Credo: Bridget Mary Meehan | Washington Examiner

Credo: Bridget Mary Meehan | Washington Examiner

Credo: Bridget Mary Meehan

By: Leah Fabel
Examiner Staff Writer
September 24, 2010

(Andrew Harnik/Examiner)

Bridget Mary Meehan entered a convent as an 18-year-old woman, inspired by a Roman Catholic faith born during her childhood in the Irish countryside. But as her faith matured, Meehan felt increasingly called to the priesthood, despite church laws forbidding women's ordination. In 2006, she rejected Catholic law and was ordained as a priest. She is one of about 80 women worldwide who claim Catholic priesthood and lead church communities, saying that apostolic succession has been transmitted by a bishop who remains anonymous. Meehan, 61, spoke with The Washington Examiner about the beliefs that drive her to disobey the Vatican, even as she holds fast to Catholicism.

Do you consider yourself to be of a specific faith?

I'm a Roman Catholic. I appreciate the faith for the prayer life that it has opened up to me, and to people throughout the centuries. And I value its teachings of justice, peace and equality through the application of what Jesus taught: Do unto others as you would have done unto yourself; love your neighbor as yourself; what you do to the least of my people, you do to me.

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Bridget-Mary-Meehan-984250-103728309.html#ixzz10bMj7mCD

We've had enough': Portland Catholic women to skip Sunday morning Mass over treatment of women

http://blog.oregonlive.com/portland_impact/print.html?entry=/2010/09/weve_had_enough_portland_catho.html

"We had been talking amongst ourselves about how to be a woman and be a Catholic, dealing with that angst," says Sarah Granger, 34, who is active in St. Andrew Parish in Northeast Portland. "Her call struck a chord with us. We needed to do something, to say, 'We've had enough.'" But she and other women from St. Andrew's envisioned a "prayerful, positive public witness," not a protest or a boycott. "

"Sleeman -- who is from Ireland and the mother of a monk -- said at the time that her call was inspired by a Vatican statement in July that seemed to equate the ordination of women with pedophilia. "One Spirit -- One Call" will unfold at 9:30 a.m. Sunday in the South Park Blocks in downtown Portland. The 90-minute program calls for prayers, a gospel reflection, and a litany of women saints. Organizers say they hope participants will attend Mass on Saturday night or stay downtown for a special noon Mass at the Downtown Chapel. "

Bridget Mary" Reflection.
Now the revolution led by gutsy Catholic Women has begun. Special thanks to Jennifer Sleeman, an 80 year-old grandmother for challenging the Vatican in response to their outrageous linking of the ordination of women with pedophilia. Tomorrow in Ireland and in Portland Oregon, women will come together to witness to equality and demand change from our hierarchy.
Women are fed up with the stained glass ceiling in the Catholic Church that keeps them out of the top jobs and excludes them from priestly ministry. They reject the lame excuse that the church has no power whatsoever to ordain women because Jesus was a male and therefore the priest must be male. This argument is sexist and belongs in the dustbin of history. Do they seriously think that God is impotent before women? Most Catholics believe that women are equal images of God and that God can call either men or women to priestly ministry. The church is now at a tipping point. Faithful Catholic women have had enough of second class citizenship in their own church.Courageous women are leading the way to take back our church and make it a community of equals. The full equality of women in the church, including priestly ministry is the voice of God in our times. When Catholics demand change, and stop giving money to their parishes, change will come. Hopefully, this day of prayerful witness will lead the women activists of "One Call , One Spirit" to become proactive in the movement to support women called to priestly ministry in a people-empowered church.. Roman Catholic Womenpriests are already on the ground working to renew our church in enthusiastic, inclusive grassroots communities in 23 states in the U.S., Canada, Europe and coming soon South America. We are growing like the tiny mustard seed. Visit our website:
www.romancatholicwomenrpiests.org
Bridget Mary Meehan,RCWP
sofiabmm@aol.com
703-505-0004

Woman in Priestly Garb Sounds ‘a Great Echo’ by Elisabetta Povoled, New York Times

By ELISABETTA POVOLED, September 25, 2010/NY Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/24/world/europe/24milan.html?_r=2&src=me&ref=world

MILAN —"Maria Vittoria Longhitano lay before the altar in May in Rome when she was ordained a priest of the Old Catholic Church..."

..."But the Roman Catholic Church has no place for women among its clerical ranks, as the Vatican stated forcefully over the summer when it decreed that the attempt to ordain female priests is to be considered one of the most serious crimes against church law."

