Christmas Homily by Roberta Meehan, RCWP

Christmas Homily – 1999 – revised 2005 – revised 2008 – revised 2009 – revised 2010

I Isaiah 62:1-5

Acts 13:16-17, 22-25

Matthew 1:1-25

II Isaiah 9:1-6

Titus 2:11-14

Luke 2:1-14

III Isaiah 62:11-12

Titus 3:4-7

Luke 2:15-20

IV Isaiah 52:7-10

Hebrews 1:1-6

John 1:1-18

The theophanic crescendo of the Christmas story begins humbly and prophetically with the vigil liturgy.

Theophany – the manifestation of God…. That is what this Christmas story is all about – the story about how God came to be with us.

Indeed, this is the story of the beginnings of how we came to be known as the People of God. Four separate liturgies (vigil, midnight, dawn, day) are used to tell our Christmas story and each liturgy becomes more intense than the preceding liturgy, building – crescendo-ing, as it were – until we reach the gospel of the final liturgy and we are told without any doubt who this Jesus – this Babe of Bethlehem – really is.

The liturgy of the vigil establishes the claim of Jesus – a prophecy from the Book of Isaiah, followed by an explanation of Jesus as the rightful heir of David from the Acts of the Apostles, and culminating in a legal genealogy of Jesus – a point of utmost importance to Matthew's Jewish audience. Yes, there could be no doubt. Jesus was the rightful heir; his claim was valid!

The liturgy at midnight tells the story of the birth of Jesus – a prediction from the Book of Isaiah, followed by an explanation of the meaning of Christmas from the letter to Titus, and concluding with Luke's beautiful story of the birth of Jesus. We feel we are there with the shepherds as they hear the angels’ message and the crescendo of the heavenly music – “Glory to God in the highest!”

The liturgy at dawn explains that Jesus was the timelessness of the Savior – another prophecy from Isaiah, another description from Titus, and finally the story of the shepherds and what they did after hearing the angels. The shepherds went to Bethlehem to find this infant who was wrapped in swaddling clothes – the clothes of royal infants! – and lying in a manger.

The theophany culminates with the liturgy of Christmas Day – a poetic exhilaration from Isaiah, followed by a prosaic wonderment from the Letter to the Hebrews, and at long last the prologue from the Gospel of John – a hymn pronouncing the Messianic message from the beginning of all time.

Allow me to use these four scriptural sequences (transitioned and paraphrased slightly for clarity's sake) to retell the story of the beginnings of our salvation.

CHAPTER I - Our God will not be quiet until the vindication of Jerusalem shines forth and until her victory is like a burning torch. This is the glorious crown in the hand of the Lord, the royal diadem held by our God. But, we state, as did Paul, "Israelites and you others who are God-fearing, listen. As it is written, 'I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will carry out my every wish.' And it is from David's descendants that God has brought to Israel a savior – this man Jesus." Who is this Jesus and what right does he have to claim this throne? His genealogy, his legal heritage, is clear from Abraham on through Jacob, the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary and of Mary was born this Jesus, this long awaited Christ.

CHAPTER II - This child is born unto us and upon his shoulders dominion rests. His name is Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace. His dominion is vast and forever peaceful. This is the appearance of the glory of our great God; this is the savior, Jesus the Christ. Even the shepherds have been told that in David's city a child is born – the Christ - and they are not to be afraid.

CHAPTER III - These holy people, to whom this child is born, they are redeemed by God. We are these people. This God has saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewed us by the Holy Spirit. When the shepherds saw the child, they made known the message and all who heard the message were amazed. CHAPTER IV - The excitement is unbounded. We must break out in song. God has comforted the people and redeemed Jerusalem and it is known that all the ends of the earth will behold the salvation of our God. He accomplished purification from sins and he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high. And he can trace his inheritance to that moment before the timeless eons began. Because… In the beginning was Wisdom* and Wisdom was with God and Wisdom was God. Wisdom was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through Wisdom, and without Wisdom nothing came to be. What came to be through Wisdom was life and this life was the light of the human race, and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. And Wisdom became flesh and dwelt among us. And we saw Wisdom's glory, the glory of God's Wisdom, full of grace and truth. From Wisdom's fullness we have all received grace, and grace and truth come through Jesus the Christ! And Jesus the Christ is the enfleshment of the Wisdom of God. Merry Christmas!!

*Wisdom -- Sophia as transliterated in Greek, a word of the feminine grammatical gender in the ancient languages -- is the feminine aspect of the one God and is personified as a woman in the Bible.
Jn 13:35 – Roberta M. Meehan, ARCWP

http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/

Huffington Post Rates Roman Catholic Women Priests #5 on Ten Greatest Finds of 2010, TIME Rates RCWP #6 Top Religious Story

Bishop Bridget Mary ordains First Latin American Woman Priest
on Dec. 11, 2010

Holiday Hot List: The 10 Greatest Finds of 2010

#5 Roman Catholic Women Priests

Huffington Post

For centuries, Roman Catholic women have been robbed of the opportunity to ... The amount of ordained womenpriests has grown considerably since that time,

TIME selected Roman Catholic Women Priests as #6 top Religious Story of 2010.

Bridget Mary's Reflection:

We give thanks for the the growth of Roman Catholic Women Priests our movement for justice and equality for women in our church. Thanks to all of you who support us by your presence, prayers and gifts of time, treasure and talent.

Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP

sofiabmm@aol.com

www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org

No direct abortion at Phoenix hospital, theologian says/Will Bishop Olmstead Rescind Decision to Strip St. Joseph of "Catholic" Identity?

National Catholic Reporter:
'Mother and fetus were both in the process of dying
'Dec. 23, 2010
By Jerry Filteau
The controversial operation on an 11-week pregnant mother at a Phoenix hospital last year that caused the local bishop to excommunicate a Catholic woman religious and led him this week to declare the hospital no longer Catholic was not a direct abortion, according to a moral theologian called in to review the case. "
"The mother and fetus were both in the process of dying … It was not a matter of choosing one life or the other. The child's life, because of natural causes, was in the process of ending," wrote theologian M. Therese Lysaught in a 24-page analysis of the medical procedure performed by St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in November 2009."
"The only morally good thing that can be chosen here is to save the life of the mother,'" wrote Lysaught, who reviewed the case at the request of Catholic Healthcare West, a three-state system of mainly Catholic hospitals to which St. Joseph's belongs."
Bridget Mary's Reflection
Will Bishop Olmstead rescind his decision to strip St. Joseph of its "Catholic" identity and the automatic excommunication of Sr. Margaret McBride? Let's hope so! Otherwise, at risk is the moral credibility of the hierarchy. But, no matter what the bishop decides to do, the public can continue to trust St. Joseph's Hospital as a health care facility that is dedicated to the highest moral and ethical principles that the Catholic Church espouses.
However, this case raises a host of questions on a number of life and death issues.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org

