NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER
http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/bp-morris-you%E2%80%99ve-got-stand-your-truth
Bp Morris: 'You’ve got to stand in your truth.'
"Meanwhile, in an on-camera video accounts to emerge from Toowoomba, Morris admitted he may have stepped on “too many toes” when he suggested in the 2006 pastoral that his rural diocese might benefit from the Vatican considering the ordination of women and married men."
"But, the bishop -- whose diocese contains 68,000 Catholics in 35 parishes, with 16 active priests -- continues: “You’ve got to stand in your truth.”
Bridget Mary's Reflection;
We owe gratitude to Bishop Morris for his concern for the pastoral care of the people of his diocese by raising the important issue of married priests and women priests as a response to the needs of God's people..
Bishop Morris' prophetic stance has propelled him into the international arena as a voice for justice and equality in the Roman Catholic church. When is he coming to the United States on a speaker's tour? He will be welcomed by millions of U.S. Catholics!
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
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, May 6, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Vatican: "Clueless or Complicit"/ Married Clergy and Women Priests Serve Church Now
Michael and Imogene Rigdon
bless assembly with water on
Easter Sunday at renewal
of baptismal promises
(left to right: Priest Partner Lee Breyer,
Patricia Fresen, visiting RCWP bishop
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP, Katy Zatsick, RCWP
Priest Partner Michael Rigdon)
(left to right)
Priest Partner and wife
Carol Ann and Lee Breyer,
Bridget Mary Meehan , RCWP
http://www.ucanews.com/2011/05/03/clueless-or-complicit/
by William Grimm
May 3, 2011
"The archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, has inadvertently presented another reason that the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church probably needs a married clergy.Responding to complaints that the beatification of Pope John Paul II was over-hasty and unseemly in light of the sex abuse scandal that will always be a blot on his papacy, the archbishop did not deny the problem. He simply said that beatification is not a “medal for good management service.No, Archbishop. Letting the chancery office run out of toilet paper is poor management service. Refusing to see or seeing, refusing to act against the rape of children is something else..."
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
The Roman Catholic Church already has a married clergy made up of male priests from other denominations who are opposed to women priests. I believe they number around 200 in the United States. Pope Benedict has set up an ordinariate for Anglicans who are opposed to women bishops and priests. So, as long as they are opposed to women clergy, the Roman Catholic Church has opened the door to married male priests. It makes no sense why the pope keeps the door closed on RC priests who left active ministry to marry.
Our RC married priests are priests forever by their ordination and their service to God's people. In our community, (Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community in Sarasota, Florida) we refer to our married priests as partner priests. Michael and Imogene Rigdon, Carol Ann and Lee Breyer, Katy Zatsick, RCWP and I work within a leadership circle and share presiding responsibilities with our MMOJ community each week.
A new paradigm of ministry is dawning with the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement in grassroots communities. Women priests who are married and married male priests and their wives are serving together in inclusive Catholic communities that are organized in a circular model so that the community is empowered and their charisms called forth as we evolve and grow. It may be true that the Vatican is clueless, but married priests and Roman Catholic Women Priests are already living the change we want to see happen now!
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
Joan Chittister: Why Maryknoll Should NOT Dismiss Fr. Roy Bourgoeis/ Article NCR
http://ncronline.org/blogs/where-i-stand/expulsions-religious-orders-family-and-minority-wisdom
Clearly, if the Vatican feels obliged to punish those who ask questions of present church practice -- as Martin Luther did about the selling of relics and indulgences, for instance -- then the Vatican is perfectly within its right to suspend a priest’s liturgical faculties or limit his public priestly functions. But what does that have to do with his commitment to his religious life?
After all, the Vatican did not expel pedophile priests or abusing bishops from the secular priesthood for violating children. In some cases, in fact, they protected the perpetrators repeatedly and even refused to defrock them -- civil law or no civil law. And are, apparently, doing it even now. Only behavior related to women’s issues, it seems, qualifies for expulsion.