"Equating ordination of women with a crime like pedophilia drew howls of outrage from many Catholics..."

"Erin Saiz Hanna, executive director of the Washington-based Women’s Ordination Conference, argued that placing the ordination of female priests in the rank of “highest crime” suggested that the Vatican was on the defensive “because our movement is growing...”

“...We were excommunicated in 2008, but we rejected it,” said Bridget Mary Meehan, a spokeswoman for the Roman Catholic Womenpriests organization, who was ordained a priest in 2006 without Vatican consent. “What matters is that we follow our conscience.”

"Tensions Linger Between Pope and Anglicans" NY Times, Womenpriests Here To Stay

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/22/world/europe/22pope.html?_r=1&hp

September 21, 2010
by Rachel Donadio

EXCERPTS:

...the two churches that split during the Reformation over issues of papal authority are as divided as ever.

“Christians have very diverse views about the nature of the vocation that belongs to the See of Rome.”

"Both Anglicans and Catholics say that dialogue aimed at full communion — in which the two churches work toward mending the rift of the Reformation — has grown nearly impossible since the Church of England opened the way for female bishops. It first ordained women as priests in 1994."

"In the coming years, the Church of England is on track to ordain the first female bishops, a move that is expected to divide the Anglican Communion even further, including pitting more liberal communities in England and elsewhere against more traditional ones in Africa."

"Once women become bishops, more Anglican traditionalists are widely expected to leave — although it remains to be seen whether they will join the Roman Catholic Church, which recently ruled that ordaining women as Catholic priests is a crime against the faith, punishable by excommunication."

Bridget Mary's Reflection:

Sexism is a sin. The Vatican needs to repent and recognize the gift that womenpriests bring to our church. We practice prophetic obedience to the Gospels. Jesus treated women and men as equals. The Risen Christ gave prominence to Mary of Magdala by appearing to her first and calling her to be the apostle to the apostles. Jesus did not ordain anyone according to the Gospels. Womenpriests remind all that women are equal images of Christ, and therefore can preside at Eucharist and all the sacraments. Right now the institutional church has six sacraments for women and 7 for men. Catholics are voting with their feet by their enthusiastic acceptance of womenpriests. They do not believe that it is a crime to ordain women. The real crime is the Vatican's policy of discrimination against women! The Vatican's punitive action against womenpriests has been condemned by Catholics and non-Catholics alike throughout the world. Not one pedophile or bishop who shuffled predator priests was excommunicated! The sexual abuse of thousands of youth and the unjust treatment of women in the church are real crimes from which the Vatican should repent ! Bridget Mary Meehan 703-505-0004, sofiabmm@aol.com

A Revolution Has Begun: Catholic Women Protest Exclusive Male-Dominated Church/ Protest Led by Jennifer Sleeman, 80-year old Gutsy Irish Woman/

For some weeks Jennifer Sleeman has been in the news in Ireland. She is the 80 year active Catholic and mother of a monk who made news by declaring her dissatisfaction with the Catholic Church - 'Somehow I have grown up but the church has not'. Read her story in the Irish Times report. She has decided to make a protest and has invited women to join her 'Whatever change you long for, recognition, ordination, the end of celibacy, which is another means of keeping women out, join with your sisters and let the hierarchy know by your absence that the days of an exclusively male-dominated church are over.' WOW (Womens Ordination World wide have taken up her idea and have sent the fol lowing letter.

Take Action on Sunday, September 26, 2010

Women's Ordination Worldwide (WOW) stands in solidarity with Catholic women in Ireland who call for a widespread boycott of Mass on Sunday, September 26, 2010.

"Women make up 60% of Mass-goers and 80% of lay ministers. If each one of us took action on one single day, there is no doubt that this would be a powerful and significant event," stated Erin Saiz Hanna, Executive Director of the Women's Ordination Conference (WOC). "The practical, financial, and political implications would be substantial to say the least," Hanna continued.

Jennifer Sleeman, an active Catholic from Cork, Ireland initiated this movement when she urged women of Ireland to send a message to the Vatican that "women are tired of being treated as second-class citizens in the Church." This call which began with one woman is now spreading beyond the shores of Ireland as women around the world link arms together for participation in the day of action.