"Catholic Health Association Back Phoenix Hospital" Will Pregnant Women Feel Safe in Catholic Hospitals Run By Bishops?

http://ncronline.org/news/catholic-health-association-backs-phoenix-hospital

Catholic Health Association backs Phoenix hospital
Dec. 22, 2010
By Jerry Filteau - NCR Online
"St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix acted in accord with Catholic directives on medical ethics when it performed an abortion last year to save the mother’s life, the head of the Catholic Health Association of the United States said Dec. 21."
..."In November 2009 the woman was admitted to St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center with worsening symptoms. Tests revealed that she now had life-threatening pulmonary hypertension. The chart notes that she had been informed that her risk of mortality was close to 100 percent if she continued the pregnancy. The medical team contacted the Ethics Consult team for review. The consultation team talked to several physicians and nurses as well as reviewed the patient’s record. The patient and her family, her doctors and the Ethics Consult team agreed that the pregnancy could be terminated, and that it was appropriate since the goal was not to end the pregnancy but save the mother’s life.”
..." The Arizona Republic, learned that Olmstead had been told about the abortion and had privately informed the head of the ethics committee, Mercy Sr. Margaret McBride, that in approving the abortion McBride had incurred automatic excommunication from the church. "
At the time it was revealed that the woman in question was in the 11th week of pregnancy, had four other young children, and had resisted abortion as an option until it became clear that both she and the unborn child were in imminent danger of death if she tried to continue her pregnancy."
"Olmsted contended that the hospital violated Directive 45 of the bishops’ “Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services,” which says, “Abortion – that is, the directly intended termination of pregnancy before viability or the directly intended destruction of a viable fetus – is never permitted..." The hospital contended that it was not in violation of that directive but rather was following the modifying principle in Directive 47, which says, “Operations, treatments, and medications that have as their direct purpose the cure of a proportionately serious pathological condition of a pregnant woman are permitted when they cannot be safely postponed until the unborn child is viable, even if they will result in the death of the unborn child.”
Although by episcopal decree St. Joseph’s can no longer call itself Catholic, the hospital said, “St. Joseph’s will retain its name and our Catholic heritage will always be at the core of who we are. Our mission and values will not change.”
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
The bottom line is St. Joseph's Hospital is still in spirit a "Catholic" hospital, but no longer under the control of the bishop) because it is following the Gospel mandate of Jesus to show compassion and its decision in this case reflects the long-standing moral teaching of the Catholic Church. The general public, including Catholic women, can breathe a sigh of relief that St. Joseph's will continue to offer health care that does not put their lives at risk. Like St. Joseph, who stood up for Mary when her life was at risk, so too, St. Joseph's Hospital will continue to work to save the lives of pregnant women and their unborn children.
On the other hand, if Catholic hospitals follow Bishop Olmsted's directive- that abortion is never permitted under any circumstances including when a woman's life is at risk- then, pregnant women may no longer feel safe in Catholic hospitals.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/

Bishop Olmsted Withdrew "Catholic" Church Affliation from St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix: Will this lead to Independent Catholic Hospitals?

Associated Press
PHOENIIX - "The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix stripped a major hospital of its affiliation with the church Tuesday because of a surgery that ended a woman's pregnancy to save her life. Bishop Thomas Olmsted called the 2009 procedure an abortion and said St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center -- recognized internationally for its neurology and neurosurgery practices -- violated ethical and religious directives of the national Conference of Catholic Bishops."
21 December 2010

Bridget Mary's Reflection:

The decision by the Bishop Olmsted raises the question once again, who owns the church? Are the people of God, including the hierarchy, all the "baptized" the church or is the hierarchy alone the church? In this instance, the bishop removed the "Catholc " identity "because of a surgery that ended a woman's pregnancy to save her life." This decision sends a chilling message to women that our lives are expendible. It also raises the question can a pro-life church be a pro-woman church? Catholic moral theology upholds the primacy of conscience. The Ethics Committee , includng Sr. McBride, made a difficult decision that reflected the moral principles that Catholics have used for decades. Ultimately, this decision appears to be about power and control.

Will St. Joseph's Hospital "own" its identity as an independent "Catholic" hospital not under the bishop's jurisdiction? Could St. Joseph be a trend-setter that other Catholic hospitals, universities and institutions will follow? This could lead to more independence from the hierarchy. Religious Orders of nuns could do likewise. This would enable these entities to live their "Catholic" identity without being controlled by the bishops. Hmm, it might not be a bad idea, given the amount of friction, turmoil, and disagreement that we witness today in our body politic. It is certainly worth a serious conversation at this point!

Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP

Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests

www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org

Media Contact:David J. Nolan 1 202 986 6093

http://www.catholicsforchoice.org/



A Sad State of Affairs in Phoenix, Arizona

Jon O’Brien, president of Catholics for Choice, issued the following statement today after Bishop Olmsted of Phoenix, Arizona, declared that a local hospital could no longer describe itself as Catholic.

“The decision by Bishop Thomas Olmsted to declare that St. Joseph’s Hospital may no longer be considered Catholic is a sad one.

“It’s sad that Bishop Olmsted is so intransigent that he cannot accept that the people seeking medical care at the hospital may need access to services that he finds unacceptable, even though he, and we, know that Catholics use contraception and access abortion services at rates similar to the population as a whole.

“It’s sad that people seeking care and working at the hospital will no longer be able to hear mass in the chapel at St. Joseph’s.

“It’s sad for the people of Phoenix that the local bishop has created such a spectacle over this issue, from the moment he sought to excommunicate Sister Margaret McBride for sanctioning a life-saving operation to the threats issued to St. Joseph’s down to today’s punishment – announced via press release.

“All of the people who work at the hospital know that their actions are driven by their consciences, from the doctors, nurses and other medical personnel right through to the administration and support staff. They all acted in good conscience. Can Bishop Olmsted say the same thing?

“The only possible silver lining also relates to people seeking medical services at the hospital. Now that Bishop Olmsted will no longer be influencing decisions about their medical care, perhaps people seeking services at St. Joseph’s will be able to access the services they need in a timely manner – after consulting with their doctor and without concerns about whether the local bishop is influencing medical decisions. Ultimately, when a bishop stops pretending to be a doctor, the whole community benefits.”

