headline news article seems to imply.
The good news is that Catholics are not afraid of excommunication!
Pat Ferkenhoff, a member of a local parish in Sarasota, Florida, was quoted in the Herald Tribune article as saying: "Well, I'm not going to get my hed chopped off or be burned at the stake." ( Church Disapproval doesn't deter crowd", Herald Tribune, by Anna Scott, Feb.7, 2010)
An atmosphere of joy permeated the jam-packed church with over 250 supporters of Roman Catholic Womenpriests for the ordinations of three women in Florida despite Bishop Frank Dewane's excommuniation decree. (See pictures and articles below on blog)
Actually, the bishop's threat (Sarasota Herald Tribune article reported by Anna Scott on Feb. 6th, 2010) increased our attendance. Several people told us they came to be in solidarity with the women being ordained and to support our justice movement for women in a renewed priestly ministry in our church. The people of God seem to regard this punishment as a badge of honor.
It is ironic and sad to read about the meeting of the Irish bishops with Pope Benedict this week. None of the Irish bishops were fired for their handling of the horrific pedophilia crisis. Not one bishop in Ireland or elsewhere has been excommunicated for their handling of the pedophilia crisis which has destroyed lives of Catholic children! Yet, the Vatican threatens faithful Catholics who support Roman Catholic Womenpriests with excommunication. I believe Jesus would weep ! In this Lenten season, our church needs major reform and renewal.
The Vatican has a long history of excommunicating, interdicting and punishing people in one century and canonizing them in another century. Pope Benedict canonized Mother Theodore Guerin, an excommunicated nun in 2005, and will canonize Mother Mary MacKillop, another excommunicated nun in 2010. Mary Ward, a foundress of a religious order modelled on the Jesuits, was villified by church authorities. She was imprisoned at one point, and recently has been declared Venerable, a step on the path to sainthood. One, of course, cannot forget St. Joan of Arc, patron of France, who rejected giving assent to church authorities and followed her conscience. She was burned at the stake and later declared a saint! St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the church's greatest theologians, was excommunicated after his death!
So, the supporters of Roman Catholic Womenpriests who attended the Florida ordinations are in good company, and perhaps even on a fast tract to Sainthood! We are not leaving the church. We are leading the church into a new era of justice and equality for women in the church, reclaiming our twelve-hundred year heritage of women deacons, priests and bishops, and following Jesus' example of Gospel equality.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Bishop serving Southern region
Roman Catholic Womenpriests reject the automatic excommunication issued by the Vatican.
http://www.romancatholicwomenpriests.org/
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Roman Catholic Womenpriests Ordinations in Florida: Links to Gallery Pictures
http://picasaweb.google.com/here.in.faith/SarasotaOrdinationsFeb62010?authkey=Gv1sRgCKStx4XPjMmhyQE&feat=directlink#
Permission to use with note below:
Hello! I was at the Sarasota ordinations... Feel free to forward the link in any way you think is appropriate and to use the photos as you'd like.http://bit.ly/cX2cffDeborah WinarskiChicago, IL=
Other Gallery:
http://spotted.heraldtribune.com/galleries/index.php?id=323733
Permission to use with note below:
Hello! I was at the Sarasota ordinations... Feel free to forward the link in any way you think is appropriate and to use the photos as you'd like.http://bit.ly/cX2cffDeborah WinarskiChicago, IL=
Other Gallery:
http://spotted.heraldtribune.com/galleries/index.php?id=323733
Catholic Priest Breaks Silence on Women's Ordination
Catholic Priest Breaks Silence on Women’s Ordination
Release date: February 16, 2010
Media Contacts: Fr. Roy Bourgeois at 706-570-5359
Janice Sevre-Duszynska at 859-684-4247, rhythmsofthedance@msn.com
Bridget Mary Meehan at 941-955-2313, 703-505-0004, sofiabmm@aol.com
Visit: http://www.romancatholicwomenpriests.org/ and http://www.bridgetmarys.blogspot.com/
On Saturday, February 20, 2010, Father Roy Bourgeois, Maryknoll priest of 38 years, founder of the School of the Americas Watch and Nobel Peace Prize nominee will speak in support of women’s ordination and the Roman Catholic Womenpriests movement. The presentation will take place from 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. at St. Andrew United Church of Christ, 6908 Beneva Road in Sarasota, FL 34238. The event is sponsored by Mary, Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community and is part of a national tour. "Sexism is a sin," said Fr. Roy Bourgeois in an August 2008 homily at the ordination of Janice Sevre-Duszynska in Lexington, KY. "No matter how hard we may try to justify discrimination, in the end, it is always wrong and immoral." Bourgeois, a Roman Catholic priest, is facing excommunication for his public support of women’s ordination and the Roman Catholic Womenpriests movement. "The hierarchy will say, it is the tradition of the church not to ordain women," Bourgeois continued. "I grew up in a small town in Louisiana and often heard, ‘It is the tradition of the South to have segregated schools.’ It was also ‘the tradition’ in our Catholic church to have the Black members seated in the last five pews of the church. Our Church leaders at the Vatican tell us that women cannot be ordained . With all due respect, I believe our Catholic Church’s teaching on this issue is wrong and does not stand up to scrutiny." In addition to his religious work, Bourgeois is the founder of the School of the Americas (SOA) Watch, and is internationally known for his work to end U.S. government–funded training of Latin American soldiers in torture techniques. Fr. Roy and SOA Watch were recently nominated for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize by the American Friends Service Committee. In 1994 Pope John Paul II issued an apostolic letter Ordination Sacerdotalis which states that Catholics may not even speak about women’s ordination. Fr. Roy is breaking this glass ceiling on his national tour. Bridget Mary Meehan, Roman Catholic Woman bishop of the Southern Region and pastor of Mary, Mother of Jesus Catholic Community, said, "Women served as deacons, priests and bishops in the early Church. Roman Catholic Womenpriests are leading the Church into a new era of renewal by reclaiming our ancient tradition of women as disciples and equals." Bourgeois and Dorothy Irvin, archaeologist and theologian known for her work on women priests in the Early Christian tradition, will present the Levi Award in absentia to Ruth Kolpack and Sr. Louise Akers. Established by the Minnesota-based Lydia’s Gathering Foundation, the Levi Award recognizes Catholics dismissed from employment or excommunicated by the Church for supporting women’s equality. For more information, contact Dorothy Irvin at 612-387-3784.