In solidarity with Sleeman, WOW supports her call for justice for women in the Catholic Church. Recognizing the many different ways of bearing witness to the institutional sin of sexism that marginalizes women in the Church, on September 26th, 2010 WOW encourages people of Catholic faith to consider organizing one of the following options for their parish communities:

• Withhold Funds: Instead of making a donation at collection time, place a note in the collection basket that expresses your support for women's ordination. (Print a postcard here.)
• Wear green armbands to Mass
• Boycott Mass: Grieving the Church's sin of sexism, part icipate in a prayerful fast from mass. Gather together in one of the many other meaningful ways in which the Eucharist can be celebrated, including women-led or community led communities.
  

Bridget Mary's Reflection:

1. Attend a Woman-Priest led liturgy.

2. Call forth women in your community to serve in a renewed priestly ministry.

3. Give a donation to Roman Catholic Womenpriests to support educaion of women called to prepare for priestly vocation

www.romancatholicwomenpriests.org

Vatican Bank Probe Marks Frst Time Its Accounts Blocked/CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/09/22/vatican.bank.investigation/

"Rome, Italy (CNN) -- An Italian probe into the Vatican Bank marks the first time Italian authorities have ever blocked an account at the bank, prosecutors told CNN Wednesday.

Italian authorities informed the Vatican Bank Tuesday that it was under investigation over possible violations of money laundering regulations, prosecutor Nello Rossi told CNN.

Prosecutors seized 23 million euros (about $30 million) in Vatican Bank transactions "as a cautionary measure" on Monday, he said."

AP Story:

Italian police seize $30M from Vatican in probe

By NICOLE WINFIELD

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_VATICAN_BANK?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2010-09-21-09-17-39

The National Coalition of American Nuns Statement: Challenging the Vatican, Calling for Open Discussion on Women's Ordination

The National Coalition of American Nuns (NCAN)

Statements - NCAN Board Meeting - August 16-18, 2010, Detroit, MI

1. Women’s Ordination

As Vatican II Catholics, committed to following Jesus who welcomed all people, we, and the majority of U.S. Catholics, believe in women’s priestly ordination. We cannot remain silent. We call for open, honest, and meaningful discussion.

We have witnessed some of our sisters and brothers being publicly chastised, removed from their ministries, put under interdict, and threatened with excommunication for their belief that women can be ordained priests. We think of Sister Louis Lears, who was placed under interdict for participating in the ordination of a woman priest in St. Louis. We think of Sister Louise Akers who was denied teaching in Catholic facilities because of her support of women’s ordination. We think of Fr. Roy Bourgeois who, according to the Vatican, incurred excommunication because of his public support of women’s ordination. We think of Janine Denomme who was denied a Catholic funeral and burial in a Catholic cemetery in Chicago because she was ordained a priest. We think of all those ordained in the Roman Catholic Womenpriest Movement, and those who attended their ordinations, who are considered excommunicated by the Vatican.

It is beyond our comprehension how the Vatican and individual bishops can summarily dismiss these committed Catholics who believe they are following the implications of the Gospel’s acceptance of women. We are appalled that the Vatican can equate the “attempted” ordination of women with the sexual abuse of minors.

When one of us is punished unjustly, we are all diminished, including those who punish. We call for the elimination of all sanctions against persons who support the ordination of women. We deplore the atmosphere of intimidation and fear that attempts to silence dissent and fails to respect our Gospel-informed conscience.

Silence is a betrayal of the Gospel, a betrayal of Vatican II, a betrayal of our Church, and a betrayal of conscience. The time for us to speak is NOW.



2. Service or Domination

Jesus’ way of teaching was affirming, inviting, encouraging and inspiring. He modeled service, rather than domination. He taught us the Beatitudes, which call forth the best in us, and spoke of God’s rewards for faithful service.

It is apparent that many church leaders do not exemplify the ideal expressed in the Beatitudes, but rather use denunciations, recriminations, dismissal, and punishments. The Bishop of Phoenix declared Sister Margaret McBride excommunicated because she chose to save the life of a mother of four who would have died without the termination of her pregnancy. The Archbishop of Denver allowed the exclusion of two children from a Catholic grade school because they have lesbian mothers. The President of Marquette University withdrew the offer of a deanship to Jodi O’Brien because she is a lesbian who has published articles on gender discrimination.

We feel that the people of God are being held hostage to hierarchical views, which are being enunciated as the “teachings of the Church.” If these indeed are the teachings of the Church, they are far from their teacher, Jesus. We call on our hierarchy to obey the example of Jesus by following His compassionate teachings in the beatitudes. We call on our hierarchy to mirror, not the domination of Roman emperors in their quest to conquer the world, but the service of Jesus in the Gospels.