Nor did religious communities routinely expel religious order men who were also pedophiles. Instead, rather than put them on the streets where they could be an even greater danger to children and to themselves, these religious congregations maintained their life-long consecrated commitment to these men, monitored their behavior, and nurtured their recovery within the community itself. "
Bridget Mary's Reflection
Right on Sister Joan! A religious order is one's family, and in this case, Fr. Roy belongs to the family of Maryknoll. Maryknoll should have the courage to stand up to the Vatican's bullying tactics and say "no". They should follow the example of the Benedictines and Mercy Orders who refused to throw out the nuns who had run into trouble with the Vatican over issues of conscience. Fr. Roy Bourgeois has been a faithful member of Maryknoll, now Maryknoll should stand up for him and refus to dismiss him from Maryknoll.
The Vatican and religious orders were in no such rush to throw out the pedophiles. They recycled criminal priests and sent them from parish to parish. So, let's get this straight, the Vatican and religious orders obviously consider the support of women priests a greater crime than pedophila! That brings us to the Vatican decree that was issued in July putting women priests in the same category as pedophiles, which outraged millions of Catholics worldwide. See media coverage of this event. (check blog July 2010) The Vatican is pushing Maryknoll to throw out one of its prophets who consistently raises the issue of sexism in the church citing Jesus' example in the Gospels. Fr. Roy is a prophet and his threatened dismissal from Maryknoll is an outrageous injustice.
Jesus would weep!
Expulsions from religious orders, family, and minority wisdom
by Sister Joan Chittister
Clearly, if the Vatican feels obliged to punish those who ask questions of present church practice -- as Martin Luther did about the selling of relics and indulgences, for instance -- then the Vatican is perfectly within its right to suspend a priest’s liturgical faculties or limit his public priestly functions. But what does that have to do with his commitment to his religious life?
After all, the Vatican did not expel pedophile priests or abusing bishops from the secular priesthood for violating children. In some cases, in fact, they protected the perpetrators repeatedly and even refused to defrock them -- civil law or no civil law. And are, apparently, doing it even now. Only behavior related to women’s issues, it seems, qualifies for expulsion.
Nor did religious communities routinely expel religious order men who were also pedophiles. Instead, rather than put them on the streets where they could be an even greater danger to children and to themselves, these religious congregations maintained their life-long consecrated commitment to these men, monitored their behavior, and nurtured their recovery within the community itself. "
Bridget Mary's Reflection
Right on Sister Joan! A religious order is one's family, and in this case, Fr. Roy belongs to the family of Maryknoll. Maryknoll should have the courage to stand up to the Vatican's bullying tactics and say "no". They should follow the example of the Benedictines and Mercy Orders who refused to throw out the nuns who had run into trouble with the Vatican over issues of conscience. Fr. Roy Bourgeois has been a faithful member of Maryknoll, now Maryknoll should stand up for him and refus to dismiss him from Maryknoll.
The Vatican and religious orders were in no such rush to throw out the pedophiles. They recycled criminal priests and sent them from parish to parish. So, let's get this straight, the Vatican and religious orders obviously consider the support of women priests a greater crime than pedophila! That brings us to the Vatican decree that was issued in July putting women priests in the same category as pedophiles, which outraged millions of Catholics worldwide. See media coverage of this event. (check blog July 2010) The Vatican is pushing Maryknoll to throw out one of its prophets who consistently raises the issue of sexism in the church citing Jesus' example in the Gospels. Fr. Roy is a prophet and his threatened dismissal from Maryknoll is an outrageous injustice.
Jesus would weep!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
ABC News/"Secrecy and Silence Continues in the Catholic Church"/Full Equality of Women is Voice of God In Our Time
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/03/3206333.htm
By Madonna King
In a newsletter, Bishop Morris reflected on an aging clergy and worried about the shortage of priests in Australia. .
"Several responses have been discussed internationally, nationally and locally,'' he says, including ordaining married, single or widowed men, welcoming former priests back, ordaining women, married or single, and recognising Anglican, Lutheran and Uniting Church orders.