Release date: February 16, 2010
Media Contacts: Fr. Roy Bourgeois at 706-570-5359
Janice Sevre-Duszynska at 859-684-4247, rhythmsofthedance@msn.com
Bridget Mary Meehan at 941-955-2313, 703-505-0004, sofiabmm@aol.com
Visit: http://www.romancatholicwomenpriests.org/ and http://www.bridgetmarys.blogspot.com/
On Saturday, February 20, 2010, Father Roy Bourgeois, Maryknoll priest of 38 years, founder of the School of the Americas Watch and Nobel Peace Prize nominee will speak in support of women’s ordination and the Roman Catholic Womenpriests movement. The presentation will take place from 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. at St. Andrew United Church of Christ, 6908 Beneva Road in Sarasota, FL 34238. The event is sponsored by Mary, Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community and is part of a national tour. "Sexism is a sin," said Fr. Roy Bourgeois in an August 2008 homily at the ordination of Janice Sevre-Duszynska in Lexington, KY. "No matter how hard we may try to justify discrimination, in the end, it is always wrong and immoral." Bourgeois, a Roman Catholic priest, is facing excommunication for his public support of women’s ordination and the Roman Catholic Womenpriests movement. "The hierarchy will say, it is the tradition of the church not to ordain women," Bourgeois continued. "I grew up in a small town in Louisiana and often heard, ‘It is the tradition of the South to have segregated schools.’ It was also ‘the tradition’ in our Catholic church to have the Black members seated in the last five pews of the church. Our Church leaders at the Vatican tell us that women cannot be ordained . With all due respect, I believe our Catholic Church’s teaching on this issue is wrong and does not stand up to scrutiny." In addition to his religious work, Bourgeois is the founder of the School of the Americas (SOA) Watch, and is internationally known for his work to end U.S. government–funded training of Latin American soldiers in torture techniques. Fr. Roy and SOA Watch were recently nominated for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize by the American Friends Service Committee. In 1994 Pope John Paul II issued an apostolic letter Ordination Sacerdotalis which states that Catholics may not even speak about women’s ordination. Fr. Roy is breaking this glass ceiling on his national tour. Bridget Mary Meehan, Roman Catholic Woman bishop of the Southern Region and pastor of Mary, Mother of Jesus Catholic Community, said, "Women served as deacons, priests and bishops in the early Church. Roman Catholic Womenpriests are leading the Church into a new era of renewal by reclaiming our ancient tradition of women as disciples and equals." Bourgeois and Dorothy Irvin, archaeologist and theologian known for her work on women priests in the Early Christian tradition, will present the Levi Award in absentia to Ruth Kolpack and Sr. Louise Akers. Established by the Minnesota-based Lydia’s Gathering Foundation, the Levi Award recognizes Catholics dismissed from employment or excommunicated by the Church for supporting women’s equality. For more information, contact Dorothy Irvin at 612-387-3784.
Roman Catholic Womenpriests Challenge Cardinal George, U.S. bishops and Pope Benedict XVI
PRESS RELEASE
Roman Catholic Womenpriests challenge Cardinal George, U.S. bishops and Pope Benedict XVI
Release date: February 15, 2010
Media Contacts: Janice Sevre-Duszynska at 859-684-4247 rhythmsofthedance@ msn.com
Bridget Mary Meehan at 941-955-2313, sofiabmm@aol. com
Visit: http://www.romancat holicwomenpriest s.org/ and http://www.bridgetm arys/blogspot. com/
Roman Catholic Womenpriests challenge Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, who said that New Ways Ministry does not provide "an authentic interpretation of Catholic teaching," in a February 5, 2010 statement.Roman Catholic Womenpriests challenge Cardinal George, the USCCB and Pope Benedict XVI to be open to the Christ in all people, including the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) persons. RCWP also challenges the Vatican to bless and affirm the LGBT community, the New Ways Ministry to them, and to welcome the prophetic witness and challenge of both, as well as their struggles, joys and gifts. RCWP sees Cardinal George’s statement as exclusionary and unacceptable for Catholics who embrace Jesus’ Gospel of inclusivity, equality and justice: a discipleship of equals. New Ways Ministry, co-founded by Sr. Jeannine Gramick and Salvatorian Father Robert Nugent, is based in Mount Rainier, Md. It is a 33-year-old "gay-positive ministry of advocacy and justice for lesbian and gay Catholics and reconciliation within the larger Christian and civil communities. "On May 23, 2000, the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, under the leadership of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, issued a document ordering Gramick and Nugent to cease ministry to gays and lesbians because they were not strong in teaching that homosexual acts were intrinsically "disordered" and that the homosexual inclination was objectively "disordered" . The central issue, according to theologian Mary Hunt, was that neither Gramick nor Nugent was willing to agree that homosexual acts were intrinsically evil and that the teaching was virtually infallible and unalterable. Gramick rejected the 2000 order and has continued to provide support to the LGBT community. In the formal document she was informed that she "may not speak or write on homosexuality, on the notification, or on any ecclesiastical processes that led to it..." further, that she "may not encourage the faithful to publicly express their dissent from the official Magisterium, nor protest decisions of the Holy See, nor criticize the Magisterium in any public forum whatsoever." Gramick, however, as a matter of informed conscience, defied the Vatican’s edict and continues to lecture widely on behalf of justice for the LGBT community. She believes that only if all people are treated with dignity and respect will there be peace and harmony in the world. RCWP supports and celebrates her courage.Catholics continue to speak out against prejudice. In 2009, before a Maryland House of Delegates committee, Francis De Bernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, said: "It would be a grave error in judgment – both politically and morally – for government leaders to assume that the Catholic hierarchy reflects the belief of most Catholic people." The hierarchy is not the Catholic Church; the Catholic Church is the People of God. Roman Catholic Womenpriests walk in solidarity with our sisters and brothers in the LGBT community. We support New Ways Ministry and their compassionate ministry to the People of God.
Roman Catholic Womenpriests challenge Cardinal George, U.S. bishops and Pope Benedict XVI
Release date: February 15, 2010
Media Contacts: Janice Sevre-Duszynska at 859-684-4247 rhythmsofthedance@ msn.com
Bridget Mary Meehan at 941-955-2313, sofiabmm@aol. com
Visit: http://www.romancat holicwomenpriest s.org/ and http://www.bridgetm arys/blogspot. com/
Roman Catholic Womenpriests challenge Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, who said that New Ways Ministry does not provide "an authentic interpretation of Catholic teaching," in a February 5, 2010 statement.Roman Catholic Womenpriests challenge Cardinal George, the USCCB and Pope Benedict XVI to be open to the Christ in all people, including the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) persons. RCWP also challenges the Vatican to bless and affirm the LGBT community, the New Ways Ministry to them, and to welcome the prophetic witness and challenge of both, as well as their struggles, joys and gifts. RCWP sees Cardinal George’s statement as exclusionary and unacceptable for Catholics who embrace Jesus’ Gospel of inclusivity, equality and justice: a discipleship of equals. New Ways Ministry, co-founded by Sr. Jeannine Gramick and Salvatorian Father Robert Nugent, is based in Mount Rainier, Md. It is a 33-year-old "gay-positive ministry of advocacy and justice for lesbian and gay Catholics and reconciliation within the larger Christian and civil communities. "On May 23, 2000, the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, under the leadership of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, issued a document ordering Gramick and Nugent to cease ministry to gays and lesbians because they were not strong in teaching that homosexual acts were intrinsically "disordered" and that the homosexual inclination was objectively "disordered" . The central issue, according to theologian Mary Hunt, was that neither Gramick nor Nugent was willing to agree that homosexual acts were intrinsically evil and that the teaching was virtually infallible and unalterable. Gramick rejected the 2000 order and has continued to provide support to the LGBT community. In the formal document she was informed that she "may not speak or write on homosexuality, on the notification, or on any ecclesiastical processes that led to it..." further, that she "may not encourage the faithful to publicly express their dissent from the official Magisterium, nor protest decisions of the Holy See, nor criticize the Magisterium in any public forum whatsoever." Gramick, however, as a matter of informed conscience, defied the Vatican’s edict and continues to lecture widely on behalf of justice for the LGBT community. She believes that only if all people are treated with dignity and respect will there be peace and harmony in the world. RCWP supports and celebrates her courage.Catholics continue to speak out against prejudice. In 2009, before a Maryland House of Delegates committee, Francis De Bernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, said: "It would be a grave error in judgment – both politically and morally – for government leaders to assume that the Catholic hierarchy reflects the belief of most Catholic people." The hierarchy is not the Catholic Church; the Catholic Church is the People of God. Roman Catholic Womenpriests walk in solidarity with our sisters and brothers in the LGBT community. We support New Ways Ministry and their compassionate ministry to the People of God.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Roman Catholic Womenpriests: Church Opposes Female Priests/UPI Story
....Bridget Mary Meehan, a member of the movement, is responsible for the ordination of two women priests and one deacon in Sarasota, Fla. ...