3. Vatican Visitation

A number of seminary personnel reported that the recent investigation of US seminaries did not reflect their actual experiences. We question how the Vatican will determine the results of their visitation of U.S. communities of women religious. No visitation should be completed without a final report being shared with the investigated community. We believe that the lack of transparency will invalidate the whole visitation process.

We cannot help but feel that this investigation is an attempt on the part of the Vatican to control US nuns and to silence dissenting voices. A recent poll reported in the National Catholic Reporter (Catholics want women religious to speak out on policy issues: Survey gives U.S. nuns strong Catholic backing, NCRonline.org, June 4, 2010) showed that the majority of Catholics believe that women religious should follow their conscience and make public statements concerning church and society even when those statements counter the voice of the bishops.

Religious communities of women have long been engaged in self- studies, ministry evaluations, and spiritual development. Inspired by diverse charisms, under the leadership of duly elected leaders and Vatican approved constitutions, we women religious daily carry out our mission of compassionate service. We decry the assumption that mature women led by God’s Spirit are inadequate to live out their commitments without male oversight. As women religious we are proud of our history and the contributions women have made and are making in church and society.



4. Immigration

As members of the National Coalition of American Nuns, we call on all US citizens to welcome the stranger in our midst and to embrace all immigrants with respect and friendship.

We are alarmed by the anti-immigrant sentiments that have been voiced on the public airwaves. Recent legislation in Arizona and the subsequent state court ruling have fueled a national debate about racial profiling and scapegoating. Studies have shown that scapegoating tends to occur during times of financial stress, and such is the case in our present economy.

As daughters and sons of immigrants who established this country in their search of a better life, our hearts reach out to other immigrants in search of work to feed their families. As women of faith we believe that God’s earth was created for all peoples and that each person, citizen or not, is entitled to the basic human rights of health care, housing, education, and employment.

It is incumbent upon us to work for comprehensive immigration reform.

Stained Glass Ceiling' Focus of Local (CTA) Conference/Grand Ledge Independent/ Lansing, MI.

Roman Catholic Womanpriest
Mary Ellen Robertson
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20109190459

by Mary Jo White

• • al Dearde

"Grand Ledge resident Karen Schrauben was one of the organizers of the day-long event and led the prayer service at its end, along with local married priest Dick Preston and Mary Ellen Robertson from Muskegon. Robertson has been ordained by Roman Catholic Womenpriest, a group not recognized by the Vatican which considers the attempted ordination of a woman among the "most grievous crimes," along with pedophilia."

"CTA is calling for needed change in our church," Schrauben said. "Women are definitely being discriminated against at all levels."

"The CTA keynote speaker was Fr. Roy Bourgeois, a Maryknoll priest who founded the "School of the Americas Watch" in 1990 to oppose the training of Latin American soldiers in Fort Benning, Ga.More recently Bourgeois has taken a stand in support of the ordination of Roman Catholic women because he sees their exclusion from the priesthood as a justice issue. This is a grave injustice," he told the CTA audience. "Who are we as men to reject God's call to women to priesthood? Isn't God capable of empowering a woman? "...

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"Robes for Women" by Tim Padgett/TIME magazine/Sept. 27th

Story about Roman Catholic Women Priests in TIME/Sept. 27th issue
"Robes for Women" by Tim Padgett
Link will be available soon.

Hot New Trends: Twitter: Clip of Ordination of Women Bishops/Roman Catholic Womenpriests

http://www.docresume.com/iaquinta-wife-roman-catholic-womenpriests-ordain-four-women-bishopsanointing-of-head.html

Happy 35th Anniversary to Women's Ordination Conference/Enjoy Anniversary Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wg3etl80sg

Happy 35th Anniversary Women's Ordination Conference!

Thanks for stunning video. What a great trip down memory lane!
Shows diversity of women and men supporting our movement for justice and equality for women in the church.
I am grateful for all those who worked tirelessly for 35 years for women's ordination. Your support of Roman Catholic Womenpriests makes my spirit soar!
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP

Prayerful Public Witness: Raise Awareness of Injustices against Women in the Catholic Church

A prayerful public witness event in Portland, Oregon,

inspired by 80-year-old Jennifer Sleeman of Ireland,

to raise awareness of the injustices against women in

the Catholic Church.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

9:30 - 11:00 a.m.

South Park Blocks

Want to attend Mass before or after this event? Click here for Mass times in the Archdiocese of Portland.

Rain or shine!

All are welcome -- women, men, and children!

Women wear red!