Pope Benedict Addresses Pedophile Crisis, Needed a Renewed Priestly Ministry in a People-Empowered Church

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_VATICAN_CHURCH_ABUSE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2010-12-20-06-56-10

Dec 20, 6:56 AM EST
Pope: Church must reflect on what allowed abuse
By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press
EXCERPT:

"He said the underlying ideology of such rampant excesses stemmed from the 1970s, when "pedophilia was theorized as something that was in keeping with man and even the child,"...

Bridget Mary's Reflecton:
What! I never heard this theory before and I doubt many Catholics have either! A secretive clerical, all-male hierarchy, is the underlying ideology that perpetuated the sex abuse scandal. Until Pope Benedict deals with clericalism and the abuse of power that led to the rape, sodomy and sexual abuse of thousands of youth, the church will fail to deal with the systemic roots of this crisis. Needed now, a renewed priestly ministry in a community of equals. We need a people empowered church in partnership with the people. Roman Catholic Women Priests are already at work renewing the church in grassroots communities.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests.
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
sofiabmm@aol.com
703-505-0004

Honor Women as Moral Decision-Makers- Vatican Must Promote Condoms to Save Women's Lives- Needed Women Priests

Bill Schuch writes:
"Some observations on several of the Bishop of Toledo's statements in the article published December 19, 2010 in the Toledo Blade: If it is true that "consistent condom use has not reached a sufficiently high level … to produce a measurable slowing of new infections in the generalized epidemics of Sub-Saharan Africa", then the Vatican's hard line against the use of condoms to prevent the transmission of HIV within discordant couples is at least partially responsible. "

"The bishop places " condom orthodoxy" (his term) at odds with the suffering people of Africa and their values, their love for children and family. The fact is that when monogamous women are infected by their HIV-positive spouses/ partners, many, who progress to AIDS for lack of lifelong access to anti-retroviral drugs, leave behind orphans who are often abandoned by their fathers and those women who refuse the demands for sex from their infected spouses/partners are subject to violence, ostracism and destitution for themselves and their children. "

"Bishop Blair joins the numerous hierarchs who, ever since the Pope's recent interview in which he mused that condoms might play a role in HIV prevention, have been assuring us that there has been no change and will never be any change in the intrinsic evil of condom use which is synonymous with intended contraception rather than intended disease prevention in their non-pastoral orthodox minds. Not one of these men has the courage to give public consideration to the plight of these women at the mercy of their HIV-positive husbands, most of whom are not very keen on using condoms. The Vatican's hardline against the use of condoms simply reinforces their strong disinclination to use condoms. "

"The bishop points out that one in four of the 33 million AIDS patients worldwide is being cared for by the Catholic Church. That includes almost half of the total treatment efforts in Africa, where two-thirds of those afflicted with AIDS live. U.S. Catholic Relief Services and Caritas Internationalis care for Catholic and non-Catholics alike - their failure to provide condoms and instructions as to their proper and consistent use as a moral imperative if abstinence is not a realistic option for discordant couples clearly is counter-productive to the efforts of other NGOs working to address the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa. Would it not make good Christian common sense to provide condoms where necessary to protect these innocent women? These women, Catholic and non-Catholic, are not only the victims of their male-dominated ( often polygamous) cultures but of our male-dominated Catholic church as well."
wjschuch@comcast.net



Bridget Mary's Reflection

This issue illustrates a major reason women priests are needed in the Roman Catholic Church. Women are capable moral agents and decision-makers in moral issues that impact their lives. Sometimes, I wonder what planet these male bishops live on? The Pope opens the door a crack to a more compassionate view for condom use to save lives, and here come these bishops who continue to uphold the ban on condoms. Why? Millions of women have died because their partners infected them! Protecting the lives of women should be a priority in a church that professes to be pro-life.
It is time for the bishops to affirm women's lives as much as they affirm fetal life. But, sadly, the male-dominated patriarchal mindset continues to exert a negative effect on the lives of millions of women who suffered from HIV AIDS as a result of their partners refusal to use condoms. This is insanity and has nothing to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ who treated women and men as equals and partners. The Roman Catholic community needs to challenge Bishop Blair and members of the hierarchy who support the ban on condoms. We need to stand together in solidarity with our sisters in Africa and elsewhere. They deserve our support.
Bridget Mary Meehan RCWP
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests.
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/

Roman Catholic Church Should Promote Use of Condoms to Save Women's Lives

"I want to point out that the following statement by the bishop of diocese of Youngstown, OH is yet another of an ongoing plethora of statements from members of various hierarchies around the world assuring us that,the recent musings of Pope Benedict XVI regarding condoms to the contrary nothwithstanding, the Church's hard line on condoms remains cast in concrete - contraception remains immoral, under any circumstances, even though it may may not be the intent in using a condom.

Not one of these prelates has had the courage and integrity to admit that millions of monogamous women in Africa have been needlessly infected by their HIV-positive husbands/partners over the past 2+ decades because John Paul II, on whose watch the AIDS pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa began, and Benedict XVI (upon until now) and their sycophants have failed to tell these HIV-positive men that, if they cannot or are unwilling to refrain from sexual relations with their women, they have a moral obligation to use condoms on a consistent basis - this relying on well-established principles of pastoral moral theology, viz. lesser evil, double effect and the right to self-defense.

Their failure to act as real pastors in this life and death issue for these innocent women, Catholics and many non-Catholics under the care of Catholic Relief Services and Caritas Internationalis, simply reinforces the refusal of many, if not most, African males to use condoms -they demand sex and if a woman refuses a husband’s or partner’s sexual overtures, she risks ostracism, violence, and destitution for herself and her children. Condoms in those real life situations are a "pro-life" strategy. These so-called shepherds continue to fail to protect the women in their flocks and are therefore morally complicit in that horrendous holocaust of suffering and deaths in Africa. Their support of dogmatic orthodoxy over Christ-like orthopraxy is lamentable and pathetic. They have lost their moral capacity to lead and do not deserve our respect. "
by Bill Schuch

Bishop of Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio: The Pope's Comments on Condoms