"While we continue to reflect carefully on these options, we remain committed to actively promoting vocations to the current celibate male priesthood and open to inviting priests from overseas.''
...But Bishop Morris's supporters privately point to the role of a small group of conservative Catholics determined the rules should be religiously enforced. That means no oxygen from the pulpit for controversial topics like female ordination."
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
What a sad state of affairs that a small minority of Catholics take it upon themselves to "police" their parish priests' and diocesan bishops homilies and writings for so-called adherence to Vatican policies on hot button issues like women priests!
If it true that Pope Benedict wants a "smaller, more orthodox, church" as some have reported, than perhaps,sadly, this is what is happening.
One in ten people in the United States is a former Catholic. So that is I believe approximately 33 million Catholics.
But is our church following the example of Jesus who welcomes all, and sends no one away?
Will our church resemble the community of faith that Jesus called for in the Gospel, or will it look more like a cult, that adheres to man-made rules that the church, the majority of Catholics no longer follow or even recognize?In the wake of a global sex abuse scandal, the shortage of male celibate priests and the growing alienation of women, including the young , is the Roman Catholic Church on the precipice? We know that God is with those who are on the margins, those who are outsiders, the exluded.
God is love and calls us to be reflections of love and liberation in our world. Our energy should be on living Jesus' love for all, working for justice, and following his example of inclusivity and compassion.
During his earthly life, Jesus certainly encountered more than his fair share of complainers who condemned him as a major rule breaker for things like healing on the Sabbath and hanging out with the wrong people at parties -like sinners which (gasp!!) included women. Jesus' dialogue with the Samaritan woman, the longest conversation recorded in the Gospels, violated cultural, religious and gender taboos. Yep, Jesus was a real rule breaker all right and we know where that led! Right, It was the women who stood by Jesus at the cross in his sufferings and were the first ones to encounter the Risen Christ. Jesus reversal of centuries of misogny! We just celebrated Easter and heard once again the story of Mary of Magdala, The Risen Christ appeared first to Mary of Magdala, not Peter or John or any of the males hiding out in the upper room. Mary was the apostle to the apostles. Jesus turned sexist practices upside down and taught the radical equality of women and men as disciples and equals.
Now fast forward to the 21st century and the Vatican's reprehensible treatment of women as second class citizens. Women priests are disobeying an unjust law in order to change it because the full equality of women in the church is the voice of God in our time.
And the Vatican knows it! Silencing, firing, and exommunicating supporters including priests and bishops like Bishop William Morris and Fr. Roy Bourgeois will not work. God is never on the side of the oppressor.
The God of justice and liberation is rising up in the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement as courageous women follow God's call to a renewed priestly ministry in a community of equals. We pray that many more people join us in this human rights movement for women in the Catholic Church!
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
sofiabmm@aol.com
By Madonna King
In a newsletter, Bishop Morris reflected on an aging clergy and worried about the shortage of priests in Australia. .
"Several responses have been discussed internationally, nationally and locally,'' he says, including ordaining married, single or widowed men, welcoming former priests back, ordaining women, married or single, and recognising Anglican, Lutheran and Uniting Church orders.
"While we continue to reflect carefully on these options, we remain committed to actively promoting vocations to the current celibate male priesthood and open to inviting priests from overseas.''
...But Bishop Morris's supporters privately point to the role of a small group of conservative Catholics determined the rules should be religiously enforced. That means no oxygen from the pulpit for controversial topics like female ordination."
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
What a sad state of affairs that a small minority of Catholics take it upon themselves to "police" their parish priests' and diocesan bishops homilies and writings for so-called adherence to Vatican policies on hot button issues like women priests!
If it true that Pope Benedict wants a "smaller, more orthodox, church" as some have reported, than perhaps,sadly, this is what is happening.
One in ten people in the United States is a former Catholic. So that is I believe approximately 33 million Catholics.
But is our church following the example of Jesus who welcomes all, and sends no one away?