Please bring a folding chair or two

Bridget Mary's Reflection:

You go, gutsy Catholic Women,

Speak out,

Resist discrimination,

Support a church in which women are treated as equals

Support Roman Catholic Womenpriests in our work for justice and equality for women in the church!

It is time for ACTION!

www.romancatholicwomenpriests.org

Pope Benedict in London Expresses Sorrow for Sexul Abuse/Meets with a Few Survivors/ Leaders Want Access to Vatican Files

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11354357

Commenting on the Pope's message during the Westminster Mass, Peter Isely, of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said: "We don't need a Pope who is sad about crimes. We need a Pope who will prevent crimes. And his words prevent nothing."

Peter Saunders, chief executive of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, who was also a victim himself, called on the Pope to make funding available to abuse survivors and provide access to Vatican files.

Bridget Mary's Reflection:

As important as expressing sorrow and meeting with a small, pre-chosen group of survivors of sexual abuse in England is, Pope Benedict needs to go further and adopt structurall reforms. These are a few recommendations:

1),acknowledge his role as head of the Congregation of the Doctrine for the Faith, take responsibility for the coverup of the sexual abuse scandal,

2)change the policy of protecting predator clergy first to protecting victims by reporting all serious allegations to civil authorities and doing justice for all,

3) fire bishops who kept predatory priests in ministry,

4) turn over all Vatican files to an international committee for investigation

5) announce systemic changes to reform clericalism with a special focus on the core issue of the abuse of spiritual power that is at the heart of this crisis,

6) adapt structures of accountability and transparency that will apply to all clerics and church ministers worldwide.

7) apologize to Roman Catholic Womenpriests and the entire church for the recent Vatican decree that linked women's ordination with pedophilia.

8) End mandatory celibacy, open up to the partnership of women and men in the Gospels, including womenpriests.

Papal Visit: Thousands Protest against Pope in London

18 September 2010

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11355258

"Thousands have marched in London to protest against the Pope's visit. Organisers of the Protest the Pope event said they wanted to highlight his stance on controversial subjects, including the ordination of women.Sex abuse and Catholic opposition to contraception have also been criticised..."

Bridget Mary's Reflection

According to the BBC news story Al Murray, a comedian who was part of the protest group, said: "The Pope's opposition to condoms kills people. It is all very well him lecturing us on morals but he should look at his own organisation's view."

Mr. Murray reflects the contradictions in Pope Benedict's worldview and teaching. The Catholic Church proclaims that it is a pro-life church, yet it puts people's lives at risk everyday by its opposition to condoms. In Africa, for example, thousands, perhaps, hundred of thousands of women die because their partners do not use condoms during sexual intercourse. These women, often faithful spouses, became infected with the HIV AIDS virus. This teaching is morally reprehensible and should be changed if the church is to truly be pro-life and pro-women. Pope Benedict should ask himself: what would Jesus do? The teachings of the church should reflect the values of justice and compassion in the Gospels. Jesus treated women and men as equals and partners.. Therefore there is no justification for the Catholic Church's teachings which puts women's lives at risk and that excludes women from ordained ministry. More than ever, the Catholic Church needs womenpriests! Bridget Mary Meehan, sofiabmm@aol.com,703-505-0004

"A Conspiracy of Bishops and Faithful" by Drew Christiansen/ America

http://www.americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=12465

Drew Christiansen | SEPTEMBER 27, 2010

“On Consulting the Faithful in Matters of Doctrine” was newly edited and republished in 1961 on the eve of the Second Vatican Council and has since become a minor classic. It argues that the church does not consist of pastors attended by dutiful faithful, but that it is rather “a conspiracy of pastors and faithful” (pastorum et fidelium conspiratio) in which the faithful should have a respected place justified by their proven witness to Christian orthodoxy. In the bishops’ relationship with the laity, Newman argued, “there is something...which is not in the pastors alone.”

"Newman’s point was not to praise the one group and shame the other. It was rather to assert their importance to one another, to affirm their lived unity in the one body of Christ. In particular, he wanted to urge upon the hierarchy an intellectual as well as affective consideration for the laity..."

Bridget Mary's Reflection:

When Pope Benedict canonizes St. John Newman in England this weekend, I hope he focuses on Newman's legacy-- that the Spirit of God speaks through the People of God. The magisterium's current prohibiton of women's ordination is a striking example of the hierarchy's failure to listen to the Sensus Fidelium! The equality of women in the church and world is the Voice of God in our time and it is enshrined in the hearts of the community of believers. Roman Catholic Womenpriests are meeting with enthusiasm in the Catholic communities that we serve and in those who are seeking women priests to serve their parishes. In Florida, this year, a woman called the local parish to find out when the woman priest was presiding at Mass! And the joy was the parish knew where to find her and shared the information with the inquirer! Can't you see the pastor scratching his head and sighing!! If it was up to some of the stressed out, overworked priests, they would welcome womanpriesst on staff.