"International media reports have created a great deal of confusion around Pope Benedict’s recently published remarks with regard to condoms. Some reports have claimed that the Pope is justifying condom use in certain circumstances. Others have accused the Pope of changing Church teaching. A careful reading of his remarks reveals, however, that Pope Benedict neither proposed any change to the teaching of the Church on the immorality of the use of contraceptives, nor does he justify condom use, or characterize their use as a lesser evil. He is, in fact, very clear in the interview that condoms are not either a real or moral solution to the AIDS crisis. Why, then, all of the confusion? Some news reports have taken one sentence from Chapter 11 of the Pope’s book-length interview and given it a broader interpretation than the Pope intended. In this sentence, Pope Benedict states, “There may be a basis in the case of some individuals, as perhaps when a male prostitute uses a condom, where this can be a first step in the direction of a moralization, a first assumption of responsibility, on the way toward recovering an awareness that not everything is allowed and that one cannot do whatever one wants.”
"Pope Benedict was not justifying condom use for male prostitutes or for anyone else. Rather he was reflecting on the dawning light of human conscience in a person who lives a sinful lifestyle. In the Pope’s example, even someone whose life is so darkened by sin still has a hope for conversion by reflecting on his actions according to the true inner voice of conscience. Specifically, a prostitute’s use of a condom is not in any way a lesser evil, but rather it is his (or her) desire to reduce the risk of spreading AIDS that may signal a first step in recognizing the human dignity of a sexual partner. In a prostitute’s realization that a deadly disease would not be good for a sexual partner, there is hope that one day he or she will come to see the immorality of that lifestyle and begin to seek the true freedom that is found only in Jesus Christ.I hope this helps to clarify the Holy Father’s remarks."

Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Once again, the hierarchy has no clue that it's teaching does NOT reflect the compassion in the heart of Jesus for all God's people, including women. We must all follow our consciences in moral decisions. Bill Schuch is right on in his message that millions of women have died because of their partners' failures to use condoms to protect them for infection by HIV AIDS. This does not reflect a pro-life stance toward women that our church professes as central to its teaching on the dignity and protection of life from womb to tomb. We should ask ourselves why does the male hierarchy espouse such a double standard and why are women's lives expendable?
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
sofiabmm@aol.com

Bridget Mary's Blog: TIME Magazine declares Roman Catholic Women Priests Top Story: Rated # 6 -- In Spite of the Vatican

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2035319_2034971_2034954,00.html

Did the Pope really say "all of Jesus disciples were women?" /A Vision Received?

TIME magazine rated Roman Catholic Women Priests the #6 Top Story.

"The Pope, in an interview published in late November, remained adamant that the Church has no biblical authority to ordain women as priests because all of Jesus' disciples were women. "
Was this a misprint by TIME or does it reflect new thinking or a vision received by the Pope?!!
Perhaps, Pope Benedict is recognizing the vital role women played in the Gospel.
Now let's hope that he makes the connection with the need for the full equality of women in the Catholic Church... as gender justice is a key to non-violence and to empowerment of women throughout our world community.
Here are a few of the prominent women in Jesus' circle of disciples that certainly lay the foundation for gender justice and women priests today.
Mary of Magdala, apostle to the apostles, first witness to encounter the Risen Christ, and called to "go and tell" the followers of Jesus including the Tweleve the Good News of Jesus' resurrection, the core belief of the Christian faith.
Mary Mother of Jesus, faithful disciple who turned the Spirit of God into the Body and Blood of Christ.The Catholic Church has an age-old devotion to Mary as priest. www.womenpriests.org/pafffirm.asp
The Samaritan Woman, who was the first evangelist who brought her whole village to Jesus, demonstrates the esteem that the Johannine community held its women leaders.
The story of the Samaritan woman is the longest conversation between Jesus and anyone in Scripture (John 4:6-42)
Joanna, Susanna and the many women who provided for Jesus out of their resources, and whom scholars believe bank-rolled his ministry.
Martha is remembered for one of the most important proclamations of faith. "I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, God's Only Begotten, the One who is coming into the world." (Jn.11:27) Scholars claim that the table ministry of Martha is associated with eucharistic ministry.
The story of the woman with the hemorrhage reveals a woman's dignity as a person in the face of religious and social discrimination. Jesus repudiates the purification rituals of the law-bound religious structures of all time that discriminate against women.
( If you'd like to read more about biblical women as equals and partners in the Gospel, read my book, Praying with Women of the Bible. available on online retailers such as amazon.com)
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/

TIME Magazine declares Roman Catholic Women Priests Top Story: Rated # 6 -- In Spite of the Vatican

"6. Women Priests, In Spite of the Vatican"

By Howard Chua-Eoan

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2035319_2034971_2034954,00.html

"In July, the Vatican branded the ordination of women as priests a delictum gravius, or grave crime, the same label it has given pedophilia. That may have been in response to the small but increasing number of women who have been ordained priests by rebel Catholic congregations in the U.S. and other parts of the world. For example, Roman Catholic Womenpriests, a group founded eight years ago in Europe, has ordained women in more than 20 American states and Canada. The Pope, in an interview published in late November, remained adamant that the Church has no biblical authority to ordain women as priests because all of Jesus' disciples were women."View the full list for "The Top 10 Everything of 2010"

Bridget Mary's Reflection:
The Vatican is the gift that keeps on giving to Roman Catholic Women Priests! Their opposition has propelled major media coverage and galvinized public support.
It is obvious that Catholics and others believe that the time for the full equality of women in the church is now!
The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests ordain women who are called by God to serve in a renewed priesthood in a community of equals.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/

Historic Ordination of First Latin American Roman Catholic Woman Priest

Historic Ordination of First Latin American Roman Catholic Woman Priest

A diverse community of supporters, including the poor and marginalized from Good Shepherd Community in Ft. Myers, Florida, celebrated the historic ordination of the first Roman Catholic Woman Priest from Latin America. A prominent feminist leader in the ecumenical religious community and a missionary activist, she was ordained by Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan of the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests in Sarasota, Florida on Dec. 11th, 2010.

The newly ordained woman priest was inspired by the religious women who taught her in grade school and high school. She was not only a product of Vatican II and the changes that took place in Latin America, she was an active participant of the Gospel mandate for and church teaching on social justice.As a passionate advocate of gender equality and liberation theology, her life mission has been working with the poor especially women in base communities in cities in Latin America. In addition, she is a member of ecumenical organizations and skilled at working with clergy from various denominations. Her goal has been to empower, educate, and to raise consciousness. "Liberate yourself from the past, even though the church, society and your family may have condemned you. God does not condemn you," the first Latin American woman priest said, "We need to have an ethics of love, not punishment or fear, the sacraments are not pieces of paper but relationships to Spirit." In her ministry to the poor and indigenous she proclaims "we have the blood of Christ." She advocates raising the poor and indigenous people to full equality in the church and in society. In other words, one's ethnic background, social standing, race or religion does not matter. All are one in Christ. This theology is rooted in the first principal statement of Vatican II: "Every form of discrimination against persons, either because of religion, nationality, race or gender, must be overcome and eradicated as contrary to God's intent."

