Robert Mickens
19 February 2011
http://www.thetablet.co.uk/article/15927
"The global Catholic development agency Caritas Internationalis (CI) is reeling after the Vatican took the highly unusual step of officially blocking Lesley-Anne Knight from running for a second four-year term as CI secretary general. "
"An official at a national Caritas member agency who spoke on condition of anonymity opined that Dr Knight may have been rejected because she been “critical of the Vatican machine, has made no secret of it and has failed to be discreet”. But the official praised her for “professionalising” the Rome headquarters, tackling debt and reforming financial operations. Another Caritas source said there is a sense among some Vatican officials that Dr Knight has not done enough to instil a specifically Catholic identity and sense of evangelisation into the confederation’s mission and activities."
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Sounds familiar-- the Vatican has a problem with strong women. Isn't it time for a change of heart on the part of the hierarchy? We need courageous women, like Dr. Lesley-Anne Knight, leading organizations like Caritas.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
sofiabmm@aol.com
Living Gospel Inclusivity and Empowerment Now- https://bridgetmarys.blogspot.com/2025/10/rev-dr-bridget-mary-meehan-arcwp-chat.html
Friday, March 4, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
"Pink Smoke Over the Vatican" -Movie about Roman Catholic Women Priests"Underground Movement Catching On"
Historic Ordinations of
women deacons and priests
in Pittsburgh
on July 31, 2006-
first ordination in U.S.
Pink Smoke Over the Vatican” is a 2010 film produced and directed by Jules Hart and distributed by Eye Goddess Films. The Eye Goddess Films website describes the film this way: “Pink Smoke Over the Vatican is a documentary film about the controversial movement of women seeking to be ordained as priests in the Roman Catholic Church. On June 3, 2008, The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which is the modern name for The Holy Office of the Inquisition, issued a sweeping order of excommunication for ‘the crime of attempting sacred ordination of a woman.’ Pink Smoke Over the Vatican chronicles the events that led up to this severe punishment and tells the stories of the determined women and men who, through the forbidden and illicit path of female ordination, are working to end the underlying misogyny and outdated feudal governance that is slowly destroying the Roman Catholic Church.” “The Fresno group, Womanspirit Rising, seeks to call attention to the movement through the film, which will be shown at 1 p.m. March 5 at The Oneness Center, 1752 E. Bullard Ave., Suite 106,” the Fresno Bee reports. "It is a film about social justice and peace on what is currently happening," Clovis resident Jenine Cortopassi and a member of Womanspirit Rising, told the Bee. "It is an underground movement – and it is catching on. It is bringing people up to speed. Most people in Catholic circles aren't aware of it."
Bridget Mary's Reflecton:
Kudos to Jules Hart for her outstandng film on the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement! Obviously, this controversial film is spreading awareness of our revolutionary movement to transform the Roman Catholic Church into a more just and egalitarian community of faith. Let the "holy shakeup" continue!
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
The Wilkinson Report/The Roman Catholic Church in Australia- "looming disaster/ How about Women Priests?
"It is our pleasure today to bring you a report, The Wilkinson Report, that is also simultaneously being released in the mainstream media examining the serious crisis the Catholic Church is facing in Australia in providing the sacraments and pastoral care to its core constituency of baptised Catholics. We present both the report, a couple of brief summaries of the full report, as well as our own editorial comment on the report's conclusions.
The looming disaster of not enough priests...
Media Release summary ofThe Wilkinson ReportClick on the image above to read the Media Release Summary of the full report.
The FULL REPORT can be downloaded or viewed online HERE.
The Report commissioned by Catholics for Ministry, funded by Women and the Australian Church, and compiled by Peter J Wilkinson and published today is one of the most comprehensive assessments of the looming not just crisis, but disaster, the Catholic Church is facing across the island continent of Australia in delivering the core sacraments and pastoral care to the continually increasing Catholic population of the nation. The harsh reality facing many Catholics alive in Australia right now is that when they die in the next 10, 20 or 30 years time, their families will simply not be able to find a priest to provide them with the last rites. There will not be enough priests available across large parts of the continent, or they will be so stretched providing the last rites or pastoral care to others, that the families will have to 'make do' with the services provided inhouse by funeral directors or they will increasingly have to rely on government licensed funeral and marriage celebrants. Regular participation in the other core sacraments, including the Eucharist, particularly in the remote and regional dioceses will become a rarer and rarer event.
The only "saving grace" to the situation is that fewer and fewer of the baptised seem to bother enough to participate. That however can scarcely be put forward by any bishop as an excuse as to why they have failed in their primary responsibility of not only maintaining participation rates but fulfiling the core mission of Jesus to "bring the Good News to all people". The "bottom line" — as many bishops already know — is that the nation is simply running out of priests. The Church is no longer recruiting enough new priests and the prospect of importing them from other countries looks dimmer and dimmer whichever way you look at the projected statistics 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 years into the future.
The report is broken into fifteen sections of what basically amounts to a comprehensive statistical analysis of the State of the Catholic Church as it appears now, as it has appeared in the past, and based on population, recruiting and participation trends what the situation will be at various points in the future. These are the section headings:
The Report was commissioned by Catholics for Ministry and the publication of the Report was funded by Women and The Australian Church
The Wilkinson Report author:Peter Wilkinson, DMiss.(PUG), BEd. is a missiologist and former Columban missionary priest. He has worked as Director of the Clearing House on Migration Issues (CHOMI) at the Ecumenical Migration Centre, Senior Research Fellow at the Australian Institute of Multicultural Affairs, and Guest Lecturer in Missiology at Yarra Theological Union. He is married and now retired.
Introduction
Dioceses & Bishops
Catholic Population
Parishes
Priests
Migrant Chaplains
Seminarians
Priests recruited from overseas
Permanent Deacons
Religious Sisters
Lay Pastoral Associates/Pastoral Workers
Religious Brothers
Mass Attendance
Parish Schools
Priests in parish ministry: 2010-2025
The report then concludes with three sections:
A short essay entitled "Parish Ministry Disaster?" which explores the core doctrinal and pastoral understandings the institutional Church has developed down through the centuries of the central role of the priest and his role as leader and spiritual guide to his parish community and how it is going to be increasingly difficult to meet these given the growth in population and the decreasing number of priests and pastoral associates.
A five-part section examining various "Options for Action" under the following headings: Recruiting autochthonous or local priests; Recruiting overseas priests; Doing Nothing; Rethinking parish ministry; and Rethinking the identity of priest.
The Wilkinson Report Conclusion...
The Report then finishes with the following Conclusion which we present here in full:
To the question 'Is parish ministry facing a disaster?' the evidence, at an institutional level, suggests the affirmative. It also suggests that the bishops seem unsure of how to deal with it.The rebuilding of a strong and vibrant autochthonous presbyterate in the short-term appears impossible, with new local priests insufficient to replace those retiring over the next 15 years. As if in despair, the bishops have attempted to 'hold the parish ministry fort' with a short-term strategy of recruiting overseas priests, a program of merging existing parishes, and putting a heavy brake on establishing new parishes. The result is parish ministry in retreat at the very time when the Catholic population is growing rapidly.Nevertheless, signs of hope are present. The permanent deaconate has been revived, there is an increasing presence of lay pastoral associates and community leaders in parish ministry, and Catholic schools, now overwhelmingly in the hands of laypersons, are well-placed to stimulate the faith of young people and play a significant role in inculturation. But if the disaster is to be averted, more is needed. It is not enough to treat the symptoms of the crisis; the causes must also be addressed. The vision of Vatican II must be totally unshackled, full co-responsibility implemented in every facet of ministry and church life, proper consultative processes with transparency and accountability put in place, the priestly ministry opened up to married persons, and the essential role of women in ministry properly recognized. The misuse of power must cease and the paradigm of service prevail.The on-going priest shortage cannot be solved simply by recruiting priests from overseas on short-term contracts. Only long-term and broader policies can rebuild a vibrant autochthonous presbyterate. These will have to deal courageously with the current 'priestly package' of male, celibate, life-long and full-time. In this Australia's bishops will need to show leadership and initiative, and a willingness to discuss with their people all the options, including the ordination of married men and the role of women in ministry.Vatican II stated that 'the Church seeks but a solitary goal: to carry forward the work of Christ Himself under the lead of the befriending Spirit. Christ entered this world to give witness to the truth, to rescue and not to sit in judgment, to serve and not to be served. To carry out such a task, the Church has always had the duty of scrutinizing the signs of the times and of interpreting them in the light of the Gospel' (Gaudium et Spes, n.3-4).The times are always changing, as are human environments, and all organisms which exist in these environments must also change and adapt if they are to survive and thrive. The Church is an organism in this changing world and it too, if it is to survive and thrive, has no choice but to adapt. Guided by the Spirit and holding fast to the Gospel, it can.The purpose of Vatican II was 'aggiornamento', ensuring continual renewal of the Church, making it relevant to today's world, and adapting it to its new environment. The Church, universal and local, is always in need of boosts of renewal. Now is surely the time for one in Australian Catholicism.
Catholica editorial response...
Readers of Catholica will feel greatly indebted to Catholics for Ministry (CfM), Women and The Australian Church (WATAC) and Peter Wilkinson for the effort and expense that has gone into the compilation of this report. Much of what is presented and discussed in the report is 'common fare' for many of our conversations on Catholica. This report provides solid statistical evidence that will prove valuable over time for our discussions.
At an editorial level here at Catholica we are far more pessimistic than the sponsors and author of The Wilkinson Report that anything much is going to change in the institutional Church. The culture and experience of the past forty years suggests there will be no more positive reception to this report from the Bishops than there was to the Petition that Catholics for Ministry presented some years ago. At the highest levels of the institution the entire thrust of the institution today is geared to undoing almost everything that was discerned by the majority of Bishops who assembled at the Second Vatican Council. The forces of reaction, which were led at the Council by Alfredo Cardinal Ottaviani have won. The forces in the human psyche of the element who have seized control of the institutional Church are simply too powerful to overcome. The institution today is no longer recruiting from "the best and brightest" in its elite schools and the attrition rate of men and women from religious life has been a further massive drain on the leadership ranks as it has tended to be men and women of stronger character who were able to make the difficult decision to chart a radically new course in their lives to the one they had originally felt called to make. Virtually all factors that one can think of are aligned against the sorts of radical re-thinking that would be necessary for this looming crisis to be overcome. Our honest prediction is that Pope Benedict will see his dream fulfilled of a "smaller, purer Church" although we have deep doubts that its purity will be capable of achieving "salvation" for any person.
A double tragedy...
It is disheartening, indeed a tragedy, to have to write the foregoing. It is however the harsh reality as we presently see the situation. The tragedy is compounded because as we have pointed out the Church in this country is actually in a superb condition from many other points of view. It could achieve so much. It does have the largest, most professionally qualified — and in the realms of religion, spirituality and theology, the most theologically qualified — workforce it has ever had and one that is not matched on a per capita basis by any other single national church on the entire planet. The institution is in perhaps the best condition it has ever been in from a financial point of view and in the quality and maintenance of all of its physical assets. The two principal problems it has is that the vast majority of the baptised have ceased listening and participating and the recruiting of quality priests and spiritual guides has virtually come to a standstill. (In passing it might be noted that the report makes no evaluation of the actual quality of the candidates that are presenting for seminary and ordination today. Many mature lay Catholics today who have contact with some of the young men who are presenting themselves really do have raised eyebrows about the quality of new priests coming into ministry. They are often arrogant, very often filled with zeal but also with this sense that they alone have all the answers to life's problems. Mature people find some of them very green behind the ears and hold grave fears for the future of the institution simply on the basis of the quality of priests presently being recruited. From the feedback we get through our own adult children who sometimes come into contact with these men we know they are not earning significant respect in the wider population.) Intelligent Catholics want far more than "Mass sayers" today. The sense most mature but now disenchanted Catholics we come into contact with today is that they simply do not believe the pathway to paradise is travelled by some "magic" dispensed through the sacraments. It is discerned by learning to think, feel and act in the ways modelled and taught by Jesus Christ. Our bishops, and more especially our leaders in Rome, present a theology to us that presents Jesus to us more as the magician rather than as the teacher and model for how any person can think, feel and act their way through life and into everlasting life.