Bridget Mary Meehan RCWP, sofiabmm@aol.com, 703-505-0004

"Female Priests Raising Papal Eyebrows" CNN American Morning/International

Bishop Andrea Johnson

RCWP Gloria Carpeneto

Left Gloria Carpeneto and right Andrea Johnson
were interviewed today on CNN American Morning/International

Contact Information:

Living Water's website is: www.thelivingwatercommunity.org

Co-pastors: Gloria Carpeneto and Andrea Johnson, RCWP

gcarpeneto@comcast.net

amjohnson1969@gmail.com

Address and schedule of liturgical services and outreach activities on website.

Scroll down on cnn site to picture of Andrea:
"Female Priests Raising Papal Eyebrows"

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/16/roman-catholic-women-priests/


Carol Costello, CNN Story Highlights:
"Some Catholic women aren't waiting for an answer from the Vatican - they say they've figured out a way around the traditional church and are leading Catholic congregations.

Gloria Carpeneto is one of them. She says she was ordained, thanks to an unnamed male bishop who secretly ordained the first female priests and bishops in 2002. Those women then ordained other women like Carpeneto, who says she is now able to hold mass every Sunday, in priestly robes, in front of small, but loyal congregations in Maryland.

"It struck me that I did not want to go to another faith tradition to be ordained," said Carpeneto...And so the notion of being in the Roman Catholic Church within the Roman Catholic tradition meant a lot to me."...

Despite that, the movement to ordain women priests is growing. That first group of seven women ordained in 2002 has grown. There are now five bishops, 47 priests, 10 deacons, and 16 candidates for formation to priesthood in the United States.

Andrea Johnson, who considers herself a Catholic bishop, is thrilled by the numbers..."It's Catholicism that needs us," she said. "We need the voices of men and women. We need everyone to work together in community, and I think the more we do of that the healthier the Church will be..."

www.romancatholicwomenpriests.org

Bridget Mary's Reflection:

Roman Catholic Womenpriests are growing and the church, the people of God, are accepting us. It is the hierarchy and the Vatican that is have a hard time with female priests. Sexism is a sin. It is wrong for any institution to discriminate against anyone including women. The full equality of women in the church and society is the Voice of God in our time. Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP, sofiabmm@aol.com, 703-505-0004

A Sign for Pope Benedict To Behold on Buses in UK: "Pope Benedict-Ordain Women Now" /BBC News

Set up as a counterpoint to Catholic Voices, Catholic Voices for Reform describes itself as the Church's "loyal opposition".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11294941
"Reformist Catholics have called on the Pope to revise Vatican positions

It wants an open debate on issues such as women's ordination, homosexuality and clerical celibacy."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/11297461

Pope Benedict XVI is the head of the biggest Christian denomination in the world, some one billion Roman Catholics, or one in six people. In Britain there are about five million Catholics, or about one in 12 people

"Numbers from the Catholic Directory suggest that currently about one million Catholics in England and Wales regularly attend mass. But according to the Catholic National Library, figures for mass attendance were not kept before 1989 and therefore no comparison is possible with the 1982 papal visit...

Bridget Mary's Reflection:

The good news is that there is a Roman Catholic Womenpriest in the UK. Morag Liebert lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. She presides at house church liturgies. Contact Morag Liebert at moragl@connectfree.co.uk

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11317441

Sexual Abuse Survivors Unite/ Let us Support Survivors, Call Vatican to Accountability

http://www.survivorsvoice.org/

Sexual abuse Survivors" are gathering in Rome in St. Peter's Square on Oct. 31st to declare the "Year of the Survivor", in a special "Reformation Day" ceremony.

It’s a gathering of people from around the globe standing together with survivors of childhood sexual abuse, in one united voice to say “ENOUGH!”