This courageous and prophetic first Roman Catholic Woman Priest believes that women's ordination is a question of justice. Her vision is building up partnership between women and men in Latin America. She follows directly in the footsteps of holy women and men who have embraced Gospel justice in solidarity with the poor and marginalized in Latin America.

Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP

Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests

http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/

Dutch Catholic Church Faces 2000 Abuse Complaints

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/10/world/europe/10dutch.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper

Stephen Castle


BRUSSELS — "The Roman Catholic Church, battered by sexual abuse scandals from the United States to Belgium, is facing a new set of damaging allegations in the Netherlands. Figures released Thursday by an investigative commission showed that almost 2,000 people had made complaints of sexual or physical abuse against the church, in a country with only four million Catholics. "

Cables Show Ireland Irked Vatican on Sovereignty/ Christ is weeping

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/12/11/cables-indicate-ireland-ceded-vatican-pressure/
Cables show Ireland irked Vatican on sovereignty

VATICAN CITY – Newly released U.S. diplomatic cables indicate that the Vatican felt "offended" that Ireland failed to respect Holy See "sovereignty" by asking high-ranking churchmen to answer questions from an Irish commission probing decades of sex abuse of minors by clergy.
That the Holy See used its diplomatic-immunity status ...

Bridget Mary's Reflection:
This attitude demonstrates that the Vatican behaves as if it is above the law! How can a church hide under sovereignty? Would any other church get away with this?
This attempt to cover-up sexual abuse resembles the behavior of a crme family, not the church of Jesus Christ. Ask yourself, what would Christ do?
Weep for the children, weep for the lack of truth-telling, weep for betraying our faith.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org

Historic Ordination of First Latin American Roman Catholic Woman Priest

Historic Ordination of First Latin American Roman Catholic Woman Priest
A diverse community of supporters, including the poor and marginalized from Good Shepherd Community in Ft. Myers, Florida, celebrated the historic ordination of the first Roman Catholic Woman Priest from Latin America. A prominent leader in the ecumenical religious community and a missionary activist, she was ordained by Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan of the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests in Sarasota, Florida on Dec. 11th, 2010.
The newly ordained woman priest was inspired by the religious women who taught her in grade school and high school. She was not only a product of Vatican II and the changes that took place in Latin America, she was an active participant of the Gospel mandate for and church teaching on social justice.As a passionate advocate of gender equality and liberation theology, her life mission has been working with the poor especially women in base communities in cities in Latin America. In addition, she is a member of ecumenical organizations and skilled at working with clergy from various denominations. Her goal has been to empower, educate, and to raise consciousness. "Liberate yourself from the past, even though the church, society and your family may have condemned you. God does not condemn you," the first Latin American woman priest said, "We need to have an ethics of love, not punishment or fear, the sacraments are not pieces of paper but relationships to Spirit." In her ministry to the poor and indigenous she proclaims "we have the blood of Christ." She advocates raising the poor and indigenous people to full equality in the church and in society. In other words, one's ethnic background, social standing, race or religion does not matter. All are one in Christ. This theology is rooted in the first principal statement of Vatican II: "Every form of discrimination against persons, either because of religion, nationality, race or gender, must be overcome and eradicated as contrary to God's intent."
This courageous and prophetic first Roman Catholc Woman Priest believes that women's ordination is a question of justice. Her vision is building up partnership between women and men in Latin America. She follows directly in the footsteps of holy women and men who have embraced Gospel justice in solidarity with the poor and marginalized in Latin America.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/

"It's not just about male prostitutes" by Phyllis Zagano/ No, millions of women have died , Pope Benedict

http://ncronline.org/blogs/just-catholic/its-not-just-about-male-prostitutes

"Could someone also let the pope know how African women religious are affected by the AIDS pandemic? Does he know about the priests and seminarians who go after those women religious specifically because they are virginal and not infected with anything?" Phyllis Zagano/NCR

Bridget Mary's Reflection: "Pope Benedict, Millions of Women Have Died from AIDS"
Phyllis Zagano is right on. The Vatican needs to address this issue of criminal behavior by priests against women religious in Africa. Where is the outrage at the abuse of women religious in Africa? In addition, Pope Benedict failed to mention the millions of women in Africa who have died of AIDS because they were infected by philandering partners. How about recommending condoms to save women's lives, Pope Benedict? The world awaits your pastoral letter on use of condoms as an act of moral responsibility that will save our sisters' lives!
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org

Vatican must hear 'anger and hurt' of American nuns, official says

Dec. 07, 2010
NCR Today
By JOHN L. ALLEN JR.
http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/vatican-must-hear-anger-and-hurt-american-nuns-official-says
ROME -- "Rome must acknowledge the “depth of anger and hurt” provoked by a visitation of American nuns, the Vatican’s number two official for religious life has said, saying it illustrates the need for a “strategy of reconciliation” with women religious.
Archbishop Joseph Tobin, Secretary of the Vatican’s Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, said that he does not expect any “punitive” fallout from the visitation, and that before any decisions are made, women’s communities should have a chance to know the results and to respond. "

Bridget Mary's Reflection;

The Vatican end game and damage control has begun. Obviously Archbishop Tobin is beginning a process of reconciliation and healing with the American nuns in this interview. The Vatican has made a wise choice in selecting Redemptorist Joseph Tobin who is trusted by the American Sisters and who is willing to listen and truly dialogue! Now, let's hope his brother bishops and cardinals in the Vatican Curia follow his example!

"Shutting down discussion is anathema to the university way..." Women Priests Bring New Life to Church

Katy Zatsick, RCWP

http://www.newcatholictimes.com/index.php?module=articles&func=display&ptid=1&aid=2198

"It seems to me that, in the church, we have subordinated truth to power-games. We have politicized it. We have put the institution above the message it exists to serve. We have put the structures above the gospel. We have allowed power-structures to become self-serving rather than gospel- or people-serving. We believe in churchianity more than in Christianity. "
John Quinn, New Catholic Times

Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Just like the Berlin Wall fell, so too Vatican oppression of prophetic voices, and condemnation of women priests, will not prevail. The good news of Jesus -of justice and equality -will overcome and triumph. Women Priests are bringing new life, creativity and inclusivity to our church now. Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/

"An Imagined Dialogue Between Pope Benedict and Bridget Mary"

Press Release: from the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/


Dec. 4, 2011

Contact: Janice Sevre-Duszynska, 859-684-4247,
rhythmsofthedance@msn.com

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

In his just-released book, Light of the World: "The Pope, the Church and the Sign of the Times," Pope Benedict XVI says ordaining women is not the church's choice to make. See: http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1004890.htm

In her just-released book: "Living Gospel Equality Now, Loving in the Heart of God - A Roman Catholic Women Priest Story," Bridget Mary Meehan shares her journey to priesthood as a Roman Catholic woman.
See: http://www.virtualbookworm.com/bookstore/product/woman_priest.html

The following "press release" is an imagined dialogue between the Pope and Bridget Mary.