We frankly see absolutely zero prospects of Rome adopting a new attitude and actually having concern for the 86% of the baptised who have drifted away and their spiritual, social and temporal welfare. The constant message coming from Rome is it's all "their fault" — those who have drifted away. If they want to be part of our private little church "they" (the ones who have drifted away) have to adopt the taliban attitudes of the remnant that we believe are the only "true Catholics" whom the Almighty directs us to serve."
The one faint hope...
"The one faint hope — and again we are particularly indebted to Catholics for Ministry and in particular Dr Paul Collins for this — is if one, or a small group of bishops, took it upon themselves to defy Rome and actually chart a new course: one that is actually directed to discerning the needs of the great majority of the baptised; who would take on and confront — or even better still, educate and catechise — the taliban element on behalf of us all rather than constantly appease them; and who would attempt to rebuild the structure — the actual "Corpus Christi" — in their local environment. As Dr Collins has pointed out, historically this is often how change has occurred in the Church — some local bishop or group of people adopt a new style or theological outlook and over time this is adopted by more and more people and then centuries later Rome finally gives its stamp of approval to whatever the innovation happened to be. The question is: is there any bishop, or group of bishops, willing to "step up to the mark" and provide real leadership to their flock? As I jokingly suggested in the Catholica Forum a couple of days ago, there's a great seat awaiting someone in heaven who bites the bullet and provides a solution to the crisis the institution is facing in this country. Their actions may well turn out to be a model for the entire nation, or even the entire Western world. To achieve such a turn-around for the institution would surely earn more plaudits both in the here and now and in the hereafter than all these other pathetic games we have had to put up with for the past forty years and more? It would be a far more worthy life and vocational goal than chasing after a cardinal's temporal power and prestige or some other place of temporal honour in this rapidly disintegrating ship. It is actually helping "build the kingdom" — not being a participant in its gradual emasculation and destruction."
"Losing faith" — not in God but in our bishops and spiritual leaders..."
"Finally, by way of caution, could we say: the fundamental problems confronting the Church, particularly in Australia today, are not actually to do with money, the lack of resources or personnel to do anything, nor the lack of physical infrastructure. The key problems are principally theological and, linked into that, our actual ecclesiology and understanding of the nature and role of priesthood. It is a rank fallacy to suggest that all of the 86% who have left regular sacramental participation have been beguiled by relativism and consumerism and the "ways of the world". That may have happened to some, even 50% of those who have left. Many, particularly amongst the more educated and thoughtful have left for reasons to do with actually believing our Holy Bishops have been leading us up the garden path and away from authentic Catholic belief and thinking. Most of the educated reflective faithful who haven't charged off in the direction of even more fundamentalist denominations and sects, have simply ceased to believe key parts of the theology that the taliban element in the Church and their bishop patrons are constantly trying to force down our necks. We have also "lost faith" in the model of priesthood and church community that is being presented to us. We have "lost faith" that the pathway that our spiritual superiors offer to us in the Church actually leads to salvation and resurrection. We have "lost faith" in our bishops and priests — that is testified to by the massive drift away from sacramental participation. We have NOT "lost faith" in Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Father, or the Trinitarian God. Those of us old enough to remember the sense of vibrancy and excitement that infected the Church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council sincerely do believe the vast majority of bishops at that Council were "guided by the Holy Spirit" and had begun to discern at least some of the answers to these questions of deep theology, Christology, ecclesiology and the role of the priest as leader and guide of our local communities."
Bridget Mary's Reflecton:
Yes, indeed, it appears that Australia may be ready for Roman Catholic Women Priests. For more information, contact Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP at sofiabmm@aol.com
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
The looming disaster of not enough priests...
Media Release summary ofThe Wilkinson ReportClick on the image above to read the Media Release Summary of the full report.
The FULL REPORT can be downloaded or viewed online HERE.
The Report commissioned by Catholics for Ministry, funded by Women and the Australian Church, and compiled by Peter J Wilkinson and published today is one of the most comprehensive assessments of the looming not just crisis, but disaster, the Catholic Church is facing across the island continent of Australia in delivering the core sacraments and pastoral care to the continually increasing Catholic population of the nation. The harsh reality facing many Catholics alive in Australia right now is that when they die in the next 10, 20 or 30 years time, their families will simply not be able to find a priest to provide them with the last rites. There will not be enough priests available across large parts of the continent, or they will be so stretched providing the last rites or pastoral care to others, that the families will have to 'make do' with the services provided inhouse by funeral directors or they will increasingly have to rely on government licensed funeral and marriage celebrants. Regular participation in the other core sacraments, including the Eucharist, particularly in the remote and regional dioceses will become a rarer and rarer event.
The only "saving grace" to the situation is that fewer and fewer of the baptised seem to bother enough to participate. That however can scarcely be put forward by any bishop as an excuse as to why they have failed in their primary responsibility of not only maintaining participation rates but fulfiling the core mission of Jesus to "bring the Good News to all people". The "bottom line" — as many bishops already know — is that the nation is simply running out of priests. The Church is no longer recruiting enough new priests and the prospect of importing them from other countries looks dimmer and dimmer whichever way you look at the projected statistics 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 years into the future.
The report is broken into fifteen sections of what basically amounts to a comprehensive statistical analysis of the State of the Catholic Church as it appears now, as it has appeared in the past, and based on population, recruiting and participation trends what the situation will be at various points in the future. These are the section headings:
The Report was commissioned by Catholics for Ministry and the publication of the Report was funded by Women and The Australian Church
The Wilkinson Report author:Peter Wilkinson, DMiss.(PUG), BEd. is a missiologist and former Columban missionary priest. He has worked as Director of the Clearing House on Migration Issues (CHOMI) at the Ecumenical Migration Centre, Senior Research Fellow at the Australian Institute of Multicultural Affairs, and Guest Lecturer in Missiology at Yarra Theological Union. He is married and now retired.
Introduction
Dioceses & Bishops
Catholic Population
Parishes
Priests
Migrant Chaplains
Seminarians
Priests recruited from overseas
Permanent Deacons
Religious Sisters
Lay Pastoral Associates/Pastoral Workers
Religious Brothers
Mass Attendance
Parish Schools
Priests in parish ministry: 2010-2025
The report then concludes with three sections:
A short essay entitled "Parish Ministry Disaster?" which explores the core doctrinal and pastoral understandings the institutional Church has developed down through the centuries of the central role of the priest and his role as leader and spiritual guide to his parish community and how it is going to be increasingly difficult to meet these given the growth in population and the decreasing number of priests and pastoral associates.
A five-part section examining various "Options for Action" under the following headings: Recruiting autochthonous or local priests; Recruiting overseas priests; Doing Nothing; Rethinking parish ministry; and Rethinking the identity of priest.
The Wilkinson Report Conclusion...
The Report then finishes with the following Conclusion which we present here in full:
To the question 'Is parish ministry facing a disaster?' the evidence, at an institutional level, suggests the affirmative. It also suggests that the bishops seem unsure of how to deal with it.The rebuilding of a strong and vibrant autochthonous presbyterate in the short-term appears impossible, with new local priests insufficient to replace those retiring over the next 15 years. As if in despair, the bishops have attempted to 'hold the parish ministry fort' with a short-term strategy of recruiting overseas priests, a program of merging existing parishes, and putting a heavy brake on establishing new parishes. The result is parish ministry in retreat at the very time when the Catholic population is growing rapidly.Nevertheless, signs of hope are present. The permanent deaconate has been revived, there is an increasing presence of lay pastoral associates and community leaders in parish ministry, and Catholic schools, now overwhelmingly in the hands of laypersons, are well-placed to stimulate the faith of young people and play a significant role in inculturation. But if the disaster is to be averted, more is needed. It is not enough to treat the symptoms of the crisis; the causes must also be addressed. The vision of Vatican II must be totally unshackled, full co-responsibility implemented in every facet of ministry and church life, proper consultative processes with transparency and accountability put in place, the priestly ministry opened up to married persons, and the essential role of women in ministry properly recognized. The misuse of power must cease and the paradigm of service prevail.The on-going priest shortage cannot be solved simply by recruiting priests from overseas on short-term contracts. Only long-term and broader policies can rebuild a vibrant autochthonous presbyterate. These will have to deal courageously with the current 'priestly package' of male, celibate, life-long and full-time. In this Australia's bishops will need to show leadership and initiative, and a willingness to discuss with their people all the options, including the ordination of married men and the role of women in ministry.Vatican II stated that 'the Church seeks but a solitary goal: to carry forward the work of Christ Himself under the lead of the befriending Spirit. Christ entered this world to give witness to the truth, to rescue and not to sit in judgment, to serve and not to be served. To carry out such a task, the Church has always had the duty of scrutinizing the signs of the times and of interpreting them in the light of the Gospel' (Gaudium et Spes, n.3-4).The times are always changing, as are human environments, and all organisms which exist in these environments must also change and adapt if they are to survive and thrive. The Church is an organism in this changing world and it too, if it is to survive and thrive, has no choice but to adapt. Guided by the Spirit and holding fast to the Gospel, it can.The purpose of Vatican II was 'aggiornamento', ensuring continual renewal of the Church, making it relevant to today's world, and adapting it to its new environment. The Church, universal and local, is always in need of boosts of renewal. Now is surely the time for one in Australian Catholicism.
Catholica editorial response...
Readers of Catholica will feel greatly indebted to Catholics for Ministry (CfM), Women and The Australian Church (WATAC) and Peter Wilkinson for the effort and expense that has gone into the compilation of this report. Much of what is presented and discussed in the report is 'common fare' for many of our conversations on Catholica. This report provides solid statistical evidence that will prove valuable over time for our discussions.
At an editorial level here at Catholica we are far more pessimistic than the sponsors and author of The Wilkinson Report that anything much is going to change in the institutional Church. The culture and experience of the past forty years suggests there will be no more positive reception to this report from the Bishops than there was to the Petition that Catholics for Ministry presented some years ago. At the highest levels of the institution the entire thrust of the institution today is geared to undoing almost everything that was discerned by the majority of Bishops who assembled at the Second Vatican Council. The forces of reaction, which were led at the Council by Alfredo Cardinal Ottaviani have won. The forces in the human psyche of the element who have seized control of the institutional Church are simply too powerful to overcome. The institution today is no longer recruiting from "the best and brightest" in its elite schools and the attrition rate of men and women from religious life has been a further massive drain on the leadership ranks as it has tended to be men and women of stronger character who were able to make the difficult decision to chart a radically new course in their lives to the one they had originally felt called to make. Virtually all factors that one can think of are aligned against the sorts of radical re-thinking that would be necessary for this looming crisis to be overcome. Our honest prediction is that Pope Benedict will see his dream fulfilled of a "smaller, purer Church" although we have deep doubts that its purity will be capable of achieving "salvation" for any person.
A double tragedy...
It is disheartening, indeed a tragedy, to have to write the foregoing. It is however the harsh reality as we presently see the situation. The tragedy is compounded because as we have pointed out the Church in this country is actually in a superb condition from many other points of view. It could achieve so much. It does have the largest, most professionally qualified — and in the realms of religion, spirituality and theology, the most theologically qualified — workforce it has ever had and one that is not matched on a per capita basis by any other single national church on the entire planet. The institution is in perhaps the best condition it has ever been in from a financial point of view and in the quality and maintenance of all of its physical assets. The two principal problems it has is that the vast majority of the baptised have ceased listening and participating and the recruiting of quality priests and spiritual guides has virtually come to a standstill. (In passing it might be noted that the report makes no evaluation of the actual quality of the candidates that are presenting for seminary and ordination today. Many mature lay Catholics today who have contact with some of the young men who are presenting themselves really do have raised eyebrows about the quality of new priests coming into ministry. They are often arrogant, very often filled with zeal but also with this sense that they alone have all the answers to life's problems. Mature people find some of them very green behind the ears and hold grave fears for the future of the institution simply on the basis of the quality of priests presently being recruited. From the feedback we get through our own adult children who sometimes come into contact with these men we know they are not earning significant respect in the wider population.) Intelligent Catholics want far more than "Mass sayers" today. The sense most mature but now disenchanted Catholics we come into contact with today is that they simply do not believe the pathway to paradise is travelled by some "magic" dispensed through the sacraments. It is discerned by learning to think, feel and act in the ways modelled and taught by Jesus Christ. Our bishops, and more especially our leaders in Rome, present a theology to us that presents Jesus to us more as the magician rather than as the teacher and model for how any person can think, feel and act their way through life and into everlasting life.