Will our church resemble the community of faith that Jesus called for in the Gospel, or will it look more like a cult, that adheres to man-made rules that the church, the majority of Catholics no longer follow or even recognize?In the wake of a global sex abuse scandal, the shortage of male celibate priests and the growing alienation of women, including the young , is the Roman Catholic Church on the precipice? We know that God is with those who are on the margins, those who are outsiders, the exluded.
God is love and calls us to be reflections of love and liberation in our world. Our energy should be on living Jesus' love for all, working for justice, and following his example of inclusivity and compassion.
During his earthly life, Jesus certainly encountered more than his fair share of complainers who condemned him as a major rule breaker for things like healing on the Sabbath and hanging out with the wrong people at parties -like sinners which (gasp!!) included women. Jesus' dialogue with the Samaritan woman, the longest conversation recorded in the Gospels, violated cultural, religious and gender taboos. Yep, Jesus was a real rule breaker all right and we know where that led! Right, It was the women who stood by Jesus at the cross in his sufferings and were the first ones to encounter the Risen Christ. Jesus reversal of centuries of misogny! We just celebrated Easter and heard once again the story of Mary of Magdala, The Risen Christ appeared first to Mary of Magdala, not Peter or John or any of the males hiding out in the upper room. Mary was the apostle to the apostles. Jesus turned sexist practices upside down and taught the radical equality of women and men as disciples and equals.
Now fast forward to the 21st century and the Vatican's reprehensible treatment of women as second class citizens. Women priests are disobeying an unjust law in order to change it because the full equality of women in the church is the voice of God in our time.
And the Vatican knows it! Silencing, firing, and exommunicating supporters including priests and bishops like Bishop William Morris and Fr. Roy Bourgeois will not work. God is never on the side of the oppressor.
The God of justice and liberation is rising up in the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement as courageous women follow God's call to a renewed priestly ministry in a community of equals. We pray that many more people join us in this human rights movement for women in the Catholic Church!
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
sofiabmm@aol.com
Women's Ordination Conference and Call to Action Support Bishop Morris/ Challenge Culture of Bullying by Vatican
"The Women's Ordination Conference, based in Washington, D.C., issued a statement May 2 reacting to the news that an Australian bishop had been removed from his diocese after expressing views on the ordination of women, among other issues. The women's group is the oldest and largest national organization working for the ordination of women into the Roman Catholic Church. The statement follows:
"Just three weeks after the Vatican pressured the Maryknoll religious order to remove Fr. Roy Bourgeois, it has been revealed that the Vatican has been involved in removing another member of the clergy over his views on women's ordination. Sunday, Bishop William Morris of the Toowoomba Diocese of Australia issued a letter saying the Vatican had forced him into early retirement due to a 2006 Pastoral Letter that he issued regarding the priest shortage. In the letter, Bishop Morris had suggested women's ordination as one of a few potential solutions to the priest crisis.
After Bishop William Morris issued the 2006 pastoral letter, a small group of local Catholics complained to the Vatican which began an apostolic investigation. The Vatican assigned U.S. Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver to investigate and write a report of the situation. To this day, Bishop Morris has not been permitted to see the report that ultimately resulted in the Vatican's attempt to remove him. Rather than succumb to Vatican pressure to resign, Bishop Morris offered a compromise solution of early retirement."
Bishop Morris wrote in a letter to the people of the Toowoomba Diocese yesterday: "I have never wavered in my conviction that for me to resign is a matter of conscience and my resignation would mean that I accept the assessment of myself as breaking communio which I absolutely refute and reject and it is out of my love for the Church that I cannot do so."
"It is a sad day when the faithful, out of love for the church, offer possible solutions to address serious challenges and are punished by the Vatican," said Jim FitzGerald, Executive Director of Call To Action. "I applaud the courageous Catholics such as Fr. Roy Bourgeois and Bishop William Morris who will not allow the Vatican to bully them into silence."
"The culture of silence and bullying within the Catholic Church cannot be tolerated," said Laura Singer, Board President of Women's Ordination Conference. "Bishop Morris is an example of a priest of courage who joins the momentum of the women's ordination movement, grounded in justice and equality."