Pope Benedict: It's Jesus' fault. He didn't ordain women priests. Why blame me for everything?

Bridget Mary: Don't blame Jesus! He didn't ordain anyone -- male or female.

Pope Benedict: He had only male Apostles.

Bridget Mary: Come on, my brother. Jesus set the pace. He called women to be disciples and apostles. Mary of Magdala is called the "Apostle to the Apostles." She was the person closest to Jesus. Talk about a job description for an apostle! As the Risen Christ, he chose her to "go and tell" the male apostles the good news of the Resurrection. So God is not impotent before women! Neither is our church! Jesus provided an example for you to follow.

Pope Benedict: The church has no authority to ordain women.

Bridget Mary: There you go again...contradicting papal scholarship on Scripture. In 1976, the Vatican's own Pontifical Biblical Commission concluded that there is nothing in Scripture to prohibit women's ordination. For twelve hundred years, women were ordained in Christianity as deacons, priests and bishops! Did you page through Dorothy Irvin's calendars that were sent to you, the Cardinals and U.S. bishops? Archaeologist/theologian Dorothy Irvin studied atTubingen U. when you were there. She's found plenty of evidence in frescoes, tombstones, catacombs and mosaics that women were leaders of our church. It's all over Rome and the Mediterranean world. For Goodness sake, take a walk with your camera to St. Priscilla's Catacomb.

Pope Benedict: There were no priestesses in the community of Jesus Christ!

Bridget Mary: Benedict, Benedict. Open up your eyes to what's happening. Women priests are a sign of the times! People welcome us with open arms! You've lost the young who believe in gender equality. We are your spiritual equals. Made in the image of God. Empowered by a Spirit who doesn't quit...

Pope Benedict: Why can't you be quiet! I excommunicated the first group of your women priests in 2002, those Danube Seven. Yes, we even sent them the official Vatican excommunication parchment. I've given instructions to bishops to excommunicate you wherever you women get ordained! And anyone who comes to your ordinations! Priests who support you! Wasn't it enough for me to issue delicta graviora? You and your women priests are in the same category of serious sin as pedophile priests!

Bridget Mary: And you didn't excommunicate them! Pope Benedict, male church leaders before you excommunicated women whistleblowers: St. Joan of Arc, Mother Theodore Guerin, Mother Mary MacKillop. Today they're saints.
I'm sending you two books: Living Gospel Equality Now and
Come By Here (http://www.amazon.com/Come-Here-Judith-B-Lee/dp/1451274866/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1291426558&sr=1-1-fkmr0)
by woman priest Judy Lee who ministers and lives with the poor.
We continue to pray. You had a change of heart on condoms. We're praying for your change of heart on women priests.

Your sister priest (and bishop) in Christ,
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP

P.S. One day we hope to dialogue in person. Meanwhile, yours is the gift that keeps giving...Thanks.

New Book by Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP: Living Gospel Equality Now: Loving in the Heart of God: A Roman Catholic Woman Priest Story

My new book, Living Gospel Equality Now,
Loving in the Heart of God-
A Roman Catholic Woman Priest Story

The direct link to the book is
http://www.virtualbookworm.com/bookstore/product/woman_priest.html

Thanks for your support. It is with great joy that I share treasured memories, stories of family, friends, community and the growth of the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement in this book --in spite of Vatican opposition-- which in many ways, has actually been a contributing factor to greater support.

In addition to stories, my book has a variety of prayer experiences, photos, and inclusive liturgies. May all who read it be blessed and may our dream of a renewed priesthood in a community of equals flourish!

Today I read an article that stated that Pope Benedict said that the church had no power to ordain women. Nonsense, Jesus did not ordain anyone --male or female. Benedict's interview contrdicts the Vatican's own scripture scholarship. In 1976, the Pontifical Biblical Association concluded that there was nothing in scripture to prohibit women's ordination. According to scripture women were among Jesus' closest disciples and Mary of Magdala was chosen by the Risen Christ to "go and tell" (the job description of an apostle) the male apostles the good news of the Resurrection. So God is not impotent before women! Neither is our church!

Therefore, Jesus provided an example for the pope to follow. In addition, for twelve hundred years, women were ordained in Christianity as deacons, priests and bishops! So, indeed, Pope Benedict is ignoring both scripture and tradition by this statement below. The full equality of a woman is indeed a sign of our times that will not go away. Therefore, it is time for the institutional church, including Pope Benedict, to follow Jesus example of Gospel equality and partnership and treat women as equals in all areas of the church's life, including ordination. This is what Roman Catholic Women Priests are doing. This is one of my motiviations in writing my new book: Living Gospel Equality Now- Loving in the Heart of God- A Roman Catholic Woman Priest Story.

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

Pope says ordaining women is not the church's choice to make
By Rita FitchCatholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- "In his latest book, Pope Benedict XVI reaffirmed that the church has "no authority" to ordain women as priests and rejected the idea that the rule was formed only because the church originated in a patriarchal society.The pope said that man did not produce the form of the church, and does not have the power to change it. Christ gave the form of the priesthood when he chose his male Apostles, he said in the book-interview, "Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times "

"Catholic AIDS Workers: Pope Echoing Us On Condoms"

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2010-12-01-Africacondoms01_ST_N.htm

by Michelle Faul (Associated Press)

JOHANNESBURG (AP)

"...But parish priest Rev. Didier Lemaire showed no embarrassment when asked about the stash of 600 condoms, set conveniently on an examination couch so one could grab a few on the way out the door. Lemaire said Pope Benedict XVI's groundbreaking statement about the selective use of condoms only cements what Catholic AIDS workers have said for years."

"What the pope is saying, many priests have been saying for a long time," said Lemaire. He said eschewing condoms when people have AIDS goes against the commandment "Thou shalt not kill."

"Pope Benedict's comments have far-reaching implications for Africa, the continent with the highest numbers of AIDS victims — and the fastest-growing number of Catholic converts. But it is more important because the Catholic Church is the biggest private provider of AIDS care in the world, providing antiretroviral treatment, home-care visits and counseling to one in four of the world's 33.3 million AIDS patients, according to the Catholic charity Caritas International. In 2008, members of the Catholic HIV and AIDS network spent 180 million euros (about $235 million) on assistance, it said. "

New Blog by Diane Dougherty/ RCWP coming to Atlanta!

http://dianedoughertysblog.blogspot.com/

Enjoy this beautiful blog by Diane Dougherty on Roman Catholic Women Priests!