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Roman Catholic Womenpriests: "Bishop Welcomes Controversy" Article in Miami Herald Tribune/Tampa Bay/AP Florida
Miami Herald
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100206/ARTICLE/2061054/-1/NEWSSITEMAP?tc=ar
"Good!" said Bridget Mary Meehan, the former nun who is performing today's ordinations and is one of five bishops in the national movement. "They're upping the ante. People will have to be courageous to support us and that is what this is about. Like our sister Rosa Parks, we refuse to sit on the back of the bus any longer."
Tampa Bay
http://www.tampabay.com/incoming/in-sarasota-catholics-buck-church-doctrine-on-women-as-priests/1073234
Friday, February 12, 2010
Roman Catholic Womenpriests; Bishop Joan Houk Speaks at Vanderbilt Divinity School
http://www.wildhair95.blogspot.com/
"I was at Bishop Joan Houk’s talk last evening at Vanderbilt. It was really my first up close experience with the issue of the ordination of women in the Roman Catholic Church. I came away very impressed."
"I was at Bishop Joan Houk’s talk last evening at Vanderbilt. It was really my first up close experience with the issue of the ordination of women in the Roman Catholic Church. I came away very impressed."
Roman Catholic Womenpriests: Florida Ordinations: NBC/Ft.Myers TV Program Link
The Underground Priesthood
SARASOTA: "They call themselves servants of God and are joining the ranks of more than 100 women around the world.
Earlier this month the Roman Catholic Women Priests held the first ordination of women Priests and Deacons in the state of Florida. These women are taking positions reserved for men under Catholic Church law."
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Roman Catholic Womenpriests: Dena O'Callaghan presides at Liturgy of the Eucharist and Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick
"I celebrated my first Mass yesterday in Gainesville with my 2 sisters and their husbands, my cousin and his wife, my nephew and John.
My brother-in-law couldn't come to my ordination because of his Parkinson's disease."
Dena O'Callaghan ordained a priest on Feb. 6, 2010 in Sarasota, Florida
Dena, John and community lay hands
and pray for healing of Joe
Newly Ordained Priest: Dena O'Callaghan anoints Joe
accompanied by priest husband, John
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Roman Catholic Womenpriests: Homily- "We Are Making History: A Renewed Model of Priestly Ministry" by Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan/ Florida Ordinations
Homily: “We Are Making History: A Renewed Model of Priestly Ministry”
The Ordinations of Dena O’Callaghan, Katy Zatsick as Roman Catholic Womanpriests
And Mary Ellen Sheehan as a deacon
By Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Today Dena O’Callaghan and Katie Zatsick are making history as they answer God’s call to a renewed model of priestly ministry as Roman Catholic Womanpriests. Mary Ellen Sheehan is making history as the first woman from Georgia to be ordained a deacon by the Roman Catholic Womenpriests Movement.
The Roman Catholic Womenpriests Movement is living Jesus example of Gospel equality and reclaiming our early Christian tradition of women in ordained leadership. The movement, Roman Catholic Womenpriests is a justice movement for the full equality of women in the Catholic Church, not a splinter group.
Roman Catholic Womenpriests reject the automatic excommunication issued by the hierarchy. Pope Benedict canonized Mother Theodore Guerin, an excommunicated nun in 2005, and will canonize Mother Mary MacKillop, another excommunicated nun in 2010. So, my sisters and brothers we are in good company, and perhaps even on a fast tract to Sainthood! We are not leaving the church. We are leading the church.
Nearly 5000 priests in the U.S. have sexually abused over 12,000 Catholic children, but they were not excommunicated. Something is radically wrong with a hierarchical system that does not hold the bishops accountable for such a devastating crisis.
In our scripture, we encounter Samuel who discovered God’s call with the help of his wise mentor Eli. Dena, Katy and Mary Ellen have discerned their call to serve God’s people within supportive networks of families, friends and communities who have accompanied them on this journey to holy orders on this joy-filled day.
At the Last Supper, Jesus addressed his mandate: "Do this in memory of me" to women and men, therefore empowering women to preside at Eucharist which they did in the house churches in the early centuries of our history. Romans 16 uses the word eklesia ("church") to describe the group that gathered in the home of Prisca and Aquila, a husband-wife ministry team. Paul praises the missionary co-workers in these words: "Greet Prisca and Aquila who work with me in Christ Jesus …Greet also the church in their house" (Romans 16:3-5).
Seven percent of Americans attend religious services in home churches according to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. According to Robert Putnam, a Harvard Kennedy School professor and author of American Grace, approximately 16% of Americans are unaffiliated with any religious denomination. Putnam believes that the disillusioned today reject the “one size fits all” approach and are looking for a church that is more homemade and where women play important leadership roles. Many of our Roman Catholic Womenpriests serve God’s people in house churches. Dena O’Callaghan and her priest husband John serve a community that meets in their home in Ocala, Florida.
Jesus treated men and women as equals and partners. Among his disciples were many women. In our Gospel today, the women encounter an angel who shares the good news of the Risen Christ.
“The women were Mary of Magdala, Joanna, and Mary, the mother of James. The other women with them also told the apostles, but the story seemed like nonsense and they refused to believe them….”
How long O God, How long will we have to wait for the male apostles to get it!
Here we are 21 centuries later! The Vatican claims it has no authority to ordain womenpriests as if God is suddenly impotent before women. Some things never change, do they!
In the beautiful story of Emmaus, Jesus walks with the disciples. Some scripture scholars think the two may have been a married couple. Be that as it may, they did not recognize the Risen One until they sat down for supper and in the breaking of the bread, their eyes were opened to the dazzling splendor of resurrected glory in their midst.