Boston abuse victim, Bernie McDaid, who met Pope Benedict in 2008 said it was planned to observe 60 seconds of silence in St. Peter's Square to be followed by a candelight vigil. "We've just had the Year for Priests, now we will have the Year for Survivors." Contact Bernie McDaid: bernie.mcdaid@gmail.com


Bridget Mary's Reflection:

Catholics worldwide must stand in solidarity with survivors of clergy sexual abuse and demand change from the Vatican. The victims of sexual abuse are our sisters and brothers. No more excuses, no more stonewalling, no more hand-wringing. We the church, the people of God, must demand that Pope Benedict accept the resignation of bishops who shuffled predator priests from parish to parish. If, Pope Benedict himself cannot or will not do this, then it is time for him to resign as a sign of solidarity with survivors and an act of reconciliation to heal this cancer destroying the soul of our church.
In addition, there must be a system of accountability and an end to clericalism that puts clergy on pedestals and protects the institution at the expense of the victims of horrific abuse and criminal behavior. Systemic change is needed in the Catholic Church. In my view, the people in the pews should stop giving until the hierarchy starts listening and adopting significant reforms. More than ever, we need women priests in a renewed priestly ministry in people-empowered, transparent, accountable Catholic communities. We are the church and its future is in our hands. Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP , sofiabmm@aol.com, 703-505-0004

Belgian church seeks way out of abuse crisis

http://apnews.myway.com//article/20100913/D9I6VGT80.html

"BRUSSELS (AP) - The Belgian Roman Catholic church is acknowledging widespread sexual abuse over years by its clergy and promising to help victims heal and punish the abusers.

On Friday, a report was published in which hundreds of sex abuse victims revealed harrowing accounts of molestation by Catholic clergy throughout the country over the past 50 years.

In response, Belgium's Archbishop Andre-Mutien Leonard said Monday "a feeling of anger and powerlessness" had taken hold of the church."

Ordaining of first female bishop makes worshippers happy:Irja Askola becomes Bishop of Helsinki

Irja Askola becomes Bishop of Helsinki, Finland

http://www.helsinkitimes.fi/htimes/domestic-news/general/12309-askola-becomes-finlands-first-female-bishop.html

"Several female bishops from European churches were present at Helsinki’s Lutheran Cathedral on Sunday, when Finland’s Evangelical Lutheran Church ordained Irja Askola as Bishop of Helsinki. Even though the Finnish Orthodox and Catholic churches had criticised the choice of a woman as the Lutheran Bishop of Helsinki, both were represented at the ceremony. Metropolitan Ambrosius of the Finnish Orthodox Church and Vicar-General Wieslaw Swiech of the Roman Catholic Church were present at the ordination..."


Bridget Mary's Blog:
Irja Askola , Bishop of Helsinki,
blessings and warm wishes to you as you chart a path toward partnership and equality for women and men in the Christian tradition. Perhaps, one day, the Roman Catholic hierarchy will affirm the ministry of womenpriests and bishops called forth from the community for ministry in an inclusive, people-empowered church.
In prayerful solidarity,
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP

Anglicans Proceed with Women Bishops, Time for Pope Benedict and Vatican to Affirm Women Priests and Bishops

Roman Catholic Womenpriests' Ordination of U.S. bishops
left to right Joan Houk, Great Waters, Ida Raming, Germany,
Regina Nicolosi, Midwest (holding crozier) Bridget Mary Meehan, South
Andrea Johnson, East, second row, right Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger, Austria, Patricia Fresen, Germany
Patricia, Ida and Christine presided at historic U.S. bishops ordinations on April 19,2009 in California. Our first bishops were ordained by a male Roman Catholic Bishop in apostolic succession, therefore, our RCWP ordinations are valid, but in violation of man-made canon law. We claim equal rights by using equal rites.


http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE68C2J720100913

2010 -- July 9-12 -- "The CofE General Synod approves the latest stage in the consecration of women bishops, a long process unlikely to be completed before 2014. Within days, the Vatican codifies the "attempted ordination of a woman" to the priesthood as a most serious crime against Church law." Bridget Mary's Reflection Bravo for the Anglican Communion for moving ahead with women bishops. Equal rights for women in the church is the Voice of God in our times! The Vatican's new law codifies misogyny. It takes us back to Church Fathers like Tertullian who called women "the gateway to the devil." It is time for the Vatican to follow Jesus' example of Gospel equality. The Risen Christ appeared first to Mary of Magdala, the apostle to the apostles. Is it a crime to ordain a woman, or is the real crime the institutional church's discrimination against women? Roman Catholic Womenpriests are leading the way toward justice and equality for women in the Roman Catholic Church. Bridget Mary Meehan, sofiabmm@aol.com, 703-505-0004

BBC Report on Pope Benedict's Visit to UK: "there are women priests."/RCWP grows in spite of Vatican opposition

Catholics Pack Church in
support of Roman Catholic Womenpriests
in Florida at historic ordination in Feb. 2010