Homily – 1st Sunday of Advent – Cycle A – 28 November 2010 by Roberta M. Meehan, RCWP

Isaiah 2:1-5
Psalm 122:1-9
Romans 13:11-14
Matthew 24:37-44

Advent Reflections

We miss the point about Advent. We really do.

Let us look briefly at these First Sunday of Advent readings and then let us look at some serious points about how we should be reflecting on Advent.

The reading from Isaiah tells us to be happy! The words excitedly encourage us to climb the Lord’s Mountain and to walk in the Light of the Lord! Who said anything about “drab advent” there?

The response on the psalm is “Rejoice in the House of the Lord.” We know that so often the whole liturgical theme can be found in the psalm. Here it is! Rejoice!!

In Romans we hear two interesting phrases, “Awake from sleep” and “Throw off darkness.”

And in Matthew we hear we are supposed to stay awake because we do not know when the Son of Man is coming.

Notice how all of these readings are exciting! They are happy! They are upward looking! Why, oh why, do we look at Advent with this glum pretense of mourning??? We should be excited and happy – just as the readings exhort us to be! This is not a season of solemnity; it is a season of rejoicing!

I remember the first time I wrote about Advent. I was heading for Chicago. Here is a quote from what I wrote back then.

“Rushing madly – trying to get to Chicago. Advent! Advent! Advent! Hang on, Chicago! I’m coming! Really. And as I wrote that ramble, I stopped and paused and thought about the words before me. Advent, of course, is loosely translated as a coming. And we all know the coming in question is the coming of the Christ Child on Christmas Day. That part is relatively easy for us.”

I can still feel that Advent excitement. I still know what I meant as I dashed to the airport to spread that metal bird’s wings toward the Windy City.

But, what does this coming – or this preparation – mean to us in this Advent of 2010? How can we be an Advent People when we are faced and raced with the five week holiday season? And isn’t it a non-stop holiday? For those of us in education, we know that the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is an academic wasteland! We know that this is true regardless of the level – kindergarten through graduate school.

If asked what this Advent Season means, most people will make a brief statement about how we are getting ready for Christmas and then they will start saying something about what Christ should be to or in the world. Maybe they will even start talking about putting Christ back into Christmas!

Most of us avoid what Advent means to us personally as a part of the Church calendar. We may mouth the words – but we forget the meaning. Maybe we don’t really forget the meaning; maybe we simply don’t have a solid grasp of what that meaning is.

Sometimes clergy (of various denominations) try to impose a guilt trip on people who are getting ready for Christmas too early. How silly!!!!! This is that “put Christ back into Christmas” theme. But, Christ is in Christmas. And we’re having a party!

Christmas is a great party! Of course it is! Sure, we can go back into the pagan origins of the feast and we can make pious statements about the first official ecclesial celebration of Christmas in 359 (or was that 353?). But, what does it prove? Absolutely nothing!

Regardless of how the feast of Christmas came about, the thing is that for almost 1700 years people have been celebrating the birth of Christ! And for almost that long, people have – in one way or another – been preparing for this great birthday party!

Yes, He is coming! And this is our time of preparation! But, party preparations are not all somber and sad! When was the last time anyone got ready for a great party by donning sackcloth and ashes? No way! We are preparing for a party! A salvation party! Let us celebrate!

If we are planning a wonderful party, don’t we play music? If we are planning a wonderful party, don’t we laugh with our friends? If we are planning a wonderful party, don’t we decorate our homes and put out festive things so the guests will be welcome? Of course we do!

And, I believe that that is what our Advent should be about! Yes, we are getting ready for the birthday of our Savior. And we are getting ready for it in fine style because we already know he will arrive safe and sound. Oh, we will not be able to see Jesus in person at our tables and around our Christmas trees. But, he is coming! And Advent is the time that we are preparing for that coming.

Oh, wait! Maybe we do see Him! Maybe the Christ, whose birth we await on Christmas day, is seen in every person who stops by during this Advent season! Maybe the Christ is seen in every person who sits at our tables. Maybe the Christ is seen in every family member who is or was or will be a part of that circle of people we love and rejoice with! Maybe the birthday presents we have for that Christ are the presents we wrap for each other! After all, we see our party guest of honor in every person we wish “Season’s Greetings” to. Don’t we?

The third Sunday of Advent is Gaudete Sunday – and Gaudete means rejoice (because it’s half over!). Oh, I think we should rejoice the whole time!!! All of Advent should be Gaudete! Not because Advent is half over at any given point. But, rather because we are reminded so clearly of the coming of our Savior in every person we see, in every decoration we put up, in every meal we prepare, in every visit we make, in every present we wrap.

This is a wonderful season! Gaudete!!!! Let us rejoice! We’re going to have a wonderful party – and we are now having a wonderful time preparing for that party! Play the music! Deck the halls! Sing and laugh and be in Christ’s love with one another!

Oh yes, Chicago, Phoenix, New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, and on and on! Rejoice, Chicago, Phoenix, New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, and on and on! I am coming to be a part of the wonderful party preparations! Jesus – thanks for being – and thanks for this opportunity to rejoice with each other as we see the Christ in every person we meet – and we are getting ready for a great party! Let us have a wonderful time preparing for our Christmas party – as Jesus reminds us once more that we are the People of God!

-- Roberta M. Meehan

An Open Letter to Catholics: We and our (male) Bishops Are Failing Our Sisters in Africa

Faithful wives are needlessly being infected by their HIV-positive husbands as a result of the Vatican ignoring established Catholic principles of pastoral moral theology in addressing the HIV/AIDS Pandemic in Africa.

In sub-Saharan Africa, which has a Catholic population of over 158 million, 1.9 million Africans were newly-infected in 2008 with HIV largely as a result of heterosexual relations. Women represented 60% of those suffering from HIV & AIDS. This is 150% of the rate of infection among adult males. The year before, more than 1.6 million, mostly women and their children infected with HIV in the womb, during childbirth or thru breast feeding, died from AIDS. AIDS orphans at the end of 2007 totaled 11.6 million. An estimated 22.4 million adults and children were living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa in 2008.