Today, we also encounter Jesus in the breaking of the bread with open eyes and burning hearts. Today, Dena, Katy, and Mary Ellen answer God’s call and join us in recognizing Jesus in our midst calling us be the Body of Christ, serving the Body of Christ with the Body of Christ .
Women were ordained as deacons, priests and bishops until the 12th century. Scholars including Dorothy Irvin, Gary Macy, Ute Eisen, Carolyn Osiek, Shaun Madigan, and many others reach similar conclusions. The beautiful banner in our sanctuary depicts a scene of an early church Eucharist.
Sexism which is always a sin is the root cause of the institutional church’s exclusion of women from priesthood.
Like Rosa Parks, whose refusal to give up her seat and sit in the back of the bus helped to ignite the civil rights movement, Roman Catholic Womenpriests are disobeying an unjust law that discriminates against women. The ordinations of Roman Catholic Womenpriests are valid because of our unbroken line of apostolic succession within the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic male bishop who ordained our first women bishops is a bishop with a line of unbroken apostolic succession within the Roman Catholic Church in full communion with the pope. Therefore, our bishops validly ordain deacons, priests and bishops.
We are part of a worldwide movement that claims equality as a human right. In a recent address, former president Jimmy Carter who is a member of the Elders, an eminent group of global leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela to address issues of human suffering, said: “We are calling on all leaders to challenge and change the harmful teachings and practices, no matter how ingrained, which justify discrimination against women. We ask, in particular, that leaders of all religions have the courage to acknowledge and emphasize the positive messages of dignity and equality that all the world's major faiths share.”
According to the Pew Survey one in ten Americans are former Catholics. There are legions of women who feel like second-class citizens in their own church, divorced and remarried Catholics, gays and lesbians and all those on the margins of church and society.
Like the Disciples at Emmaus, the infinite boundless love of Christ ignites the fire in our hearts, the passion in our souls to serve God’s beloved people, especially those who are rejected or marginalized in inclusive communities where all are welcome. The world is our parish.
Blessings on you, Dena O’Callaghan, Katy Zatsick and Mary Ellen Sheehan, faith-filled women of courage, as you step forward into your future as Roman Catholic Womanpriests and deacon to serve God’s people!
— — — Bridget Mary Meehan, D.Min., a Sister for Christian Community, was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on July 31, 2006. Dr. Meehan is currently Dean of the Doctor of Ministry Program for Global Ministries University, and is the author of 18 books, including "The Healing Power of Prayer" and "Praying with Women of the Bible.". She presides at liturgies in Mary, Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Church in Sarasota, Florida and in N.Va. She was ordained a bishop on April 19, 2009. Dr. Meehan can be reached at SofiaBMM@aol.com. The website www.romancatholicwomenpriests.org, BridgetMarysBlogspot.
The Ordinations of Dena O’Callaghan, Katy Zatsick as Roman Catholic Womanpriests
And Mary Ellen Sheehan as a deacon
By Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Today Dena O’Callaghan and Katie Zatsick are making history as they answer God’s call to a renewed model of priestly ministry as Roman Catholic Womanpriests. Mary Ellen Sheehan is making history as the first woman from Georgia to be ordained a deacon by the Roman Catholic Womenpriests Movement.
The Roman Catholic Womenpriests Movement is living Jesus example of Gospel equality and reclaiming our early Christian tradition of women in ordained leadership. The movement, Roman Catholic Womenpriests is a justice movement for the full equality of women in the Catholic Church, not a splinter group.
Roman Catholic Womenpriests reject the automatic excommunication issued by the hierarchy. Pope Benedict canonized Mother Theodore Guerin, an excommunicated nun in 2005, and will canonize Mother Mary MacKillop, another excommunicated nun in 2010. So, my sisters and brothers we are in good company, and perhaps even on a fast tract to Sainthood! We are not leaving the church. We are leading the church.
Nearly 5000 priests in the U.S. have sexually abused over 12,000 Catholic children, but they were not excommunicated. Something is radically wrong with a hierarchical system that does not hold the bishops accountable for such a devastating crisis.
In our scripture, we encounter Samuel who discovered God’s call with the help of his wise mentor Eli. Dena, Katy and Mary Ellen have discerned their call to serve God’s people within supportive networks of families, friends and communities who have accompanied them on this journey to holy orders on this joy-filled day.
At the Last Supper, Jesus addressed his mandate: "Do this in memory of me" to women and men, therefore empowering women to preside at Eucharist which they did in the house churches in the early centuries of our history. Romans 16 uses the word eklesia ("church") to describe the group that gathered in the home of Prisca and Aquila, a husband-wife ministry team. Paul praises the missionary co-workers in these words: "Greet Prisca and Aquila who work with me in Christ Jesus …Greet also the church in their house" (Romans 16:3-5).
Seven percent of Americans attend religious services in home churches according to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. According to Robert Putnam, a Harvard Kennedy School professor and author of American Grace, approximately 16% of Americans are unaffiliated with any religious denomination. Putnam believes that the disillusioned today reject the “one size fits all” approach and are looking for a church that is more homemade and where women play important leadership roles. Many of our Roman Catholic Womenpriests serve God’s people in house churches. Dena O’Callaghan and her priest husband John serve a community that meets in their home in Ocala, Florida.
Jesus treated men and women as equals and partners. Among his disciples were many women. In our Gospel today, the women encounter an angel who shares the good news of the Risen Christ.
“The women were Mary of Magdala, Joanna, and Mary, the mother of James. The other women with them also told the apostles, but the story seemed like nonsense and they refused to believe them….”
How long O God, How long will we have to wait for the male apostles to get it!
Here we are 21 centuries later! The Vatican claims it has no authority to ordain womenpriests as if God is suddenly impotent before women. Some things never change, do they!
In the beautiful story of Emmaus, Jesus walks with the disciples. Some scripture scholars think the two may have been a married couple. Be that as it may, they did not recognize the Risen One until they sat down for supper and in the breaking of the bread, their eyes were opened to the dazzling splendor of resurrected glory in their midst.
Today, we also encounter Jesus in the breaking of the bread with open eyes and burning hearts. Today, Dena, Katy, and Mary Ellen answer God’s call and join us in recognizing Jesus in our midst calling us be the Body of Christ, serving the Body of Christ with the Body of Christ .
Women were ordained as deacons, priests and bishops until the 12th century. Scholars including Dorothy Irvin, Gary Macy, Ute Eisen, Carolyn Osiek, Shaun Madigan, and many others reach similar conclusions. The beautiful banner in our sanctuary depicts a scene of an early church Eucharist.
Sexism which is always a sin is the root cause of the institutional church’s exclusion of women from priesthood.
Like Rosa Parks, whose refusal to give up her seat and sit in the back of the bus helped to ignite the civil rights movement, Roman Catholic Womenpriests are disobeying an unjust law that discriminates against women. The ordinations of Roman Catholic Womenpriests are valid because of our unbroken line of apostolic succession within the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic male bishop who ordained our first women bishops is a bishop with a line of unbroken apostolic succession within the Roman Catholic Church in full communion with the pope. Therefore, our bishops validly ordain deacons, priests and bishops.