Bridget Mary's Reflection
Ultimately, the Vatican's bullying will be seen for what it truly is a last gasp effort to stop the rising tide of support for justice and equality for women in the Catholic Church. Silencing and bullying are the shameful tools of oppressive power. The Vatican has already lost control, and is now using the tactics that dictators use. In the end, prophetic voices of men like Bishop William Morris and Fr. Roy Bourgeois and the supporters of the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement worldwide will prevail. Our liberating God is on the side of the marginalized, which includes justice and equality for women, half the church's membership. Let us follow Catherine of Siena's advice every time the Vatican attempts to bully or punish those who stand Gospel equality: "cry out as if you had a million voices, it is silence that kills the soul!"
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Roman Catholic Women Priests Association
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
"Just three weeks after the Vatican pressured the Maryknoll religious order to remove Fr. Roy Bourgeois, it has been revealed that the Vatican has been involved in removing another member of the clergy over his views on women's ordination. Sunday, Bishop William Morris of the Toowoomba Diocese of Australia issued a letter saying the Vatican had forced him into early retirement due to a 2006 Pastoral Letter that he issued regarding the priest shortage. In the letter, Bishop Morris had suggested women's ordination as one of a few potential solutions to the priest crisis.
After Bishop William Morris issued the 2006 pastoral letter, a small group of local Catholics complained to the Vatican which began an apostolic investigation. The Vatican assigned U.S. Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver to investigate and write a report of the situation. To this day, Bishop Morris has not been permitted to see the report that ultimately resulted in the Vatican's attempt to remove him. Rather than succumb to Vatican pressure to resign, Bishop Morris offered a compromise solution of early retirement."
Bishop Morris wrote in a letter to the people of the Toowoomba Diocese yesterday: "I have never wavered in my conviction that for me to resign is a matter of conscience and my resignation would mean that I accept the assessment of myself as breaking communio which I absolutely refute and reject and it is out of my love for the Church that I cannot do so."
"It is a sad day when the faithful, out of love for the church, offer possible solutions to address serious challenges and are punished by the Vatican," said Jim FitzGerald, Executive Director of Call To Action. "I applaud the courageous Catholics such as Fr. Roy Bourgeois and Bishop William Morris who will not allow the Vatican to bully them into silence."
"The culture of silence and bullying within the Catholic Church cannot be tolerated," said Laura Singer, Board President of Women's Ordination Conference. "Bishop Morris is an example of a priest of courage who joins the momentum of the women's ordination movement, grounded in justice and equality."
Bridget Mary's Reflection
Ultimately, the Vatican's bullying will be seen for what it truly is a last gasp effort to stop the rising tide of support for justice and equality for women in the Catholic Church. Silencing and bullying are the shameful tools of oppressive power. The Vatican has already lost control, and is now using the tactics that dictators use. In the end, prophetic voices of men like Bishop William Morris and Fr. Roy Bourgeois and the supporters of the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement worldwide will prevail. Our liberating God is on the side of the marginalized, which includes justice and equality for women, half the church's membership. Let us follow Catherine of Siena's advice every time the Vatican attempts to bully or punish those who stand Gospel equality: "cry out as if you had a million voices, it is silence that kills the soul!"
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Roman Catholic Women Priests Association
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
National Council of Priests in Australia Support Bishop Morris/ Critique Abuse of Power by Vatican
3 May 2011
Media Release
The NCP executive would like to express its sadness at the forced early retirement of Bishop William Morris of Toowoomba.
We are appalled at the lack of transparency and due process that led to this decision by Church authorities.We are embarrassed about the shabby treatment meted out to an outstanding Pastor of this diocese who has faithfully ministered in the Church in Queensland and throughout Australia since his priestly ordination in 1969.We are concerned about an element within the Church whose restorationist ideology wants to repress freedom of expression within the Roman Catholic Church and who deny the legitimate magisterial authority of the local Bishop within the Church.