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) cares for one-quarter of all HIV/AIDS victims regardless of their religious affiliation but is powerless to help prevent HIV and the suffering and deaths from AIDS because the Vatican has yet to demonstrate the compassion of Christ for these innocent women by allowing CRS to provide condoms to HIV-positive husbands who are unwilling to forego sexual relations with their spouses. Thus CRS is guaranteed an inexhaustible supply of women suffering and dying from AIDS to care for – a morally indefensible scenario. Sadly, availability to the millions of at-risk women of an effective microbicide to prevent transmission of HIV during sex is years off and antiretroviral medicine to prevent HIV from developing into AIDS must be taken lifelong.

HIV prevention programs typically promote ABC – (1) Abstinence before marriage. (2) Be Faithful in Marriage and (3) Condoms if A & B are not feasible. The Vatican supports A & B and rejects C when using condoms where one partner is HIV-positive is clearly PRO-LIFE.\

Unfortunately, African women are victims of their male-dominated cultures. A married woman living in sub- Saharan Africa in all likelihood is already monogamous. It is her husband who is likely to have HIV. Yet refusing a husband’s sexual overtures risks ostracism, violence, and destitution for herself and her children. Women are physiologically more susceptible to becoming infected with HIV than men.

The African national conferences of Catholic bishops and the United States Conference Catholic Bishops (USCCB) have failed to stand up to the Vatican on this life and death issue. Thus these women, Catholic and non-Catholic, under the care of CRS, are also the victims of our male-dominated Catholic Church.

On the other hand, representatives of several national conferences of bishops of non-African nations and a number of individual cardinals and bishops, relying on established principles of pastoral moral theology, viz. double effect, the right to self-defense and lesser evil, have urged the use of condoms to save lives. Here is what some of these Catholic prelates have publicly stated:

In 2006, Mario Conti, Archbishop of Glasgow, pledged his support for the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers' recent decision to conduct and release a study on condom use to fight AIDS and contended that using condoms to stop transmission of the disease from one spouse to another is "common sense”. (Sadly, that study was aborted and since then several million more women have been infected)

In 2006 Bishop Antonio Moreira, vice president of the Portuguese Episcopal conference, said "In a context of marriage where one or both are infected, the use of a condom is a clear case of a lesser evil."

Bishop Gilles Cote of the Diocese in Papua New Guinea, speaking to the Vatican’s ban on contraception, said, “We also have a law—you should not kill…so there is a moral responsibility that those with a partner who is infected are protected.”

One of less than a handful of bishops in Africa who have spoken out in favor of condom use is white South African Bishop Kevin Dowling who in 2005 said he considers using condoms to be "a pro-life option in the widest sense." "For me, the issue is simply this: How do you preserve and protect life? Under church doctrine, that is "not only allowable, it's a moral imperative,"

Mexican Bishop Felipe Arizmendi in January 2005 argued that condoms may be appropriate for those who cannot abstain. "They should use whatever is necessary in order not to infect others and not to infect themselves. There is no other alternative."

Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragán, a Mexican who heads the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers, said he finds the use of condoms acceptable when abstinence is not an option. He said "If an infected husband wants to have sex with his wife who isn't infected, then she must defend herself by whatever means necessary. This position is consistent with the tenets of Catholic moral theology, which teaches that acts of self-defense can extend to killing in order to not be killed”.

Cardinal Georges Cottier, theologian of the pontifical household in February 2005 stated that while condoms cannot be condoned as a contraceptive, "the use of condoms in some situations can be considered morally legitimate to prevent the spread of HIV. That is where the commandment 'thou shalt not kill' is valid."

The German Bishops Conference in 1997 noted “We must make people understand that sexual intercourse has its legitimate place within the space of lasting partnership that is protected by faithfulness and confidence. In the face of the effective life threat that results from HIV/AIDS, everything needs to be done to avoid an infection.”

Following Pope Benedict’s controversial statements regarding condoms during his visit to Africa in 2009, three Portuguese bishops took issue with Pope Benedict’s comments. Military Bishop Januário Torgal Mendes Ferreira said that “to ban condom use was equivalent to consenting to the death of many people,” adding that the Pope’s advisors should give him “more learned advice.” Bishop Manuel José Macário do Nascimento Clemente of Porto said that the use of condoms by persons with AIDS is “not only recommendable” but also “can be ethically obligatory.” Bishop Ilídio Pinto Leandro of Viseu said that those “who cannot avoid having sexual relations are morally obliged to avoid passing on the disease by using a condom.”

The World Health Organization has stated "The correct and consistent use of good quality condoms confers a level of protection as high as 85 to 95 percent against HIV transmission. Male and female condoms, when properly kept, stored, handled, and used, are the only scientifically proven barrier products currently available against HIV and other STDs". The USCCB, by not urging the Vatican to ease up its hard line on condoms, has failed to demonstrate pastoral compassion for these women.

WHAT MUST WE DO TO SHOW SOLIDARITY WITH THESE INNOCENT VICTIMS

We must strongly urge the USCCB to join the other national conferences of bishops who have had the courage to stand up for the victims of HIV and AIDS notwithstanding the morally-unsupportable position of the Vatican against the use of condoms in battle against AIDS. Christ in his brief time on earth preached what is now characterized as “the preferential option for the poor” and urged his disciples and those who would follow to emulate his compassion for the poor. What more fundamental preferential option for the poor could there be than saving of the lives of these innocent women? We as true Christians need to speak up in loud and certain terms to our U.S. Catholic Bishops. They need to understand that following their cover-up of the clergy sexual abuse of children, their failure to insist that the Vatican be guided by the Church’s pastoral principles of moral theology to protect these innocent women makes them complicit in the horrendous HIV/AIDS holocaust in Africa and calls into question their moral capacity to lead their flocks.

We urge all who profess to be Catholic to phone, fax or e-mail Bishop Dewane at the diocesan chancery and urge him to prevail on his fellow bishops in the USCCB (1) to authorize Catholic Relief Services to provide condoms to couples where one spouse is HIV-positive and to instruct them that their proper and consistent use is a moral imperative and (2) to insist that the Vatican be guided by established principles of Catholic pastoral moral theology and relax its prohibition on the use of condoms where one spouse is HIV-positive. Request that he publish in the next issue of the diocesan newspaper his commitment to actively lobby his fellow bishops for support of this initiative. Then deposit this flyer in the collection plate plus your next regular Sunday offering. Your pastor should be pleased that you care about these innocent women and were moved to speak to the Bishop about their plight.

CONTINUE TO CONTACT BISHOP DEWANE until his commitment appears in the diocesan newspaper.

Bishop Dewane’s contact information : Most Rev. Frank J. Dewane, 1000 Pinebrook Rd. Venice, FL 34285

Phone: (941) 484 9543 Fax: (941) 484 1121; Email: information@dioceseofvenice.org