We are part of a worldwide movement that claims equality as a human right. In a recent address, former president Jimmy Carter who is a member of the Elders, an eminent group of global leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela to address issues of human suffering, said: “We are calling on all leaders to challenge and change the harmful teachings and practices, no matter how ingrained, which justify discrimination against women. We ask, in particular, that leaders of all religions have the courage to acknowledge and emphasize the positive messages of dignity and equality that all the world's major faiths share.”
According to the Pew Survey one in ten Americans are former Catholics. There are legions of women who feel like second-class citizens in their own church, divorced and remarried Catholics, gays and lesbians and all those on the margins of church and society.
Like the Disciples at Emmaus, the infinite boundless love of Christ ignites the fire in our hearts, the passion in our souls to serve God’s beloved people, especially those who are rejected or marginalized in inclusive communities where all are welcome. The world is our parish.
Blessings on you, Dena O’Callaghan, Katy Zatsick and Mary Ellen Sheehan, faith-filled women of courage, as you step forward into your future as Roman Catholic Womanpriests and deacon to serve God’s people!
— — — Bridget Mary Meehan, D.Min., a Sister for Christian Community, was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on July 31, 2006. Dr. Meehan is currently Dean of the Doctor of Ministry Program for Global Ministries University, and is the author of 18 books, including "The Healing Power of Prayer" and "Praying with Women of the Bible.". She presides at liturgies in Mary, Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Church in Sarasota, Florida and in N.Va. She was ordained a bishop on April 19, 2009. Dr. Meehan can be reached at SofiaBMM@aol.com. The website www.romancatholicwomenpriests.org, BridgetMarysBlogspot.
Roman Catholic Womenpriests: Florida Ordinations: More Movies- Processional, Litany of Saints Presentation of Candidates for Ordination etc.
Processional led by Sheila Carey,
liturgical dancer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XaE2td1gEw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY-ODbMkMSk&feature=player_embedded
Processional to "We are Called"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5IBtqp_vx8&feature=player_embedded
Processional Bow to altar and bow to people
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xeO6f4sqrw&feature=player_embedded
Presentation of Candidates for Priesthood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiXVi6eVQj0&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XaE2td1gEw&feature=player_embedded
Presentation of the Candidates for Priesthood:Dena O'Callaghanhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrmtxFUHsoo&feature=player_embedded
Presentation of the Candidates for Priesthood/ Katy Zatsick http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqthQxORVUY&feature=player_embedded
Veni Sancte Spiritus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEUK8HCkuUk&feature=player_embedded
Examination of the Diaconate Candidate:
Mary Ellen Sheehan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS3b41C2CWk&feature=player_embedded
Florida Ordinations: Litany of the Saints-
Cantor Michael Rigdon accompanied by Linda Lee Miska on piano
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqRTDLndCg8&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ikFaJl6CSE&feature=player_embedded
Investiture of new deacon, Mary Ellen Sheehan with Stole
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmtZKqpgtS0&feature=player_embedded
Presentation of the Gospel to New Deacon Mary Ellen Sheehan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9-SzRQK17k&feature=player_embedded
Presentation of newly ordained priests to Assembly
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXaul9y_rs0&feature=player_embedded
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
Preparation of the Gifts led by Ruth Steinert Foote and children from Good Shepherd Community/Ft. Myers, Florida
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKC552tHi5c&feature=player_embedded
Presentation of Chalice and patent to newly ordained priests
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100207/ARTICLE/2071058/2055/NEWS?p=2&tc=pg&tc=ar
Recessional: We are marching in the light of God
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjvaDx8eVU4&feature=player_embedded
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Roman Catholic Womenpriests: Discussion on Merits of Womenpriests on European popular website/Florida ordinations of Roman Catholic Womenpriests
Bishop Bridget Mary lays hands on
Katie Zatsick at ordination
Enthusiastic Supporters at Florida Ordinations on Feb. 8,2010
Options and Discussion of the Merits of the Alternatives
http://www.womenpriests.org/circles/tm.asp?m=9038&mpage=11&key=袬
Monday, February 8, 2010
Roman Catholic Womenpriests: Florida Ordinations. Video Clips
Laying on of Hands at Ordination of Womenpriests/Florida
Some Clips (more to come)
Consecration: Ordination of Roman Catholic Womenpriests/Florida
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvYVTfbbX9Y&feature=player_embedded
Veni Sante Spiritus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEUK8HCkuUk
Examination of Priestly Candidates
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hovzlwr73NQ&feature=player_embedded
Presentation of Dena O'Callaghan and Katy Zatsick for Ordination to the priesthood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqthQxORVUY
http://www.youtube.com/my_videos_edit?ns=1&video_id=hovzlwr73NQ
Vesting of new deacon Mary Ellen Sheehan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmtZKqpgtS0
Prostration
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqRTDLndCg8&feature=player_embedded
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Roman Catholic Womenpriests: Links to Articles and Photos of Historic Florida Ordinations
Ordination of Dena O'Callaghan
at historic ordinations of first women priests ordained in Florida
Laying on of Hands at Ordination of Katy Zatsick
Dena O'Callaghan and Katy Zatsick at their ordination liturgy
Pastor Phil Garrison and Dr. Jean Simpson
Regional Coordinator of UCC welcome
RCWP to ordination of Roman Catholic Womenpriests
Mary Ellen Sheehan on left was ordained a deacon
Roman Catholic Womenpriests celebrate Eucharist
at historic, first Florida ordinations of women priest.
On Feb. 6th, enthusiastic supporters of Roman Catholic Womenpriests gathered to celebrate the ordinations of Dena O'Callaghan, Katy Zatsick as priests and Mary Ellen Sheehan as deacon. Over 200 people packed St. Andrew United Church of Christ , interrupting the service with resounding approval and spirited rejoicing.
Links:
Article on Sat. Feb. 5th, front page
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100206/ARTICLE/2061054/2416/NEWS?Title=Ordaining-more-women-bishop-welcomes-controversy
Article on Sunday, Feb.6th front pagehttp://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100207/ARTICLE/2071058/2055/NEWS?Title=Church-disapproval-doesn-t-deter-crowd
Great Photos from newspaper galleryhttp://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=SH&Dato=20100206&Kategori=NEWS0514&Lopenr=206009999&Ref=PH&template=gallery
Catholic News Wire article
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/women_priest_ordinations_cause_disunity_says_florida_diocese/
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Roman Catholic Womenpriests: Ordaining More Women, Bishop Welcomes Controversy
Ordaining More Women, Bishop Welcomes Controversy
Ann Scott
"Good!" said Bridget Mary Meehan, the former nun who is performing today's ordinations and is one of five bishops in the national movement. "They're upping the ante. People will have to be courageous to support us and that is what this is about. Like our sister Rosa Parks, we refuse to sit on the back of the bus any longer."