Jesus rightly condemned the righteous scribes and Pharisees of his time for adhering to their interpretation of the Mosaic law at the expense of God's ultimate commandment of love.Many of the people influencing these decisions have limited pastoral experience and appear to show little concern for the sensus fidelium.We appeal to the Bishop of Rome in his acknowledged role as first among equals and the source of communio within the Church to listen and build bridges of trust, faith and love with those who have been hurt by this decision.We stand in prayerful solidarity with the priests and people of Toowoomba who are justifiably aggrieved by this pronouncement.We pray for Bishop Morris who has undergone an extraordinary period of trial over the last few years of his Episcopal ministry and trust that history will accurately record the benefit of his ministry as a faithful, human servant of the Gospel of Jesus. We wish him well in his retirement and have appreciated his support for his priests and the work of the NCP.To the Catholics of the Toowoomba we pray for a worthy successor to Bishop Morris.
Ian McGinnityNCP Chairman===================================
Media Release
The NCP executive would like to express its sadness at the forced early retirement of Bishop William Morris of Toowoomba.
We are appalled at the lack of transparency and due process that led to this decision by Church authorities.We are embarrassed about the shabby treatment meted out to an outstanding Pastor of this diocese who has faithfully ministered in the Church in Queensland and throughout Australia since his priestly ordination in 1969.We are concerned about an element within the Church whose restorationist ideology wants to repress freedom of expression within the Roman Catholic Church and who deny the legitimate magisterial authority of the local Bishop within the Church.
Jesus rightly condemned the righteous scribes and Pharisees of his time for adhering to their interpretation of the Mosaic law at the expense of God's ultimate commandment of love.Many of the people influencing these decisions have limited pastoral experience and appear to show little concern for the sensus fidelium.We appeal to the Bishop of Rome in his acknowledged role as first among equals and the source of communio within the Church to listen and build bridges of trust, faith and love with those who have been hurt by this decision.We stand in prayerful solidarity with the priests and people of Toowoomba who are justifiably aggrieved by this pronouncement.We pray for Bishop Morris who has undergone an extraordinary period of trial over the last few years of his Episcopal ministry and trust that history will accurately record the benefit of his ministry as a faithful, human servant of the Gospel of Jesus. We wish him well in his retirement and have appreciated his support for his priests and the work of the NCP.To the Catholics of the Toowoomba we pray for a worthy successor to Bishop Morris.
Ian McGinnityNCP Chairman===================================
Australian Bishop Fired by the Pope/What's Next? Women Priests!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/8487940/Australian-bishop-quits-over-Vatican-row.html
"The dispute stems from Morris' comments five years ago that the Church could consider ordaining married men and women because of a looming shortage of priests.
Morris, who was ordained in 1969, said his views had been misinterpreted and he had been denied natural justice. "
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
What's next? Bishop Morris simply raised the issue of married priests and women priests! I think Pope Benedict knows that the Spirit is leading the church into a new era of justice and equality for women and that the hierarchy is powerless to stop it! We are witnessing the last gasp of patriarchy trying to maintain rigid control of the church!
Yet, they see what is happening in grassroots communities around the world and they are terrified! Why? Women priests are faithful members of our church who are answering God's call to serve the people of God. God is answering our prayers for vocations! The women are coming forward. In the not too distant future, perhaps, some will be from Australia.
Bishop Morris deserves our thanks and praise for his courage and openess to face the pastoral issues that the shortage of male celibate priests brings.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Roman Catholic Women Priests Association
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
sofiabmm@aol.com
"The dispute stems from Morris' comments five years ago that the Church could consider ordaining married men and women because of a looming shortage of priests.
Morris, who was ordained in 1969, said his views had been misinterpreted and he had been denied natural justice. "
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
What's next? Bishop Morris simply raised the issue of married priests and women priests! I think Pope Benedict knows that the Spirit is leading the church into a new era of justice and equality for women and that the hierarchy is powerless to stop it! We are witnessing the last gasp of patriarchy trying to maintain rigid control of the church!