We frankly see absolutely zero prospects of Rome adopting a new attitude and actually having concern for the 86% of the baptised who have drifted away and their spiritual, social and temporal welfare. The constant message coming from Rome is it's all "their fault" — those who have drifted away. If they want to be part of our private little church "they" (the ones who have drifted away) have to adopt the taliban attitudes of the remnant that we believe are the only "true Catholics" whom the Almighty directs us to serve."
The one faint hope...
"The one faint hope — and again we are particularly indebted to Catholics for Ministry and in particular Dr Paul Collins for this — is if one, or a small group of bishops, took it upon themselves to defy Rome and actually chart a new course: one that is actually directed to discerning the needs of the great majority of the baptised; who would take on and confront — or even better still, educate and catechise — the taliban element on behalf of us all rather than constantly appease them; and who would attempt to rebuild the structure — the actual "Corpus Christi" — in their local environment. As Dr Collins has pointed out, historically this is often how change has occurred in the Church — some local bishop or group of people adopt a new style or theological outlook and over time this is adopted by more and more people and then centuries later Rome finally gives its stamp of approval to whatever the innovation happened to be. The question is: is there any bishop, or group of bishops, willing to "step up to the mark" and provide real leadership to their flock? As I jokingly suggested in the Catholica Forum a couple of days ago, there's a great seat awaiting someone in heaven who bites the bullet and provides a solution to the crisis the institution is facing in this country. Their actions may well turn out to be a model for the entire nation, or even the entire Western world. To achieve such a turn-around for the institution would surely earn more plaudits both in the here and now and in the hereafter than all these other pathetic games we have had to put up with for the past forty years and more? It would be a far more worthy life and vocational goal than chasing after a cardinal's temporal power and prestige or some other place of temporal honour in this rapidly disintegrating ship. It is actually helping "build the kingdom" — not being a participant in its gradual emasculation and destruction."
"Losing faith" — not in God but in our bishops and spiritual leaders..."
"Finally, by way of caution, could we say: the fundamental problems confronting the Church, particularly in Australia today, are not actually to do with money, the lack of resources or personnel to do anything, nor the lack of physical infrastructure. The key problems are principally theological and, linked into that, our actual ecclesiology and understanding of the nature and role of priesthood. It is a rank fallacy to suggest that all of the 86% who have left regular sacramental participation have been beguiled by relativism and consumerism and the "ways of the world". That may have happened to some, even 50% of those who have left. Many, particularly amongst the more educated and thoughtful have left for reasons to do with actually believing our Holy Bishops have been leading us up the garden path and away from authentic Catholic belief and thinking. Most of the educated reflective faithful who haven't charged off in the direction of even more fundamentalist denominations and sects, have simply ceased to believe key parts of the theology that the taliban element in the Church and their bishop patrons are constantly trying to force down our necks. We have also "lost faith" in the model of priesthood and church community that is being presented to us. We have "lost faith" that the pathway that our spiritual superiors offer to us in the Church actually leads to salvation and resurrection. We have "lost faith" in our bishops and priests — that is testified to by the massive drift away from sacramental participation. We have NOT "lost faith" in Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Father, or the Trinitarian God. Those of us old enough to remember the sense of vibrancy and excitement that infected the Church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council sincerely do believe the vast majority of bishops at that Council were "guided by the Holy Spirit" and had begun to discern at least some of the answers to these questions of deep theology, Christology, ecclesiology and the role of the priest as leader and guide of our local communities."
Bridget Mary's Reflecton:
Yes, indeed, it appears that Australia may be ready for Roman Catholic Women Priests. For more information, contact Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP at sofiabmm@aol.com
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
Every Day Church Should Give Birth to the Church
http://ncronline.org/news/faith-parish/every-day-chruch-should-give-birth-church
By Richard Gaillardetz
"Those indicators would include the following: First, the church is still feeling the lingering effects of the clerical sexual abuse scandal. Some victims still feel sloughed aside by institutional indifference, and thousands of Catholics have either left the church or have remained in a state of resigned disillusionment by both the accounts of abuse and the subsequent attempts at ecclesiastical cover-up. To date, eight American Catholic dioceses have had to file for bankruptcy because of multiple clerical abuse lawsuits, and more may soon follow. Second, many are disheartened by heavy-handed exercises of church authority: excommunications, declarations that a hospital is no longer Catholic, refusing communion to politicians, protesting the conferral of an honorary degree on a newly elected American president. A particularly troubling example is found in the current Vatican investigations of American women religious communities. This investigation appears to many as a shameful instance of scapegoating women who have dedicated their lives to the church's service and it demonstrates that we still have a long way to go in purging our church of its patriarchal tendencies. Third, the clergy shortage has forced diocese after diocese to close or consolidate parishes. This reality has hit home here in Toledo as the local diocese has announced a three year reorganization plan that will affect 33 parishes. Finally, as we shall see, there is evidence that large numbers of Catholics are simply giving up on the church and going elsewhere. In short, there is much to suggest that the American Catholic church is in a state of unrest. .."
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Missing from this essay is an analysis of the alienation of women from the institutional church, the impact of the Roman Catholic Womenpriests Movement and the growing support of U.S. Catholics for women's ordination.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Communty in Sarasota, Florida Celebrates Liturgy at St. Andrew, 6PM/Sat:Rise Up for Religious Equality
From left to right: Priest Partners:
Michael Rigdon, Bridget Mary Meehan, Katy Zatsick.
(Lee Breyer is a priest partner, but not in photo)
We are delighted to report that Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community is growing during 2011. All are welcome to receive Eucharist at our liturgies on Saturday evenings at 6:00 PM at St. Andrew United Church of Christ. Katy Zatsick, who was ordained a Roman Catholic Woman Priest in Feb. 2010 now lives in Florida and co-presides at our liturgies on a regular basis. Michael Rigdon and Lee Breyer are partner priests who serve our MMOJ community along with a leadership circle of enthusiastic Catholics. All are welcome to worship with us. Join the revolution of Roman Catholic Women Priests in people-empowered grassroots communities rising up for justice and equality for women in the church in the 21st century. We are following Jesus who called women and men as disciples and equals. It is time to take our church back from patriarchial domination that discriminates against women. If you love the sacramental, mystical and social justice tradition and want a more egalitarian community of faith, then join us! Help us make our church a more open, inclusive, Christ-centered and Spirit-empowered.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
703-505-0004
Upcoming events:
April 2nd: Ordination at 3PM at St. Andrew UCC -Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan will ordain four women deacons.
April 9th: Empowered by Compassion- a lecture by Bishop Patricia Fresen
In this talk, Dr. Fresen draws on medieval as well as contemporary sources to show that compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Releasng the energy of compassion into our world is possibly the most important calling each of us has, whoever we are and whatever our life situation may be. (4PM, St. Andrew UCC)
Date to be Determined: New Award-Winning Film on the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement- "Pink Smoke Over the Vatican" by Jules Hart
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Homily for the 8th Sunday -- Cycle A -- 27 February 2011 by Roberta Meehan, RCWP
Roman Catholic
Psalm 62:2-3, 6-9
Isaiah 49:14-15
1Corinthians 4:1-5
Matthew 6:24-34
Revised Common
Psalm 131
Isaiah 49:8-16a
1Corinthians 4:1-5
Matthew 6:24-34
Episcopal Psalm 62 or Psalm 62:6-14
Isaiah 49:8-18
1Corinthians 4:1-5 (6-7) 8-13
Matthew 6:24-34
Do you see how close to identical all the readings are for today, regardless of which lectionary is being used? Across the entire dimension of mainline Christianity, everyone is hearing these same lessons.
You may say, “Well, what about the Psalm?” Interestingly, while the Roman Catholics and the Episcopalians use Psalm 62 and those who use the Revised Common Lectionary use Psalm 131, we can see that the theme of these two psalm readings is virtually identical.
Psalm 62 says “Rest in God alone, my soul.”
Psalm 131 says “Put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.”
So, if we are going to be in the least bit esoteric, we can see that these two psalms have virtually identical messages. And so, let us use this idea – turning everything over to God – as our theme for this celebration.
If leaving everything up to God or turning everything over to God is our theme, how do our readings for today manifest this?
The first reading from Isaiah includes that well-known passage where God speaks to Zion (as Zion was in the grips of despair), “Can a mother forget her child…? Even if she should forget, I will never forget you.”
Think for a moment about how powerful that passage really is. The Israelites were in despair but God picked them up and used a comparison they were all familiar with – the love of a woman for her child. Those people understood that. So do we today. Even women who have miscarried or who have had an abortion never forget that empty place at the table. We all know that. We have all seen it – not only in humans but also in animals. It is real!
And yet our God goes one step further and says that even if a woman would forget a lost child, our God would never forget us. Do we have any doubt about resting in God? Or putting our hope in God? Our God will never forget us – no matter what.
Let us look now at the second reading which is from First Corinthians. Here we are called to be servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Does this relate to the theme as we found in the Psalm? Indeed it does! Recall that the Psalm told us that we were to rest in God and put our hope in God. The Psalm was essentially telling us that nothing else mattered. And now, here in the reading from First Corinthians, we find we are called to be servants and stewards to this very God who has invited us to rest and in Isaiah has given us the most powerful imagery of being a God who would never and could never forget us.
What we see here then is that we are called to be servants and stewards to a God who will never forget us and will never abandon us. Our God asks only that we be faithful servants and stewards.
“Servant” and “steward” are interesting words. We do not immediately know what they mean. Oh, we all have an idea of a servant cleaning the house or cooking the dinner or running errands in or out of the house. The word “steward” is not used too much today but we all have a general idea that a steward is something like a servant. How can we do that?
If we are servants and stewards, especially in the ancient tradition, we were totally dependent on our master or mistress. We weren’t like today’s cleaning lady who comes in for a few hours and then goes home or today’s yard worker who takes care of your garden and shrubs according to a pre-determined schedule and then goes home.
If we are servants and stewards in the Biblical sense, we are dependent on our master or mistress. We wouldn’t be slaves but we wouldn’t have the flexible or rotating schedule that today’s servants and stewards have. Think of a hotel worker or someone on the cleaning crew at the hospital or someone who works for a catering company. Their lives are not totally enmeshed in the owner’s schedule. Not today anyway. But, is that what Jesus was saying? Let’s look at the Gospel and see if we can figure this out.
This Gospel from Matthew is a rather famous passage and it definitely brings everything together for us. Jesus tells us not to worry about what to eat, what to drink, or what to wear. Do you worry about what to eat? Hey, I do! I even worry about what my dogs are going to eat! Do you worry about what you are going to drink? Well, I am not quite as guilty on that one because I live in the city and there is always plenty of good water available – supposedly. But sometimes I do worry about whether or not I will be able to get a good cup of coffee. Have you ever been there?
And, what about worrying about what to wear? Anyone who has never been there in this day and age is clearly living in another world! We all have numerous choices in what we wear and yet we all still worry about what to wear.
But that is what this Gospel is all about! Jesus is telling us not to worry about what to eat, what to drink, or what to wear. We do it anyway! Can you picture Jesus smiling at his friends as he tells them how foolish they are for worrying about these mortal points? I can almost see Jesus smiling and shaking his head in wonderment at his friends’ attachment to the worldly life. Is Jesus smiling at you with that same sense of wonderment or disbelief? I am certain Jesus is smiling at me! I worry about these things all the time!