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100206/ARTICLE/2061054/-1/NEWSSITEMAP
Catholic Bishop Decries Ordination of Women in Florida
http://www.speroforum.com/a/26840/Catholic-bishop-decries-ordination-of-women-in-Florida
Ann Scott
"Good!" said Bridget Mary Meehan, the former nun who is performing today's ordinations and is one of five bishops in the national movement. "They're upping the ante. People will have to be courageous to support us and that is what this is about. Like our sister Rosa Parks, we refuse to sit on the back of the bus any longer."
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100206/ARTICLE/2061054/-1/NEWSSITEMAP
Catholic Bishop Decries Ordination of Women in Florida
http://www.speroforum.com/a/26840/Catholic-bishop-decries-ordination-of-women-in-Florida
Friday, February 5, 2010
Roman Catholic Womenpriests: Women Ordained as Priests/NBC/Channel 8/Tampa
http://video.tbo.com/m/28899592/woman-ordained-as-priests.htm?q=ordain
Television reporter Jackie Barron interviewed Dena OCallaghan and Bridget Mary Meehan at our press conference on Feb. 5th in preparation for the historic ordination of Roman Catholic Womenpriests on Feb. 6th at St. Andrew UCC Church in Saraosta, Florida. This television interview aired at 5:30pm and 6:pm, 11:00 pm and possibly on Feb. 6th at 9:00am and noon.
Television reporter Jackie Barron interviewed Dena OCallaghan and Bridget Mary Meehan at our press conference on Feb. 5th in preparation for the historic ordination of Roman Catholic Womenpriests on Feb. 6th at St. Andrew UCC Church in Saraosta, Florida. This television interview aired at 5:30pm and 6:pm, 11:00 pm and possibly on Feb. 6th at 9:00am and noon.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Roman Catholic Womenpriests: National Public Radio/Tampa Interview with Dena O'Callaghan and Katy Zatsick
from left to right
Katy Zatsick, Dena O Callaghan, Bridget Mary Meehan
Judy Lee(red stole) and Eleonora Marinaro at Diaconate Ordination
"Women Risk Excommunication to be Ordained Catholic Priests" by Scott Finn, National Public Radio/Tampa
“We are in good company, because there have been saints canonized who were once excommunicated (from the church.)” O’Callaghan said.
O’Callaghan is married to a former Catholic priest, and they lead a small “house church” in Ocala. She says she’s taken all the seminary courses needed to become a priest. Now, she’ll be able to hear confessions, anoint the sick and, most importantly, lead Mass.
Zatsick hopes being a priest will amplify her anti-war message – a message that was reinforced when her own son was injured in Iraq.
“I had the strength and the courage to walk into Walter Reed, not knowing if he would live or die. So I know I have the courage to walk the pathway of peace,” Zatsick said."http://www.wusf.usf.edu/news/2010/02/01/women_risk_excommunication_to_be_ordained_catholic_priests
Jan. 23, 2010 Washington Post
Roman Catholic Womenpriests: "Faithfully, if not obediently, Catholic" by Katie Balestra in Washington Post
"Faithfully , if not obediently, Catholic"
By Katie Balestra ,Saturday, January 23, 2010
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/22/AR2010012202919.html?hpid=topnews
"Our goal is to bring about full equality of women in the Roman Catholic Church," said Meehan, 62. "We love the faith. We love the spirituality. That's why we remain Catholic. We are holding disobedience to an unjust law that discriminates against women. We're willing to go the whole mile with the institution on this." ...
"Meehan was 8 when her family moved to Arlington County from Ireland in 1956. Her father said she spent her free time as a child "playing church," setting up an altar in their home. "She was a priest from day one," said Jack Meehan, 85, in a thick Irish brogue. "I'm very proud of her."
She thinks the Vatican's actions are motivated by fear.
"They're so afraid because they're seeing that people are actually thinking this is a good idea," said Meehan, who discusses the issue on her blog. "We're taking it from the hierarchical model into the open, inclusive Catholic community of equals. And that's the thing that threatens them the most, a total change from one model to another."
Katie Balestra is a freelance writer based in the District.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Roman Catholic Womenpriests: Progressives seek bishop's ear
http://www.sunnewspapers.net/articles/tsnews.aspx?ArticleID=451671&pubdate=1%2f29%2f2010
Progressives seek bishop's ear
"VENICE -- About 30 members of Call To Action, a group of progressive Catholics, called on Bishop Frank Dewane on Wednesday to address claims that he has discriminated against Catholics in his diocese who hold liberal views.
Members of churches from Sarasota to Naples staged a protest outside the Diocese of Venice office at 1000 Pinebrook Road, then went inside to seek an audience with the bishop. A spokesman said he was in a meeting. "
Progressives seek bishop's ear
"VENICE -- About 30 members of Call To Action, a group of progressive Catholics, called on Bishop Frank Dewane on Wednesday to address claims that he has discriminated against Catholics in his diocese who hold liberal views.
Members of churches from Sarasota to Naples staged a protest outside the Diocese of Venice office at 1000 Pinebrook Road, then went inside to seek an audience with the bishop. A spokesman said he was in a meeting. "
Roman Catholic Womenpriests; Dissent is necessary/St. Thomas Aquinas excommunicated
http://www.talk2action.org/story/2010/1/28/134333/686
The Road to Remonstrance
By Frank Cocozzelli
"Dissent also draws attention to vital new ideas even if they were treated with scorn upon arrival. For example, a reconsideration of natural law principles in light of knowledge acquired since St. Thomas Aquinas in the thirteenth century offers strong arguments in support of artificial birth control and embryonic stem cell research while establishing homosexuality is not the aberration Church fathers believe it to be. Even the great Aristotelian thinker, St. Thomas Aquinas was treated as a heretic and excommunicated shortly after his death. And yet his ideas came to greatly influence Catholic theology."
Excommunication is not a barrier to canonization in the Catholic Church: three examples, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Theodore Guerin, Blessed Mother Mary McKillop and of course, Joan of Arc was burned at the stake! So Roman Catholic Womenpriests who are excommunicated now, may one day be canonized. In fact excommunication could be a fast track to canonization!!! So reform-minded Catholics, cheer up!!
Bridget Mary
The Road to Remonstrance
By Frank Cocozzelli
"Dissent also draws attention to vital new ideas even if they were treated with scorn upon arrival. For example, a reconsideration of natural law principles in light of knowledge acquired since St. Thomas Aquinas in the thirteenth century offers strong arguments in support of artificial birth control and embryonic stem cell research while establishing homosexuality is not the aberration Church fathers believe it to be. Even the great Aristotelian thinker, St. Thomas Aquinas was treated as a heretic and excommunicated shortly after his death. And yet his ideas came to greatly influence Catholic theology."
Excommunication is not a barrier to canonization in the Catholic Church: three examples, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Theodore Guerin, Blessed Mother Mary McKillop and of course, Joan of Arc was burned at the stake! So Roman Catholic Womenpriests who are excommunicated now, may one day be canonized. In fact excommunication could be a fast track to canonization!!! So reform-minded Catholics, cheer up!!