Judy Lee, a Roman Catholic Womanpriest, ministers in
house church-serving homeless and impoverished people in Ft Myers, Florida

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/gavinhewitt/2010/09/an_embattled_pope.html

"Beneath the surface, there is a clamour for change. Robert Mickens from the Catholic paper the Tablet says that increasingly parishes are going their own way. Unofficially there are women priests in the US... "

Bridget Mary's Reflection:

Roman Catholic Womenpriests are serving communities in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. In the UK, Morag Liebert, the first Roman Catholic Womanpriest ordained in Scotland, presides at liturgy in a house church there. Contact Morag Liebert at moragl@connectfree.co.uk

Catholics are voting with their feet. They are enthusiastic members of our inclusive grassroots communities. The opposition of the hierarchy in many cases serves as an impetus to growth. When Bishop Frank Dewane threatened to excommunicate the historic ordination of women priests in Sarasota, Florida in Feb., over 200 Catholics filled the church in support of Roman Catholic Womenpriests.

Since the Delicta Graviora story, the Vatican's comparison of the crime of ordaining women to priest pedophilia,the Roman Catholic Womenpriests Movement has experienced a surge in new applicants and requests for information on women-led priests' liturgies as well as world-wide media coverage. Onc could say, the Vatican's hostility to women priests has resulted in greater interest and support for our initiative of a renewed priestly ministry in which women take their place as equals and partners in the church.

CNN will feature a story on The Living Water Inclusive Catholic Community in Catonsville, Maryland that will air on this coming Thursday, September 16, twice, between the hours of 6-10AM EDT. That program is called CNN Morning.

Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP, sofiabmm@aol.com, 703-505-0004

Pope Benedict 's Faces Criticism on Issues including Women Priests

(left Morag Liebert, RCWP,
right, Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan
ordained Morag Liebert
in Edinburgh in 2009)

"Pope Benedict's failure to tackle the child abuse issue adequately is just one of a number of criticisms facing the Catholic church ahead of his arrival in Edinburgh on Thursday. Issues ranging from homosexuality, the ordination of women priests, contraception to prevent the spread of Aids, and abortion threaten to overshadow the visit. A series of Protest the Pope events are planned."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/child-abuse-victims-urge-pope-to-act-2077195.html

Morag Liebert, a Roman Catholic Womanpriest, from Edinburgh was ordained by the Roman Catholic Womenpriests' Movement in 2009. She offers hope for the future of Catholicism as inclusive and open... Contact: moragl@connectfree.co.uk

Roman Catholic Womenpriests are disobeying an unjust law that discriminates against women. Our first women bishops were ordained by a male Roman Catholic bishop in aposotlic succession, so we are validly ordained. We claim equal rights using equal rites.

Roman Catholic Womenpriests are leading the church into a new era of justice and equality for women in the church, modeled on Jesus example in the Gospels and the twelve hundred year tradition of women in Holy Orders. Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP, 703-505-0004.sofiabmm@aol.com

Pope Benedict's Visit to England: Catholic Reformers Speak Up for Justice and Equality: Womenpriests Claim Equal Rights, Use Equal Rites

Dublin Abuse Survivor and Activist Marie Collins (left),
Bridget Mary Meehan(right),
Andrew Madden, in suit behind women,
author of Altar Boy: A Story of Life After Abuse

Bridget Mary Meehan (left) addressed
Humbert Summer School in Castlebar, Ireland
on Aug. 20,2010
topic: justice and equality for
sex abuse survivors and for women in the church
(Both photos courtesy Bill Heaney, Glasgow)

When Pope Benedict lands in England, he will encounter fallout from his failure to fire bishops who shuffled predator priests who raped and sexually abused youth. The pope should retract the Vatican's recent decision to link pedophiles with women priests, a move that has been condemned worldwide. The Vatican's hostile edict which prescribed automatic excommunication for anyone associating with the ordination of a woman reminds us of the church's long history of misogyny with its insinuation that the ordination of a woman somehow defiles the sacrament. Is it a crime to ordain a woman or is the real crime to continue to discriminate against women in the church? Roman Catholic Womenpriests claim equal rights by using equal rites to bring justice and equality to the church.

Roman Catholic Womenpriests are leading the Catholic Church into a new era of justice where women, ordained validly in apostolic succession, are offering the church a renewed priestly ministry in a more open, inclusive community of equals where all are welcome to receive sacraments and all are called to receive Eucharist at the Banquet of Christ's boundless love.

Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
703-505-0004
sofiabmm@aol.com