Jesus says we cannot serve God and our human foibles at the same time. We all know that on the surface. The question is, do we really know that in our hearts? If we read this Gospel carefully, we realize that Jesus is very serious about our not worrying about anything.
Now, let’s go back to our previous readings. Look at the Psalm theme – “Rest in God alone.” If we truly believe that God is supreme, how can we worry about food or drink or clothing if we are resting in God alone? We have no choice! Our God is our God! And, our God IS God! That includes all that being GOD means!
Isaiah reminds us that a mother cannot forget her child but that even if she does forget, our God will be there. How can we worry about food or drink or what we will wear if our God will not forget us – no matter what. We cannot worry about food or drink or clothing if our God will take care of us – even if our friends and relatives (even our mothers) may not be able to.
Think for a moment about the passage from First Corinthians. How can we be servants and stewards (particularly in the Biblical sense) if we are worrying about our food, drink, and clothing? Remember that the servants and stewards were generally under the will of the master. The servants and stewards depended on – or relied on – the master for these things. Today we are servants and stewards. We rely on Jesus. This is the same Jesus who told us not to worry about our food or drink or clothing. We all need to spend a moment with that idea. This is the same Jesus who told us in this same gospel that we cannot serve God and our possessions at the same time.
Our duty as Christians is to follow Christ. We do that by doing the next right thing in front of us, by resting in God, by hoping in God, by remembering that God loves us more than we could ever imagine, and that God will take absolute care of us at all times and always.
Do you see how close to identical all the readings are for today, regardless of which lectionary is being used? Across the entire dimension of mainline Christianity, everyone is hearing these same lessons.
You may say, “Well, what about the Psalm?” Interestingly, while the Roman Catholics and the Episcopalians use Psalm 62 and those who use the Revised Common Lectionary use Psalm 131, we can see that the theme of these two psalm readings is virtually identical.
Psalm 62 says “Rest in God alone, my soul.”
Psalm 131 says “Put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.”
So, if we are going to be in the least bit esoteric, we can see that these two psalms have virtually identical messages. And so, let us use this idea – turning everything over to God – as our theme for this celebration.
If leaving everything up to God or turning everything over to God is our theme, how do our readings for today manifest this?
The first reading from Isaiah includes that well-known passage where God speaks to Zion (as Zion was in the grips of despair), “Can a mother forget her child…? Even if she should forget, I will never forget you.”
Think for a moment about how powerful that passage really is. The Israelites were in despair but God picked them up and used a comparison they were all familiar with – the love of a woman for her child. Those people understood that. So do we today. Even women who have miscarried or who have had an abortion never forget that empty place at the table. We all know that. We have all seen it – not only in humans but also in animals. It is real!
And yet our God goes one step further and says that even if a woman would forget a lost child, our God would never forget us. Do we have any doubt about resting in God? Or putting our hope in God? Our God will never forget us – no matter what.
Let us look now at the second reading which is from First Corinthians. Here we are called to be servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Does this relate to the theme as we found in the Psalm? Indeed it does! Recall that the Psalm told us that we were to rest in God and put our hope in God. The Psalm was essentially telling us that nothing else mattered. And now, here in the reading from First Corinthians, we find we are called to be servants and stewards to this very God who has invited us to rest and in Isaiah has given us the most powerful imagery of being a God who would never and could never forget us.
What we see here then is that we are called to be servants and stewards to a God who will never forget us and will never abandon us. Our God asks only that we be faithful servants and stewards.
“Servant” and “steward” are interesting words. We do not immediately know what they mean. Oh, we all have an idea of a servant cleaning the house or cooking the dinner or running errands in or out of the house. The word “steward” is not used too much today but we all have a general idea that a steward is something like a servant. How can we do that?
If we are servants and stewards, especially in the ancient tradition, we were totally dependent on our master or mistress. We weren’t like today’s cleaning lady who comes in for a few hours and then goes home or today’s yard worker who takes care of your garden and shrubs according to a pre-determined schedule and then goes home.
If we are servants and stewards in the Biblical sense, we are dependent on our master or mistress. We wouldn’t be slaves but we wouldn’t have the flexible or rotating schedule that today’s servants and stewards have. Think of a hotel worker or someone on the cleaning crew at the hospital or someone who works for a catering company. Their lives are not totally enmeshed in the owner’s schedule. Not today anyway. But, is that what Jesus was saying? Let’s look at the Gospel and see if we can figure this out.
This Gospel from Matthew is a rather famous passage and it definitely brings everything together for us. Jesus tells us not to worry about what to eat, what to drink, or what to wear. Do you worry about what to eat? Hey, I do! I even worry about what my dogs are going to eat! Do you worry about what you are going to drink? Well, I am not quite as guilty on that one because I live in the city and there is always plenty of good water available – supposedly. But sometimes I do worry about whether or not I will be able to get a good cup of coffee. Have you ever been there?
And, what about worrying about what to wear? Anyone who has never been there in this day and age is clearly living in another world! We all have numerous choices in what we wear and yet we all still worry about what to wear.
But that is what this Gospel is all about! Jesus is telling us not to worry about what to eat, what to drink, or what to wear. We do it anyway! Can you picture Jesus smiling at his friends as he tells them how foolish they are for worrying about these mortal points? I can almost see Jesus smiling and shaking his head in wonderment at his friends’ attachment to the worldly life. Is Jesus smiling at you with that same sense of wonderment or disbelief? I am certain Jesus is smiling at me! I worry about these things all the time!
Jesus says we cannot serve God and our human foibles at the same time. We all know that on the surface. The question is, do we really know that in our hearts? If we read this Gospel carefully, we realize that Jesus is very serious about our not worrying about anything.
Now, let’s go back to our previous readings. Look at the Psalm theme – “Rest in God alone.” If we truly believe that God is supreme, how can we worry about food or drink or clothing if we are resting in God alone? We have no choice! Our God is our God! And, our God IS God! That includes all that being GOD means!
Isaiah reminds us that a mother cannot forget her child but that even if she does forget, our God will be there. How can we worry about food or drink or what we will wear if our God will not forget us – no matter what. We cannot worry about food or drink or clothing if our God will take care of us – even if our friends and relatives (even our mothers) may not be able to.
Think for a moment about the passage from First Corinthians. How can we be servants and stewards (particularly in the Biblical sense) if we are worrying about our food, drink, and clothing? Remember that the servants and stewards were generally under the will of the master. The servants and stewards depended on – or relied on – the master for these things. Today we are servants and stewards. We rely on Jesus. This is the same Jesus who told us not to worry about our food or drink or clothing. We all need to spend a moment with that idea. This is the same Jesus who told us in this same gospel that we cannot serve God and our possessions at the same time.
Our duty as Christians is to follow Christ. We do that by doing the next right thing in front of us, by resting in God, by hoping in God, by remembering that God loves us more than we could ever imagine, and that God will take absolute care of us at all times and always.
Roberta Meehan, RCWP
"The Ultimate Freedom: Life As a Nun" / Applies to Nun and Priest
http://wholelivingdaily.wholeliving.com/2011/02/the-ultimate-freedom-life-as-a-nun-im-dead-serious-im-also-a-nun.html
Sister Karol Jackowski
"It preserves the loving sisterhood of women, generates infinitely compassionate lives and works, and last, but not least, saves us from the devastating effects of having and being had. What woman in her right mind wouldn’t want that?"
“When sleeping women wake, mountains will move.” --Chinese Proverb
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
I am blessed to be a Sister for Christian Community and a Roman Catholic Woman Priest. I believe that the sisterhood of women is a bond that links us to our sisters and brothers everywhere. We are offering the church a gift of women imaging the divine feminine in our ministry in all areas of life, including as priests at the altar.
When sleeping women and men awake, the church will be transformed!
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP/SFCC
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
Sister Karol Jackowski
"It preserves the loving sisterhood of women, generates infinitely compassionate lives and works, and last, but not least, saves us from the devastating effects of having and being had. What woman in her right mind wouldn’t want that?"
“When sleeping women wake, mountains will move.” --Chinese Proverb
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
I am blessed to be a Sister for Christian Community and a Roman Catholic Woman Priest. I believe that the sisterhood of women is a bond that links us to our sisters and brothers everywhere. We are offering the church a gift of women imaging the divine feminine in our ministry in all areas of life, including as priests at the altar.
When sleeping women and men awake, the church will be transformed!
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP/SFCC
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
Pope Lawsuit- Claims the Pope Maintains "a Worldwide System of Cover-Up of the Sexual Crimes Committed by Catholc Priests"/Time for Women Priests
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2011/0223/1224290630240.html
"They claim the Pope “is responsible for the preservation and leadership of a worldwide totalitarian regime of coercion which subjugates its members with terrifying and health-endangering threats”.
They allege he is also responsible for “the adherence to a fatal forbiddance of the use of condoms, even when the danger of HIV-Aids infection exists” and for “the establishment and maintenance of a worldwide system of cover-up of the sexual crimes committed by Catholic priests and their preferential treatment, which aids and abets ever new crimes”.
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Pope Benedct XVI should be held accountable for the global sexual abuse crimes of the Roman Catholic clergy against children. What other church would get away with crimes against humanity? Let us hope that someone somewhere can hold the pope accountable. Perhaps, this will finally shake up the Vatican to deal with structural reform and begin the journey to reform and healing.
It is time for the Roman Catholic institutional church to embrace women priests. Can you imagine women priests who are mothers, grandmothers, sisters and aunts covering up sexual abuse? I can't!
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
"They claim the Pope “is responsible for the preservation and leadership of a worldwide totalitarian regime of coercion which subjugates its members with terrifying and health-endangering threats”.
They allege he is also responsible for “the adherence to a fatal forbiddance of the use of condoms, even when the danger of HIV-Aids infection exists” and for “the establishment and maintenance of a worldwide system of cover-up of the sexual crimes committed by Catholic priests and their preferential treatment, which aids and abets ever new crimes”.
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Pope Benedct XVI should be held accountable for the global sexual abuse crimes of the Roman Catholic clergy against children. What other church would get away with crimes against humanity? Let us hope that someone somewhere can hold the pope accountable. Perhaps, this will finally shake up the Vatican to deal with structural reform and begin the journey to reform and healing.
It is time for the Roman Catholic institutional church to embrace women priests. Can you imagine women priests who are mothers, grandmothers, sisters and aunts covering up sexual abuse? I can't!
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
The Irish Affliction- Sexually Abused by Catholic Clergy" -"Ireland is first country to bring force of Government to bear against Church"
http://inquisitionnews.amplify.com/2011/02/10/the-irish-affliction-sexually-abused-by-catholic-clergy/
'The revelations have been monstrous and the reaction fierce, but is that enough to break the grip of the Catholic Church.'
By Russell Shorto
..."The global sex abuse scandal is rocking the Roman Catholic Church throughout the world. In the U.S. 11,000 abuse allegations covering 95% of dioceses. Last year the scandal swept across Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. There have been highly publicized cases in Britain, Italy, France, Malta, Switzerland, Austria, Mexico, New Zealand, Canada, Kenya, the Philippines, Australia and other countries. Last March the scandal pointed toward the pope himself when it emerged that as archbishop of Munich he was informed of a decision to return a pedophile priest to church duty and then that as Cardinal Ratzinger he failed to heed the pleas of American bishops who asked the Vatican to defrock a priest in Wisconsisn who molested 200 deaf children between the 1950's and 1970's. "
"Ireland is the first country to "bring the force of federal government to bear against the church. There have been three commissions in Ireland and all were government funded, all chared by judges. Thomas Doyle, canon lawyer and Dominican Priest observed: "In other places with a traditional Catholic presence and where there have been sexual abuse, there is intense interest in what is going on in Ireland. Quebec has now begun an investigation. There are signs of it beginning in the Netherlands, Austria, Belgiusm, Italy, Spain and Fraince. Ireland, then provides a model for investigative legal action on a host of fronts."