Bridget Mary
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Roman Catholic Womenpriests: "Mary Ward:Then and Now" by Gemma Simmonds CJ
Mary Ward: Then and now
Gemma Simmonds CJ
Thinking Faith (UK)
January 22, 2010
http://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/20100122_1.htm
"Celebrations to mark the 400th anniversary of Mary Ward’s foundation of the first unenclosed religious order of women on the Jesuit model continue this weekend with a Mass at Westminster Cathedral. Gemma Simmonds CJ looks at the life and writings of this woman of ‘heroic virtue’ who wanted to secure a better role for women in the Church and in society, and at how this struggle continues today. Why is Mary’s vision for women, yet to be fully realised, still a vital goal to strive for?"
"In December 2009 Pope Benedict XVI formally promulgated a Decree recognising the ‘heroic virtue’ demonstrated by Mary Ward, conferring on her the title ‘Venerable’ and setting in motion her cause for canonisation. This judgement reverses that of Pope Urban VIII who condemned her as a ‘heretic, schismatic and rebel to Holy Church’ and her sisters as ‘poisonous growths in the Church of God [which] must be torn up from the roots lest they spread themselves further’. "
Gemma Simmonds CJ
Thinking Faith (UK)
January 22, 2010
http://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/20100122_1.htm
"Celebrations to mark the 400th anniversary of Mary Ward’s foundation of the first unenclosed religious order of women on the Jesuit model continue this weekend with a Mass at Westminster Cathedral. Gemma Simmonds CJ looks at the life and writings of this woman of ‘heroic virtue’ who wanted to secure a better role for women in the Church and in society, and at how this struggle continues today. Why is Mary’s vision for women, yet to be fully realised, still a vital goal to strive for?"
"In December 2009 Pope Benedict XVI formally promulgated a Decree recognising the ‘heroic virtue’ demonstrated by Mary Ward, conferring on her the title ‘Venerable’ and setting in motion her cause for canonisation. This judgement reverses that of Pope Urban VIII who condemned her as a ‘heretic, schismatic and rebel to Holy Church’ and her sisters as ‘poisonous growths in the Church of God [which] must be torn up from the roots lest they spread themselves further’. "
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Roman Catholic Womenpriests; Music Director Forced to Resign after comments supporting justice for women in church/Washington Post/Michelle Boorstein
Music director says she was told to resign for comments on status of women in Catholic Church
By Michelle Boorstein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 27, 2010; 12:19 PM
The music director at a traditional Catholic parish in Fairfax says her pastor demanded her resignation after she was quoted in a Washington Post article sympathizing with the women's ordination movement -- an assertion he denies.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/27/AR2010012702258.html
Last Saturday, Jan. 23, the Washington Post published an article giving an update on the impact of our Roman Catholic Womenpriests Movement, highlighting the progress and support from women leaders including women leaders like Erin Hanna of Women's Ordination and Sister Maureen Fiedler. The article began with a description of a Mass in my home in N.Va. See link to article.
Sr. Maureen Fiedler wrote in the National Catholic Reporter the story of Sylvia Mulherin, who was forced to resign because she made a positive comment about women's ordination as a justice issue.
"Sylvia Mulherin, 69, a former nun and music director at St. Leo's Parish in Fairfax, Va., was quoted as saying this: "Jesus was progressive in his treatment of women but, over time, men unjustly pushed women out. Maybe the women don't have to come in the back door, but we still have to sit in the pews."
The very next day, she was told to tender her resignation immediately!
In a message she sent to her choir members and colleagues, she said:"My sole point is that I believe women have not achieved true equality in the Church and this fact deserves further consideration by the Church's leadership. This position is apparently unacceptable in the Diocese of Arlington."
Bridget Mary's comment:
When an institutional church gets so afraid of a movement for justice and equality for women in the church, that thoughtful dialogue and questioning is no longer acceptable, it is in danger of not only losing millions of Catholics who believe that Jesus treated women and men as equals, but also risks losing its soul by failing to follow Christ's example and the early church tradition of women in ordained ministry.
Bridget Mary Meehan
Music director loses job over pro-woman quote National Catholic ...The major photo featured Bridget Mary Meehan, one of the women bishops in the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement. But the article was wide ranging, ...
By Michelle Boorstein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 27, 2010; 12:19 PM
The music director at a traditional Catholic parish in Fairfax says her pastor demanded her resignation after she was quoted in a Washington Post article sympathizing with the women's ordination movement -- an assertion he denies.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/27/AR2010012702258.html
Last Saturday, Jan. 23, the Washington Post published an article giving an update on the impact of our Roman Catholic Womenpriests Movement, highlighting the progress and support from women leaders including women leaders like Erin Hanna of Women's Ordination and Sister Maureen Fiedler. The article began with a description of a Mass in my home in N.Va. See link to article.
Sr. Maureen Fiedler wrote in the National Catholic Reporter the story of Sylvia Mulherin, who was forced to resign because she made a positive comment about women's ordination as a justice issue.
"Sylvia Mulherin, 69, a former nun and music director at St. Leo's Parish in Fairfax, Va., was quoted as saying this: "Jesus was progressive in his treatment of women but, over time, men unjustly pushed women out. Maybe the women don't have to come in the back door, but we still have to sit in the pews."
The very next day, she was told to tender her resignation immediately!
In a message she sent to her choir members and colleagues, she said:"My sole point is that I believe women have not achieved true equality in the Church and this fact deserves further consideration by the Church's leadership. This position is apparently unacceptable in the Diocese of Arlington."
Bridget Mary's comment:
When an institutional church gets so afraid of a movement for justice and equality for women in the church, that thoughtful dialogue and questioning is no longer acceptable, it is in danger of not only losing millions of Catholics who believe that Jesus treated women and men as equals, but also risks losing its soul by failing to follow Christ's example and the early church tradition of women in ordained ministry.
Bridget Mary Meehan
Music director loses job over pro-woman quote National Catholic ...The major photo featured Bridget Mary Meehan, one of the women bishops in the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement. But the article was wide ranging, ...
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Roman Catholic Womenpriests: "Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Faces Excommunication for Support of Catholic Women Priests"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-archer/nobel-peace-prize-nominee_b_431987.html
Greg Archer
Professional writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area
Posted: January 25, 2010 03:51 PM
Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Faces Excommunication For Support Of Catholic Women Priests
What's Your Reaction:
huffington_post:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-archer/nobel-peace-prize-nominee_b_431987.html
"Meet Fr. Roy Bourgeois, a celebrated priest and Nobel Peace Prize nominee. He\'s joined forces with supporters of Women\'s Ordination, which has been sending a clear message to the Vatican for decades--that womenpriests were part of the original Catholic Church before Canon Law was...',"
Greg Archer
Professional writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area
Posted: January 25, 2010 03:51 PM
Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Faces Excommunication For Support Of Catholic Women Priests
What's Your Reaction:
huffington_post:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-archer/nobel-peace-prize-nominee_b_431987.html
"Meet Fr. Roy Bourgeois, a celebrated priest and Nobel Peace Prize nominee. He\'s joined forces with supporters of Women\'s Ordination, which has been sending a clear message to the Vatican for decades--that womenpriests were part of the original Catholic Church before Canon Law was...',"
Monday, January 25, 2010
Roman Catholic Womenpriests: "Diocese Pushes Strong Marriage Bond"
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2010/01/25/20100125marriage0114.html
"Roberta Meehan, an acknowledged foe of Olmsted's conservative approach who is ordained as part of the Roman Catholic Womenpriests movement, said the diocese should offer marriage preparation, but one size does not fit everyone. "
"What works for two Ph.D. scientists is not the same for a couple of 19-year-olds just out of high school," she said. "Each couple should be counseled on an individual basis."