"..The Vatican is trying to do damage control by sending a team of bishops from other countries to investigate. "The Rev. Sean McDonagh, a leader of the Association of Irish Priests, which formed last year after reports were published, suggested that to get at the root of the problem, the team of investigators "should begin by scrutinizing Rome's own handling of sex abuse allegations... "
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
The Association of Irish Priests put it bluntly. They acknowledge that the the blame for the sexual abuse scandal goes right to the top in the Vatican. The church hierarchy are the cause of the sex abuse scandal because they shielded abusers and neglected the victims. As Marie Collins, once a victim of sexual abuse and now an advocate for victims, states: "It's so hard to reconcile what the men at the top do with what Jesus preached."
Let's admit it. We need change now in order to reform the Catholic Church. It is time for married priests, women priests and an empowered community of believers to renew the church.
Bridget Mary Meehan,
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
'The revelations have been monstrous and the reaction fierce, but is that enough to break the grip of the Catholic Church.'
By Russell Shorto
..."The global sex abuse scandal is rocking the Roman Catholic Church throughout the world. In the U.S. 11,000 abuse allegations covering 95% of dioceses. Last year the scandal swept across Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. There have been highly publicized cases in Britain, Italy, France, Malta, Switzerland, Austria, Mexico, New Zealand, Canada, Kenya, the Philippines, Australia and other countries. Last March the scandal pointed toward the pope himself when it emerged that as archbishop of Munich he was informed of a decision to return a pedophile priest to church duty and then that as Cardinal Ratzinger he failed to heed the pleas of American bishops who asked the Vatican to defrock a priest in Wisconsisn who molested 200 deaf children between the 1950's and 1970's. "
"Ireland is the first country to "bring the force of federal government to bear against the church. There have been three commissions in Ireland and all were government funded, all chared by judges. Thomas Doyle, canon lawyer and Dominican Priest observed: "In other places with a traditional Catholic presence and where there have been sexual abuse, there is intense interest in what is going on in Ireland. Quebec has now begun an investigation. There are signs of it beginning in the Netherlands, Austria, Belgiusm, Italy, Spain and Fraince. Ireland, then provides a model for investigative legal action on a host of fronts."
"..The Vatican is trying to do damage control by sending a team of bishops from other countries to investigate. "The Rev. Sean McDonagh, a leader of the Association of Irish Priests, which formed last year after reports were published, suggested that to get at the root of the problem, the team of investigators "should begin by scrutinizing Rome's own handling of sex abuse allegations... "
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
The Association of Irish Priests put it bluntly. They acknowledge that the the blame for the sexual abuse scandal goes right to the top in the Vatican. The church hierarchy are the cause of the sex abuse scandal because they shielded abusers and neglected the victims. As Marie Collins, once a victim of sexual abuse and now an advocate for victims, states: "It's so hard to reconcile what the men at the top do with what Jesus preached."
Let's admit it. We need change now in order to reform the Catholic Church. It is time for married priests, women priests and an empowered community of believers to renew the church.
Bridget Mary Meehan,
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
Thursday, February 24, 2011
"Dangerous Impostors" Philadelphia Grand Jury States that Cardinal Bevilacqua Endangered Phil. Children
AVE MARIA, Florida-
http://romancatholicworld.wordpress.com/2011/02/23/tom-monaghans-invaluable-cardinal-bevilacqua-accused-by-grand-jury-of-covering-up-sexual-abuse-of-children/
by Marielena Montesino de Stuart
FEBRUARY 23, 2011
A Special Report
"Following a long and painful investigation of the sexual abuse of children in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, a Grand Jury has issued a final report stating that they have no doubt that Cardinal Bevilacqua’s “knowing and deliberate actions during his tenure as Archbishop also endangered thousands of children in the Philadelphia Archdiocese.“ This endangerment included vulnerable and poor immigrant children from the Hmong community.
"Cardinal Bevilacqua is one of America’s best known Roman Catholic Cardinals. He is also considered to be one of the most notorious protectors of dangerous sexual predators, in the history of the Catholic Church in America."
http://romancatholicworld.wordpress.com/2011/02/23/tom-monaghans-invaluable-cardinal-bevilacqua-accused-by-grand-jury-of-covering-up-sexual-abuse-of-children/
by Marielena Montesino de Stuart
FEBRUARY 23, 2011
A Special Report
"Following a long and painful investigation of the sexual abuse of children in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, a Grand Jury has issued a final report stating that they have no doubt that Cardinal Bevilacqua’s “knowing and deliberate actions during his tenure as Archbishop also endangered thousands of children in the Philadelphia Archdiocese.“ This endangerment included vulnerable and poor immigrant children from the Hmong community.
"Cardinal Bevilacqua is one of America’s best known Roman Catholic Cardinals. He is also considered to be one of the most notorious protectors of dangerous sexual predators, in the history of the Catholic Church in America."
Obeying God Trumps Obeying the Pope- Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests' Response to Norma Jean Coon's Repentance and Repudiation
We understand the decision made in conscience by Norma Jean Coon, now a former RCWP deacon (California Catholic Daily, February 24, 2011, http://calcatholic.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?id=67472154-7019-4ee0-8b1b-d7880809a907). She has every right to change her mind and has an obligation to follow her conscience. We remain ordained Roman Catholic Women Priests who continue to follow our informed consciences and, simply put, obeying God trumps obeying the Pope.
It is the firm conviction of the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests that women who are ordained into a renewed priestly ministry are following primacy of conscience. According to official church teaching, "the final authority in any moral decision-making must always be one's conscience, even if said decision is contrary to church teaching. As the church teaches, "the gospel has a sacred reverence for the dignity of conscience and its freedom of choice" (GS, 41) and "in all activity [one] is bound to follow [one's] conscience faithfully." (See: Vatican Council II, Gaudium et Spes (GS) 16, 41.
Roman Catholic Women Priests follow Jesus who treated women and men as equals and partners in contradiction to the religious establishment of his times. Scholars have found evidence of women deacons and priests in the early centuries of the church’s history. (See Gary Macy, The Hidden History of Women’s Ordination) We stand in the prophetic tradition of holy obedience to the Spirit’s call to a renewed priestly ministry in a community of equals. We are challenging an unjust law that discriminates against women. Roman Catholic Women Priests are leading the church into a new era of justice and equality for women.
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
It is the firm conviction of the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests that women who are ordained into a renewed priestly ministry are following primacy of conscience. According to official church teaching, "the final authority in any moral decision-making must always be one's conscience, even if said decision is contrary to church teaching. As the church teaches, "the gospel has a sacred reverence for the dignity of conscience and its freedom of choice" (GS, 41) and "in all activity [one] is bound to follow [one's] conscience faithfully." (See: Vatican Council II, Gaudium et Spes (GS) 16, 41.
Roman Catholic Women Priests follow Jesus who treated women and men as equals and partners in contradiction to the religious establishment of his times. Scholars have found evidence of women deacons and priests in the early centuries of the church’s history. (See Gary Macy, The Hidden History of Women’s Ordination) We stand in the prophetic tradition of holy obedience to the Spirit’s call to a renewed priestly ministry in a community of equals. We are challenging an unjust law that discriminates against women. Roman Catholic Women Priests are leading the church into a new era of justice and equality for women.
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
The Church in 2011: A Necessary Departure : German Theologians Statement Challenging Roman Catholic Institutional Church/Vatican
The Church in 2011: A Necessary Departure
It is over a year since cases of sexual abuse of children and youth by priests and religious at the Canisius School in Berlin were made public. Thereupon followed a year that plunged the Catholic Church in Germany into an unequaled crisis. Today, a split image is projected. Much has been undertaken to do justice to the victims, to come to terms with the wrong done, and to search out the causes of abuse, cover-up, and double standards within the Church’s own ranks. Many responsible Christians, women and men, in office and unofficially, have come to realize, after their initial disgust, that deep-reaching reforms are necessary. The appeal for an open dialogue on structures of power and communication, the form of official church offices, and the participation of the faithful in taking responsibility for morality and sexuality have aroused expectations, but also fears. This might be the last chance for departure from paralysis and resignation. Will this chance be missed by sitting out or minimizing the crisis? Not everyone is threatened by the unrest of an open dialogue without taboos – especially since the papal visit [to Germany] will soon take place. The alternative simply cannot be accepted: the “rest of the dead” because the last hopes have been destroyed.
The deep crisis of our Church demands that we address even those problems which, at first glance, do not have anything directly to do with the abuse scandal and its decades-long cover-up. As theology professors, women and men, we can keep silence no longer. We consider ourselves responsible for contributing to a true new beginning: 2011 must be a Year of Departure for the Church. In the past year, more Christians than ever before have withdrawn from the Catholic Church. They have officially terminated their legal membership, or they have privatized their spiritual life in order to protect it from the institution. The Church must understand these signs and pull itself from ossified structures in order to recover new vitality and credibility.
The renewal of church structures will succeed, not with anxious withdrawal from society, but only with the courage for self-criticism and the acceptance of critical impulses – including those from the outside. This is one of the lessons of the last year: the abuse crisis would not have been dealt with so decisively without the critical accompaniment of the larger public. Only through
open communication can the Church win back trust. The Church will become credible when only its image of itself is not removed so far from the image others have of the Church. We turn to all those who have not yet given up hope for a new beginning in the Church and who work for this. We build upon the signals of departure and dialogue which some bishops have given in recent months in speeches, homilies, and interviews.
The Church does not exist for its own sake. The church has the mission to announce the liberating and loving God of Jesus Christ to all people. The Church can do this only when it is itself a place and a credible witness of the good news of the Gospel. The Church’s speaking and acting, its rules and structures – its entire engagement with people within and outside the Church – is under the standard of acknowledging and promoting the freedom of people as God’s creation. Absolute respect for every person, regard for freedom of conscience, commitment to justice and rights, solidarity with the poor and oppressed: these are the theological foundational standards which arise from the Church’s obligation to the Gospel. Through these, love of God and neighbor become tangible.
Finding our orientation in the biblical Good News implies a differentiated relationship to modern society. When it comes to acknowledgement of each person’s freedom, maturity, and responsibility, modern society surpasses the Church in many respects. As the Second Vatican Council emphasized, the Church can learn from this. In other respects, critique of modern society from the spirit of the Gospel is indispensable, as when people are judged only by their productivity, when mutual solidarity disintegrates, or when the dignity of the person is violated.
This holds true in every case: the Good News of the Gospel is the standard for a credible Church, for its action and its presence in society. The concrete demands which the Church must face are by no means new. And yet, we see hardly any trace of reform-oriented reforms. Open dialogue on these questions must take place in the following spheres of action.
1. Structures of Participation: In all areas of church life, participation of the faithful is a touchstone for the credibility of the Good News of the Gospel. According to the old legal principle “What applies to all should be decided by all,” more synodal structures are needed at all levels of the Church. The faithful should be involved in the naming of important officials (bishop, pastor). Whatever can be decided locally should be decided there. Decisions must be transparent.
2. Community: Christian communities should be places where people share spiritual and material goods with one another. But community life is eroding presently. Under the pressure of the priesthood shortage, larger and larger administrative entities (Size “Extra Large” Parishes) are constructed in which neighbourliness and sense of belonging can hardly be experienced anymore. Historical identity and built-up social networks are given up. Priests are “overheated” and burn out. The faithful stay away when they are not trusted to share responsibility and to participate in democratic structures in the leadership of their communities. Church office must serve the life of communities – not the other way around. The Church also needs married priests and women in church ministry.
3. Legal culture: Acknowledgement of the dignity and freedom of every person is shown when conflicts are borne fairly and with mutual respect. Canon law deserves its name only when the faithful can truly make use of their rights. It is urgent that the protection of rights and legal culture be improved. A first step is the development of administrative justice in the Church.
4. Freedom of Conscience: Respect for individual conscience means placing trust in people’s ability to make decisions and carry responsibility. It is the task of the Church to support this capability. The Church must not revert to paternalism. Serious work needs to be done especially in the realm of personal life decisions and individual manners of life. The Church’s esteem for marriage and unmarried forms of life goes without saying. But this does not require that we exclude people who responsibly live out love, faithfulness, and mutual care in same-sex partnerships or in a remarriage after divorce.
5. Reconciliation: Solidarity with “sinners” presupposes that we take seriously the sin within our own ranks. Self-justified moral rigorism ill befits the Church. The Church cannot preach reconciliation with God if it does not create by its own actions the conditions for reconciliation with those before whom the Church is guilty: by violence, by withholding rights, by turning the biblical Good News into a rigorous morality without mercy.
6. Worship: The liturgy lives from the active participation of all the faithful. Experiences and forms of expression of the present day must have their place. Worship services must not become frozen in traditionalism. Cultural diversity enriches liturgical life, but the tendency toward centralized uniformity is in tension with this. Only when the celebration of faith takes account of concrete life situations will the Church’s message reach people.
The already-begun dialogue process in the Church can lead to liberation and departure when all participants are ready to take up the pressing questions. We must lead the Church out of its crippling preoccupation with itself through a free and fair exchange of arguments and solutions. The tempest of the last year must not be followed by restful quietness! In the present situation, this could only be the “rest of the dead.” Anxiety has never been a good counselor in times of crisis. Female and male Christians are compelled by the Gospel to look to the future with courage, and walk on water like Peter as Jesus said to him, “Why do you have fear? Is your faith so weak?”
The names of the signatories can be seen here.
Translation by awr
The signatories of “The Church in 2011: A Necessary Departure”
Albus, Michael, University of Freiburg
Anzenbacher, Arno, University of Mainz
Arens, Edmund, University of Lucerne
Autiero, Antonio; University of Munster
Bäumer, Franz Josef, University of Giessen
Baumgartner, Isidor, University of Passau4
Bechmann, Ulrike, University of Graz
Belok, Manfred, Theological University of Chur
Benk, Andreas, Pedagogical University of Swabian-Gmünd
Bieberstein, Klaus, University of Bamberg
Bieberstein, Sabine, Catholic University of Eichstätt
Biesinger, Albert, University of Tubingen
Bischof, Franz Xaver, University of Munich
Blasberg-Kuhnke, Martina, University of Osnabruck
Böhnke, Michael, University of Wuppertal
Bopp, Karl SDB, Philosophical-Theological University of Benediktbeuern
Bremer, Thomas, University of Münster
Brosseder, Johannes, University of Cologne
Broer, Ingo, University of Siegen
Bucher, Anton A., University of Salzburg
Collet, Giancarlo, University of Munster
Dautzenberg, Gerhard, University of Giessen
Demel, Sabine, University of Regensburg
Droesser, Gerhard, University of Wurzburg
Eckholt, Margit, University of Osnabruck
Emunds, Bernhard, Philotophical-Theological University of St. Georgen
Ernst, Stephan, University of Wurzburg
Feiter, Reinhard, University of Munster
Franz, Albert, University of Dresden
Frevel, Christian, University of Bochum5
Fröhling, Edward SAC, Philisophical-Theological University of Vallendar
Fuchs, Ottmar, University of Tubingen
Fürst, Alfons, University of Munster
Gabriel, Karl, University Munster
Garhammer, Erich, University of Wurzburg
Göllner, Reinhard, University of Bochum
Görtz, Heinz-Jürgen, University of Hannover
Goertz, Stephan, University of Mainz
Grümme, Bernhard, Pedagogical University of Ludwigsburg
Häfner, Gerd, University of Munich
Haker, Hille, University of Frankfurt am Main / Chicago
Hartmann, Richard, Theology Department of Fulda
Heimbach-Steins, Marianne, University of Munster
Heinz, Hanspeter, University of Augsburg
Hemel, Ulrich, University of Regensburg
Hengsbach, Friedhelm SJ, Philisophical-Theological University of St. Georgen
Hilberath, Bernd-Jochen, University of Tubingen
Hilpert, Konrad, University of Munich
Höfer, Rudolf, University of Graz
Höhn, Hans-Joachim, University of Cologne
Hoffmann, Johannes, University of Frankfurt am Main
Hoffmann, Paul, University of Bamberg
Holderegger, Adrian, University of Freiburg(Switzerland)
Holzem, Andreas, University of Tubingen6
Hünermann, Peter, University of Tubingen
Jäggle, Martin, University of Vienna
Jorissen, Hans, University of Bonn
Kampling, Rainer, University of Berlin
Karrer, Leo, University of Freiburg (Switzerland)
Kern, Walter, Pedagogical University of Ludwigsburg
Kessler, Hans, University of Frankfurt am Main
Kienzler, Klaus, University of Augsburg
Kirchschläger, Walter, University of Lucerne
Knobloch, Stefan, OFMCap, University of Mainz
Könemann, Judith, University of Munster
Kohler-Spiegel, Helga, Pedagogical University of Feldkirch/Vorarlberg
Kos, Elmar, University of Vechta
Kraus, Georg, University of Bamberg
Kruip, Gerhard, University of Mainz
Kügler, Joachim, University of Bamberg
Kuhnke, Ulrich, University of Osnabruck
Kuld, Lothar, Pedagogical University of Weingarten
Ladenhauf, Karl-Heinz, University of Graz
Lang, Bernhard, University of Paderborn
Langer, Wolfgang, Perchtolsdorf
Lesch, Karl Josef, University of Vechta
Loretan, Adrian, University of Lucerne
Lüdicke, Klaus, University of Munster7
Ludwig, Heiner, University of Darmstadt
Lutterbach, Hubertus, University of Duisburg-Essen
Maier, Joachim, Schriesheim
Meier, Johannes, University of Mainz
Mennekes, Friedhelm SJ, Cologne
Merks, Karl-Wilhelm, Bonn
Mette, Norbert, Technical University of Dortmund
Michel, Andreas, University of Cologne
Mieth, Dietmar, Universities of Erfurt and Tubingen
Missala, Heinrich, University of Duisburg-Essen
Möhring-Hesse, Matthias, University of Vechta
Mooney, Hilary, Pedagogical University of Weingarten
Müller, Klaus, University of Munster
Müllner, Ilse, University of Cassel
Nauer, Doris, Philisophical-Theological University of Vallendar
Neuner, Peter, University of Munich
Niederschlag, Heribert SAC, Philisophicl-Theological University Vallendar
Odenthal, Andreas, University of Tubingen
Ollig, Hans-Ludwig SJ, Philosophical-Theological University of St. Georgen
Pellegrini, Silvia, University of Vechta
Pemsel-Maier, Sabine, Pedagogical University of Karlsruhe
Pesch, Otto Hermann, University of Hamburg
Pock, Johann, University of Vienna
Poplutz, Uta, University of Wuppertal8
Porzelt, Burkard, University of Regensburg
Raske, Michael, University of Frankfurt am Main
Richter, Klemens, University of Munster
Roebben, Bert, University Dortmund
Rotter, Hans, University of Innsbruck
Sauer, Ralph, University of Vechta
Schäper, Sabine, Catholic Polytechnic University of Munster
Schmälzle, Udo, University of Munster
Schmidt, Thomas M., University of Frankfurt am Main
Schmiedl, Joachim, Philisophical-Theological University of Vallendar
Schockenhoff, Eberhard, University of Freiburg
Scholl, Norbert, Pedagogical University of Heidelberg
Schulz, Ehrenfried, University of Munich
Schreiber, Stefan, University of Augsburg
Schreijaeck, Thomas, University of Frankfurt am Main
Schüller, Thomas, University of Munster
Schüngel-Straumann, Helen, University of Cassel / Basel
Seeliger, Hans-Reinhard, University of Tubingen
Siller, Hermann Pius, University of Frankfurt am Main
Simon, Werner, University of Mainz
Spiegel, Egon, University of Vechta
Steinkamp, Hermann, University of Munster
Steins, Georg, University of Osnabruck
Stosch, Klaus von, University of Paderborn9
Striet, Magnus, University of Freiburg
Strotmann, Angelika, University of Paderborn
Theobald, Michael, University of Tubingen
Trautmann, Franz, Pedagogical University of Swabian-Gmünd
Trautmann, Maria, Catholic University of Eichstätt
Trocholepczy, Bernd, University of Frankfurt am Main
Vogt, Markus, University of Munich
Wacker, Marie-Theres, University of Munster
Wahl, Heribert, University of Trier
Walter, Peter, University of Freiburg
Weirer, Wolfgang, University of Graz
Wendel, Saskia, University of Cologne
Wenzel, Knut, University of Frankfurt am Main
Werbick, Jürgen, University of Munster
Willers, Ulrich, Catholic University of Eichstätt
Ziebertz, Hans-Georg, University of Wurzburg
Zwick, Reinhold, University of Munster
-- Mary Ann M. SchoettlyRCWP-USA--
It is over a year since cases of sexual abuse of children and youth by priests and religious at the Canisius School in Berlin were made public. Thereupon followed a year that plunged the Catholic Church in Germany into an unequaled crisis. Today, a split image is projected. Much has been undertaken to do justice to the victims, to come to terms with the wrong done, and to search out the causes of abuse, cover-up, and double standards within the Church’s own ranks. Many responsible Christians, women and men, in office and unofficially, have come to realize, after their initial disgust, that deep-reaching reforms are necessary. The appeal for an open dialogue on structures of power and communication, the form of official church offices, and the participation of the faithful in taking responsibility for morality and sexuality have aroused expectations, but also fears. This might be the last chance for departure from paralysis and resignation. Will this chance be missed by sitting out or minimizing the crisis? Not everyone is threatened by the unrest of an open dialogue without taboos – especially since the papal visit [to Germany] will soon take place. The alternative simply cannot be accepted: the “rest of the dead” because the last hopes have been destroyed.
The deep crisis of our Church demands that we address even those problems which, at first glance, do not have anything directly to do with the abuse scandal and its decades-long cover-up. As theology professors, women and men, we can keep silence no longer. We consider ourselves responsible for contributing to a true new beginning: 2011 must be a Year of Departure for the Church. In the past year, more Christians than ever before have withdrawn from the Catholic Church. They have officially terminated their legal membership, or they have privatized their spiritual life in order to protect it from the institution. The Church must understand these signs and pull itself from ossified structures in order to recover new vitality and credibility.
The renewal of church structures will succeed, not with anxious withdrawal from society, but only with the courage for self-criticism and the acceptance of critical impulses – including those from the outside. This is one of the lessons of the last year: the abuse crisis would not have been dealt with so decisively without the critical accompaniment of the larger public. Only through
open communication can the Church win back trust. The Church will become credible when only its image of itself is not removed so far from the image others have of the Church. We turn to all those who have not yet given up hope for a new beginning in the Church and who work for this. We build upon the signals of departure and dialogue which some bishops have given in recent months in speeches, homilies, and interviews.
The Church does not exist for its own sake. The church has the mission to announce the liberating and loving God of Jesus Christ to all people. The Church can do this only when it is itself a place and a credible witness of the good news of the Gospel. The Church’s speaking and acting, its rules and structures – its entire engagement with people within and outside the Church – is under the standard of acknowledging and promoting the freedom of people as God’s creation. Absolute respect for every person, regard for freedom of conscience, commitment to justice and rights, solidarity with the poor and oppressed: these are the theological foundational standards which arise from the Church’s obligation to the Gospel. Through these, love of God and neighbor become tangible.
Finding our orientation in the biblical Good News implies a differentiated relationship to modern society. When it comes to acknowledgement of each person’s freedom, maturity, and responsibility, modern society surpasses the Church in many respects. As the Second Vatican Council emphasized, the Church can learn from this. In other respects, critique of modern society from the spirit of the Gospel is indispensable, as when people are judged only by their productivity, when mutual solidarity disintegrates, or when the dignity of the person is violated.