"Roberta Meehan, an acknowledged foe of Olmsted's conservative approach who is ordained as part of the Roman Catholic Womenpriests movement, said the diocese should offer marriage preparation, but one size does not fit everyone. "
"What works for two Ph.D. scientists is not the same for a couple of 19-year-olds just out of high school," she said. "Each couple should be counseled on an individual basis."
Friday, January 22, 2010
Roman Catholic Womenpriests: "Faithfully, if not obediently, Catholic" by Katie Balestra in Washington Post
"Faithfully , if not obediently, Catholic"
By Katie Balestra ,Saturday, January 23, 2010
"Our goal is to bring about full equality of women in the Roman Catholic Church," said Meehan, 62. "We love the faith. We love the spirituality. That's why we remain Catholic. We are holding disobedience to an unjust law that discriminates against women. We're willing to go the whole mile with the institution on this." ...
"Meehan was 8 when her family moved to Arlington County from Ireland in 1956. Her father said she spent her free time as a child "playing church," setting up an altar in their home. "She was a priest from day one," said Jack Meehan, 85, in a thick Irish brogue. "I'm very proud of her."
She thinks the Vatican's actions are motivated by fear.
"They're so afraid because they're seeing that people are actually thinking this is a good idea," said Meehan, who discusses the issue on her
Katie Balestra is a freelance writer based in the District.
Roman Catholic Womenpriests: "The Vatican's Peverted Sense of Justice" in Brevard County Forum
"Nearly 5,000 Catholic priests [in the U.S.] have sexually abused over 12,000 Catholic children…but they were not excommunicated," says Father Roy Bourgeois, who faced the latter scenario after helping celebrate what the Vatican considers to be an illegitimate ordination mass in August 2008. Bourgeois, a Vietnam veteran with a Purple Heart who became a prominent peace activist, stood with the trailblazers of the female ordination movement in Lexington, Ky., to make Janice Sevre-Duszynska a Catholic priest."
"The Vatican may soon have further explaining to do, this time in a U.S. courtroom. A federal appeals court ruled in late November that a lawsuit arising in Kentucky over the Vatican's negligence in dealing with sexual abuse could proceed -- the first time a court that high has recognized the Holy See's potential liability in this arena.One of the key pieces of evidence in the lawsuit? A 1962 memo, approved by Pope John XXIII, directing Catholic bishops to keep silent about sex-abuse claims. "
http://www.topix.com/forum/county/brevard-fl/TOCNQHRDV7MQMQAP6
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Roman Catholic Womenpriests: "When Ideas Catch Fire" by Nicole Sotelo in National Catholic Reporter
"As young Catholics, we are indebted to our theological forebears, like Mary Daly, who helped us to understand that God created us equal -- equal in gender, race and more. We may not embrace everything about a person and their writings, but in some way we have been transformed by a key idea that opened up new ways of thinking. And, in turn, we hope to transform what we can of our church and society. This is what happens when an idea catches fire. It helps us illuminate the world. "
Nicole Sotelo
http://ncronline.org/blogs/young-voices/when-ideas-catch-fire
Nicole Sotelo
http://ncronline.org/blogs/young-voices/when-ideas-catch-fire
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Roman Catholic Womenpriests: "Pope summons all bishops to meeting on church scandal' by John Cooney in Irish Independent
Pope summons all bishops to meeting on church scandal - National News, Frontpage - Independent. ie
Pope summons all bishops to meeting on church scandal
By John Cooney
Wednesday January 20 2010
"Bishops of all 26 dioceses in Ireland have been summoned to Rome next month by Pope Benedict for an unprecedented emergency meeting on the child clerical abuse scandals.
An index of the urgency surrounding the Rome venue is that the heads of the major Vatican Congregations will take part in the talks in a desperate bid to address the anger and shock felt by Catholics since the publication of the Ryan and Murphy reports."
"Sources said Pope Benedict's letter would not, however, contain a detailed blueprint for the reorganisation of the Irish church, such as the holding of a national synod or assembly of bishops, priests and laity. "
- John Cooney
Irish Independent
Bridget Mary's Response:
While the Pope may hope that summoning the Irish bishops to Rome in response to the church scandal, will be a "shock and awe" approach to calm the Irish rebellion, I doubt it. As my Irish cousins say the Pope should "sack" the bishops, who were involved in the cover-up. I suggest that Pope Benedict invite survivors of abuse to Rome and listen to their pain. Perhaps, they could help him craft a worldwide pastoral letter of repentance. Next, the Vatican could learn a lot from Ireland's grandmothers. My relatives tell me that some are so angry that they are not attending Mass anymore. These women were weekly, some even daily Mass-goers. My opinion is that Ireland should return to its earlier tradition of a married priesthood and women in priestly ministry. Think Bishop St. Brigit who along with Bishop Conleth administered a double monastery in Kildare and St. Ita of Killeedy, who heard her nuns confessions.
Pope summons all bishops to meeting on church scandal
By John Cooney
Wednesday January 20 2010
"Bishops of all 26 dioceses in Ireland have been summoned to Rome next month by Pope Benedict for an unprecedented emergency meeting on the child clerical abuse scandals.
An index of the urgency surrounding the Rome venue is that the heads of the major Vatican Congregations will take part in the talks in a desperate bid to address the anger and shock felt by Catholics since the publication of the Ryan and Murphy reports."
"Sources said Pope Benedict's letter would not, however, contain a detailed blueprint for the reorganisation of the Irish church, such as the holding of a national synod or assembly of bishops, priests and laity. "
- John Cooney
Irish Independent
Bridget Mary's Response:
While the Pope may hope that summoning the Irish bishops to Rome in response to the church scandal, will be a "shock and awe" approach to calm the Irish rebellion, I doubt it. As my Irish cousins say the Pope should "sack" the bishops, who were involved in the cover-up. I suggest that Pope Benedict invite survivors of abuse to Rome and listen to their pain. Perhaps, they could help him craft a worldwide pastoral letter of repentance. Next, the Vatican could learn a lot from Ireland's grandmothers. My relatives tell me that some are so angry that they are not attending Mass anymore. These women were weekly, some even daily Mass-goers. My opinion is that Ireland should return to its earlier tradition of a married priesthood and women in priestly ministry. Think Bishop St. Brigit who along with Bishop Conleth administered a double monastery in Kildare and St. Ita of Killeedy, who heard her nuns confessions.
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