This holds true in every case: the Good News of the Gospel is the standard for a credible Church, for its action and its presence in society. The concrete demands which the Church must face are by no means new. And yet, we see hardly any trace of reform-oriented reforms. Open dialogue on these questions must take place in the following spheres of action.
1. Structures of Participation: In all areas of church life, participation of the faithful is a touchstone for the credibility of the Good News of the Gospel. According to the old legal principle “What applies to all should be decided by all,” more synodal structures are needed at all levels of the Church. The faithful should be involved in the naming of important officials (bishop, pastor). Whatever can be decided locally should be decided there. Decisions must be transparent.
2. Community: Christian communities should be places where people share spiritual and material goods with one another. But community life is eroding presently. Under the pressure of the priesthood shortage, larger and larger administrative entities (Size “Extra Large” Parishes) are constructed in which neighbourliness and sense of belonging can hardly be experienced anymore. Historical identity and built-up social networks are given up. Priests are “overheated” and burn out. The faithful stay away when they are not trusted to share responsibility and to participate in democratic structures in the leadership of their communities. Church office must serve the life of communities – not the other way around. The Church also needs married priests and women in church ministry.
3. Legal culture: Acknowledgement of the dignity and freedom of every person is shown when conflicts are borne fairly and with mutual respect. Canon law deserves its name only when the faithful can truly make use of their rights. It is urgent that the protection of rights and legal culture be improved. A first step is the development of administrative justice in the Church.
4. Freedom of Conscience: Respect for individual conscience means placing trust in people’s ability to make decisions and carry responsibility. It is the task of the Church to support this capability. The Church must not revert to paternalism. Serious work needs to be done especially in the realm of personal life decisions and individual manners of life. The Church’s esteem for marriage and unmarried forms of life goes without saying. But this does not require that we exclude people who responsibly live out love, faithfulness, and mutual care in same-sex partnerships or in a remarriage after divorce.
5. Reconciliation: Solidarity with “sinners” presupposes that we take seriously the sin within our own ranks. Self-justified moral rigorism ill befits the Church. The Church cannot preach reconciliation with God if it does not create by its own actions the conditions for reconciliation with those before whom the Church is guilty: by violence, by withholding rights, by turning the biblical Good News into a rigorous morality without mercy.
6. Worship: The liturgy lives from the active participation of all the faithful. Experiences and forms of expression of the present day must have their place. Worship services must not become frozen in traditionalism. Cultural diversity enriches liturgical life, but the tendency toward centralized uniformity is in tension with this. Only when the celebration of faith takes account of concrete life situations will the Church’s message reach people.
The already-begun dialogue process in the Church can lead to liberation and departure when all participants are ready to take up the pressing questions. We must lead the Church out of its crippling preoccupation with itself through a free and fair exchange of arguments and solutions. The tempest of the last year must not be followed by restful quietness! In the present situation, this could only be the “rest of the dead.” Anxiety has never been a good counselor in times of crisis. Female and male Christians are compelled by the Gospel to look to the future with courage, and walk on water like Peter as Jesus said to him, “Why do you have fear? Is your faith so weak?”
The names of the signatories can be seen here.
Translation by awr
The signatories of “The Church in 2011: A Necessary Departure”
Albus, Michael, University of Freiburg
Anzenbacher, Arno, University of Mainz
Arens, Edmund, University of Lucerne
Autiero, Antonio; University of Munster
Bäumer, Franz Josef, University of Giessen
Baumgartner, Isidor, University of Passau4
Bechmann, Ulrike, University of Graz
Belok, Manfred, Theological University of Chur
Benk, Andreas, Pedagogical University of Swabian-Gmünd
Bieberstein, Klaus, University of Bamberg
Bieberstein, Sabine, Catholic University of Eichstätt
Biesinger, Albert, University of Tubingen
Bischof, Franz Xaver, University of Munich
Blasberg-Kuhnke, Martina, University of Osnabruck
Böhnke, Michael, University of Wuppertal
Bopp, Karl SDB, Philosophical-Theological University of Benediktbeuern
Bremer, Thomas, University of Münster
Brosseder, Johannes, University of Cologne
Broer, Ingo, University of Siegen
Bucher, Anton A., University of Salzburg
Collet, Giancarlo, University of Munster
Dautzenberg, Gerhard, University of Giessen
Demel, Sabine, University of Regensburg
Droesser, Gerhard, University of Wurzburg
Eckholt, Margit, University of Osnabruck
Emunds, Bernhard, Philotophical-Theological University of St. Georgen
Ernst, Stephan, University of Wurzburg
Feiter, Reinhard, University of Munster
Franz, Albert, University of Dresden
Frevel, Christian, University of Bochum5
Fröhling, Edward SAC, Philisophical-Theological University of Vallendar
Fuchs, Ottmar, University of Tubingen
Fürst, Alfons, University of Munster
Gabriel, Karl, University Munster
Garhammer, Erich, University of Wurzburg
Göllner, Reinhard, University of Bochum
Görtz, Heinz-Jürgen, University of Hannover
Goertz, Stephan, University of Mainz
Grümme, Bernhard, Pedagogical University of Ludwigsburg
Häfner, Gerd, University of Munich
Haker, Hille, University of Frankfurt am Main / Chicago
Hartmann, Richard, Theology Department of Fulda
Heimbach-Steins, Marianne, University of Munster
Heinz, Hanspeter, University of Augsburg
Hemel, Ulrich, University of Regensburg
Hengsbach, Friedhelm SJ, Philisophical-Theological University of St. Georgen
Hilberath, Bernd-Jochen, University of Tubingen
Hilpert, Konrad, University of Munich
Höfer, Rudolf, University of Graz
Höhn, Hans-Joachim, University of Cologne
Hoffmann, Johannes, University of Frankfurt am Main
Hoffmann, Paul, University of Bamberg
Holderegger, Adrian, University of Freiburg(Switzerland)
Holzem, Andreas, University of Tubingen6
Hünermann, Peter, University of Tubingen
Jäggle, Martin, University of Vienna
Jorissen, Hans, University of Bonn
Kampling, Rainer, University of Berlin
Karrer, Leo, University of Freiburg (Switzerland)
Kern, Walter, Pedagogical University of Ludwigsburg
Kessler, Hans, University of Frankfurt am Main
Kienzler, Klaus, University of Augsburg
Kirchschläger, Walter, University of Lucerne
Knobloch, Stefan, OFMCap, University of Mainz
Könemann, Judith, University of Munster
Kohler-Spiegel, Helga, Pedagogical University of Feldkirch/Vorarlberg
Kos, Elmar, University of Vechta
Kraus, Georg, University of Bamberg
Kruip, Gerhard, University of Mainz
Kügler, Joachim, University of Bamberg
Kuhnke, Ulrich, University of Osnabruck
Kuld, Lothar, Pedagogical University of Weingarten
Ladenhauf, Karl-Heinz, University of Graz
Lang, Bernhard, University of Paderborn
Langer, Wolfgang, Perchtolsdorf
Lesch, Karl Josef, University of Vechta
Loretan, Adrian, University of Lucerne
Lüdicke, Klaus, University of Munster7
Ludwig, Heiner, University of Darmstadt
Lutterbach, Hubertus, University of Duisburg-Essen
Maier, Joachim, Schriesheim
Meier, Johannes, University of Mainz
Mennekes, Friedhelm SJ, Cologne
Merks, Karl-Wilhelm, Bonn
Mette, Norbert, Technical University of Dortmund
Michel, Andreas, University of Cologne
Mieth, Dietmar, Universities of Erfurt and Tubingen
Missala, Heinrich, University of Duisburg-Essen
Möhring-Hesse, Matthias, University of Vechta
Mooney, Hilary, Pedagogical University of Weingarten
Müller, Klaus, University of Munster
Müllner, Ilse, University of Cassel
Nauer, Doris, Philisophical-Theological University of Vallendar
Neuner, Peter, University of Munich
Niederschlag, Heribert SAC, Philisophicl-Theological University Vallendar
Odenthal, Andreas, University of Tubingen
Ollig, Hans-Ludwig SJ, Philosophical-Theological University of St. Georgen
Pellegrini, Silvia, University of Vechta
Pemsel-Maier, Sabine, Pedagogical University of Karlsruhe
Pesch, Otto Hermann, University of Hamburg
Pock, Johann, University of Vienna
Poplutz, Uta, University of Wuppertal8
Porzelt, Burkard, University of Regensburg
Raske, Michael, University of Frankfurt am Main
Richter, Klemens, University of Munster
Roebben, Bert, University Dortmund
Rotter, Hans, University of Innsbruck
Sauer, Ralph, University of Vechta
Schäper, Sabine, Catholic Polytechnic University of Munster
Schmälzle, Udo, University of Munster
Schmidt, Thomas M., University of Frankfurt am Main
Schmiedl, Joachim, Philisophical-Theological University of Vallendar
Schockenhoff, Eberhard, University of Freiburg
Scholl, Norbert, Pedagogical University of Heidelberg
Schulz, Ehrenfried, University of Munich
Schreiber, Stefan, University of Augsburg
Schreijaeck, Thomas, University of Frankfurt am Main
Schüller, Thomas, University of Munster
Schüngel-Straumann, Helen, University of Cassel / Basel
Seeliger, Hans-Reinhard, University of Tubingen
Siller, Hermann Pius, University of Frankfurt am Main
Simon, Werner, University of Mainz
Spiegel, Egon, University of Vechta
Steinkamp, Hermann, University of Munster
Steins, Georg, University of Osnabruck
Stosch, Klaus von, University of Paderborn9
Striet, Magnus, University of Freiburg
Strotmann, Angelika, University of Paderborn
Theobald, Michael, University of Tubingen
Trautmann, Franz, Pedagogical University of Swabian-Gmünd
Trautmann, Maria, Catholic University of Eichstätt
Trocholepczy, Bernd, University of Frankfurt am Main
Vogt, Markus, University of Munich
Wacker, Marie-Theres, University of Munster
Wahl, Heribert, University of Trier
Walter, Peter, University of Freiburg
Weirer, Wolfgang, University of Graz
Wendel, Saskia, University of Cologne
Wenzel, Knut, University of Frankfurt am Main
Werbick, Jürgen, University of Munster
Willers, Ulrich, Catholic University of Eichstätt
Ziebertz, Hans-Georg, University of Wurzburg
Zwick, Reinhold, University of Munster
-- Mary Ann M. SchoettlyRCWP-USA--
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
A Docile Tradition Protects the Church/Catholic Revolt in Philadelphia/Called to Share a Church Worthy of Young
By John P. McNamee
http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/116639993.html?cmpid=15585797
"But my lament is not about the Quakers or WASPs. It's for the local Catholic Church in the face of new and terrible revelations of pedophilia, denial, and concealment. A monsignor hangs out to dry, but the fault is more extensive and pervasive. "
"Let's look at Boston Catholics' response to the pedophilia crisis in that archdiocese. ..Members of a vociferous lay Catholic caucus called Voice of the Faithful argue that canon law gives them "the right and even at times the duty" to make their opinions known. They demanded a voice in the Boston crisis, and they were so insistent on their basic rights of free assembly and speech that churches simply had to allow their gatherings and hear them out. "
"The Philadelphia Catholic hierarchy, by contrast, has discouraged and even forbidden local Voice of the Faithful members from gaining access to church buildings. Given that the scandals are now causing massive disaffection here, shouldn't local church officials stop impeding the participation of any of the faithful?..."
"And then there's Chicago. Always more outspoken than other Catholic communities, Chicago's has its own theological journal and an independent priests' council. Years ago, a new Chicago archbishop was publicly rebuking local pastors for minor infractions during his pastoral visits, until 300 of the city's priests wrote an open letter complaining about his micromanagement. Three hundred. "
"In Philadelphia, not three of us priests would lodge such a complaint. And our In recent weeks, though, we've seen uprisings of ordinary people in countries ruled with a hard line and a heavy hand. Perhaps that should give me hope."
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Oppression of the people by the monarchy- whether it be dictators or bishops or the Vatican -will no longer be tolerated by an enlightened, empowered people who know that they are images of God . The oppression of God's people and injustice toward the marginalized and poor will not prevail- whether dressed in secular or religious garb. The Bible is clearly on the side of the oppressed, the poor, the little ones.
Young people all over the world have given their lives for the freedom and human rights of their people. Their witness reminds us that God is calling us now
not to greed,over-consumption, andconsumerism, but to loving and serving our sisters and brothers who are marginalized and poor.
The young are the face of God in our midst.
We give thanks for their prophetic witness! May we offer
a church that is worthy of them!
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/116639993.html?cmpid=15585797
"But my lament is not about the Quakers or WASPs. It's for the local Catholic Church in the face of new and terrible revelations of pedophilia, denial, and concealment. A monsignor hangs out to dry, but the fault is more extensive and pervasive. "
"Let's look at Boston Catholics' response to the pedophilia crisis in that archdiocese. ..Members of a vociferous lay Catholic caucus called Voice of the Faithful argue that canon law gives them "the right and even at times the duty" to make their opinions known. They demanded a voice in the Boston crisis, and they were so insistent on their basic rights of free assembly and speech that churches simply had to allow their gatherings and hear them out. "
"The Philadelphia Catholic hierarchy, by contrast, has discouraged and even forbidden local Voice of the Faithful members from gaining access to church buildings. Given that the scandals are now causing massive disaffection here, shouldn't local church officials stop impeding the participation of any of the faithful?..."
"And then there's Chicago. Always more outspoken than other Catholic communities, Chicago's has its own theological journal and an independent priests' council. Years ago, a new Chicago archbishop was publicly rebuking local pastors for minor infractions during his pastoral visits, until 300 of the city's priests wrote an open letter complaining about his micromanagement. Three hundred. "
"In Philadelphia, not three of us priests would lodge such a complaint. And our In recent weeks, though, we've seen uprisings of ordinary people in countries ruled with a hard line and a heavy hand. Perhaps that should give me hope."
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Oppression of the people by the monarchy- whether it be dictators or bishops or the Vatican -will no longer be tolerated by an enlightened, empowered people who know that they are images of God . The oppression of God's people and injustice toward the marginalized and poor will not prevail- whether dressed in secular or religious garb. The Bible is clearly on the side of the oppressed, the poor, the little ones.
Young people all over the world have given their lives for the freedom and human rights of their people. Their witness reminds us that God is calling us now
not to greed,over-consumption, andconsumerism, but to loving and serving our sisters and brothers who are marginalized and poor.
The young are the face of God in our midst.
We give thanks for their prophetic witness! May we offer
a church that is worthy of them!
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Irish Prophet Predicts "Big Changes in the Catholic Church in Ireland"
BY:
An Irish Prophet from the rocks out in
in self-imposed exile…….somewhere in
Tis no secret over to home in Ireland---nor in the whole world for that matter----that the Irish Church is in a heap of trouble, mostly brought about by the scandal of the sexual abuse by Irish clergy. This in itself proved to be a terrible curse; but what made it even worse was the fact that some of the Irish bishops back in the late 1980’s and early 90’s failed to handle the problem properly, even aided and abetted this crime by refusing to report it to civil authorities, and continued to pass the offending clerics from parish to parish, motivated by the need to protect the ‘good name’ of the priest, and the reputation of the Church, and thus keep their jobs. Well, in the 1990’s the offending bishops either resigned or left the country, and the bishops in 1996 did try to establish some better, just, moral guidelines to deal with this problem in the clergy. Nonetheless, the problem remains; the scars are still apparent, and will be…until some drastic changes are made, and…..
I am absolutely certain some BIG, nearly IMPOSSIBLE changes are in the wind. And, of course, tis only God who can pull off the impossible ones….which I sense God is fixin’ to do. But even though this problem has been with us for quite a few years, and even though the ‘critical mass’ is there and ripe for ‘the explosion’ of change, God often waits till the right catalyst comes along to ignite the ‘explosion.’ Well, glory be to God, the catalyst has arrived…in the form of an RTE video report, Would You Believe, January 17, 2011, an incisive report shown on Irish TV, done by investigative journalist, Mick Peelo, in which he shines the spotlight of the Holy Spirit on the very root of this horrible curse poisoning our beloved Church there, once God’s pride and joy…..and now has Jesus in tears.
This well done, comprehensive report not only underscores the underlying cause of this gigantic problem, but, as a result thereof, also clearly shows where the one, the only one possible solution lies. The chain of horrors starts with some members of the clergy abusing minors. Then we saw some bishops ignoring, transferring the offender, with minimal or no punishment, and no reporting to the authorities, and even covering up the offences, and giving no consideration to the victims, in order to protect the reputation of the Church and the position of the priest, and insure their own positions in the Church. Next, after some of these bishops resigned, the remaining lads of the Irish Catholic Bishops conference did try to put things right, and in 1996, published a little green booklet of guidelines for better handling the problem, reporting the cases to the civil authorities and ordering a Church tribunal to deal with the offender, and did attempt to offer some help to the victims.
Sounds well and good, and might have ‘ended’ the problem., right? But no. The
This sad state of affairs could have gone on, with the Church continuing to sink deeper and deeper, but for the 2011 appearance, by the Grace of God and heads-up reporting by RTE, the video report by Mick Peelo, God’s “Catalyst.” The report points squarely to the ultimate, the underlying cause: hierarchical culture and the demands of the
Unless they take this brave, bold, righteous, costly step, and remove themselves and our Church out from under the oppressive, suffocating guidance of the
1.) We will report all cases of clergy abuse to the civil authorities, and have them deal with and handle them as appropriate. These crimes are felonies, and, even though
2.) We realize that the main reason for the high number of abuse cases stems from the archaic and dysfunctional culture we have been following in choosing and ordaining our ministers. We therefore will no longer limit ordination to the priesthood to only celibate males, and will open the priesthood to married men and women, and even invite our married priests who may wish to do so, to ‘come back to work.’ By having a clergy made up of women and men, married or single, as they may choose, we predict a substantial drop in the number of abuse cases, close to “0” ZERO, in the not too distant future.
3.) We will choose, elect, and appoint our own bishops to guide and support our faithful, without any direction from
4.) We are Catholic, and, of course, will continue to be fully Catholic. That cannot be changed. We will continue with the same worship systems, devotions, education, shrines and sacred places throughout the land, but try to achieve inclusiveness, collegiality, and transparency, in all matters. The essence of our relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit would remain unchanged, and we all, the people of God, will strive to go forward and relate as a community of equals before our God.
5.) . We wish to maintain a cordial relationship with the Pope and
6.) We would welcome the Papal Nuncio as a visitor, but are not interested in any dictates he may bring to try to direct our running Church affairs, nor personnel appointments from
All these new approaches can be the foundation of a better way to run the Church…as opposed to ru-I-n. ( Put “I” in there and “run” does become “ruin,” does it not?) This vision of a renewed Church was shared with us by an American woman originally from
Thanks to Peelo’s report, it becomes apparent to any observer---as assuredly it must now be to all the present Irish bishops----that the necessary steps to cure this horrible evil must be taken, by these bishops, and must be done NOW! Of course, these bold courageous steps should have been taken back in 1997-98 when our bishops saw the handwriting on the wall. We do, however, realize that, back then, the hierarchical culture in which they evolved and rose, demanded they follow unquestioningly the directives from “headquarters.” To do otherwise was unthinkable. Now, 13 years later, however, with much time to ponder the problem and with fresh insights, we---and they too---- clearly realize that they were guilty of not acting appropriately at that time when they were presented with the opportunity, in the form of the letter and demands of Cardinal Hoyos. Well, I suppose the bishops could be forgiven, if, and only if…….THEY ACT NOW!
Doubtless, this new approach will be a terribly difficult and painful change…..at first. It will mean forsaking the lifeline which fed them throughout their climb up the Episcopal ladder, and it will probably cost them a loss of status, position, authority, power, wealth. However, this change toward renewal will offer them immeasurable, infinite, outstanding blessings, the likes of which “…..Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, man cannot imagine ……” what God has in store for those who love and follow God’s ways. (And, it should be added, the dictates of the Second
Well now, like it or not, it seems as though history has placed our good bishops right squarely at a very critical crossroads in the history of the Irish Catholic Church—actually the whole Church throughout the world. God is calling on them to make a big, difficult decision. One could almost hear the Voice of God saying these men: “I set before you two choices: LIFE or DEATH. I say to you---CHOOSE LIFE.”
If they now do what is right, what our Church needs, what God truly wants, our Church will again shine, the worldwide Church will take notice of this bright example for renewal, and Jesus will again be smiling at His beloved
IF NOT
IF NOT THE IRISH BISHOPS………..THEN WHO?
IF NOT NOW………….THEN WHEN?
Finbar Sean M., formerly of Co Mayo
AFTERTHOUGHT: One is given cause to wonder, if it mightn’t be a wee bit possible that over here in the States, the a few of the lads of the US Catholic Bishops could be hearing the Holy Spirit placing similar ‘wild’ courageous ideas on their hearts---if their hearts are up to listenin’ to such messages. Seems like they have the same problems here as we do over to home-----only, more, bigger, worse. Hmmm! I wonder??
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Brava for this Irish Prophet, who is challenging the clerical model from within, and who is speaking truth to power. The Spirit is moving and more and more believers are calling for married priests, women priests and an empowered people of God. I admire the Irish Priests Association who has publically stated that unless the church reforms in Ireland, it is heading over the precipice! The church is called to follow Jesus example of justice and equality. Visionary priests like, the Irish Priests Association and Fr. Roy Bourgeois in the United States, are shaking up the hierarchy by predicting the demise of the entire clerical house of cards. They are standing in solidarity with women priests.
I rejoice that so many now are speaking our for justice and equality in the church. Women Priests stand in solidarity with you too!
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
"Local 'Mother Teresa' Beaten in Bradenton Home: Sr. Nora Brick Forgives Assailant
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20110216/ARTICLE/102161020?p=2&tc=pg
"A slip of a woman barely 5 feet tall, Brick sometimes growls in her Irish accent and wags her finger to scold some down-on-his-luck person with an attitude who ambles into her Stillpoint House of Prayer.For decades, the 81-year-old has been aiding the wayward on Bradenton's 14th Street West, one of the toughest stretches anywhere along the 265-mile Tamiami Trail. Brick was at it again Monday evening -- this time opening the door of her mobile home a couple of miles away for a man who needed some food and water. But the man -- described as 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds -- turned on the 100-pound lady, dragged her to a bedroom and repeatedly punched her in the face and head."
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Our love and prayers are with Sr. Nora Brick who is preaching the Gospel of Compassion and Justice for the poor with her life. Jesus said " offer no resistance to one who is evil...love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Thank you, Sister Nora, for showing us how to be the compassion of God in loving service to others. May we too see the face of Christ in all our sisters and brothers expecially those who are hurting and who attack us. May our world live the path of non-violent resistance that Jesus taught us.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
"A slip of a woman barely 5 feet tall, Brick sometimes growls in her Irish accent and wags her finger to scold some down-on-his-luck person with an attitude who ambles into her Stillpoint House of Prayer.For decades, the 81-year-old has been aiding the wayward on Bradenton's 14th Street West, one of the toughest stretches anywhere along the 265-mile Tamiami Trail. Brick was at it again Monday evening -- this time opening the door of her mobile home a couple of miles away for a man who needed some food and water. But the man -- described as 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds -- turned on the 100-pound lady, dragged her to a bedroom and repeatedly punched her in the face and head."
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Our love and prayers are with Sr. Nora Brick who is preaching the Gospel of Compassion and Justice for the poor with her life. Jesus said " offer no resistance to one who is evil...love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Thank you, Sister Nora, for showing us how to be the compassion of God in loving service to others. May we too see the face of Christ in all our sisters and brothers expecially those who are hurting and who attack us. May our world live the path of non-violent resistance that Jesus taught us.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)