Yet, they see what is happening in grassroots communities around the world and they are terrified! Why? Women priests are faithful members of our church who are answering God's call to serve the people of God. God is answering our prayers for vocations! The women are coming forward. In the not too distant future, perhaps, some will be from Australia.
Bishop Morris deserves our thanks and praise for his courage and openess to face the pastoral issues that the shortage of male celibate priests brings.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Roman Catholic Women Priests Association
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
sofiabmm@aol.com
Monday, May 2, 2011
Pope Vicky: Barbie's New Career- Pope/Check Out The Outfits!!
http://www.popevicky.com/
"Her Time Has Come "
"Barbie’s had over a hundred different careers. Now she's got one more: Pope.It’s the 23rd century, and the Sacred College of Cardinals has elected the first woman – and first American – pontiff. Barbie will bring fun, fashion, and many new fans into the Roman Catholic Church.Barbie chose the name Victoria I —“Pope Vicky”— in celebration of one of the first Roman Catholic woman priests ordained at the beginning of the 21st century. "
"Her Time Has Come "
"Barbie’s had over a hundred different careers. Now she's got one more: Pope.It’s the 23rd century, and the Sacred College of Cardinals has elected the first woman – and first American – pontiff. Barbie will bring fun, fashion, and many new fans into the Roman Catholic Church.Barbie chose the name Victoria I —“Pope Vicky”— in celebration of one of the first Roman Catholic woman priests ordained at the beginning of the 21st century. "
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
What a creative piece of work! What a fun site! I honestly enjoyed meeting Pope Vicky! I hope she inspires many young girls to be attentive to God's call to a renewed priestly ministry! You rock, Pope Vicky!! Pope Vicky's People--is on facebook as well!!
On a serious note----When a woman is elected pope, I hope her outfits will be less clerical, pompous, ritzy---- and unlike what the Vatican's good old boys have worn for centuries!
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
"Australian Bishop Quits Over Row with Pope"/Could Promote Interest In Roman Catholic Women Priests?
http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/World/Story/A1Story20110502-276732.html
SYDNEY - "An Australian Roman Catholic bishop has quit his post over a row with the Vatican about women priests and other liberal reforms, saying that Pope Benedict XVI thought it best he be replaced.
William Morris, who has been the Catholic Bishop of the vast Queensland diocese of Toowoomba since 1993, told parishioners on Sunday that he was taking early retirement."
Bridget Mary' Reflection:
The Vatican will not tolerate any support of women priests even from its own bishops. Let us hope that this will stir up interest in the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement and that some day there will be women priests in Australia. The Vatican is the gift that keeps on giving! The more the Pope punishes, the more our movement grows!
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Roman Catholic Women Priests Association
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
sofiabmm@aol.com
SYDNEY - "An Australian Roman Catholic bishop has quit his post over a row with the Vatican about women priests and other liberal reforms, saying that Pope Benedict XVI thought it best he be replaced.
William Morris, who has been the Catholic Bishop of the vast Queensland diocese of Toowoomba since 1993, told parishioners on Sunday that he was taking early retirement."
Bridget Mary' Reflection:
The Vatican will not tolerate any support of women priests even from its own bishops. Let us hope that this will stir up interest in the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement and that some day there will be women priests in Australia. The Vatican is the gift that keeps on giving! The more the Pope punishes, the more our movement grows!
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Roman Catholic Women Priests Association
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
sofiabmm@aol.com
Thursday, April 28, 2011
"The Shame of John Paul II: How the Sex Abuse Scandal Stained His Papacy" by Jason Berry
April 27, 2011
This article appeared in the May 16, 2011 edition of The Nation.
"The Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute assisted in a section of this article, drawn from Render Unto Rome: The Secret Life of Money in the Catholic Church, to be published June 7 by Crown. On May 1, Pope Benedict XVI will beatify his predecessor, John Paul II, at a huge ceremony in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. Beatification, the final step before canonization, or sainthood, ennobles the deceased as “blessed,” or worthy of veneration. Authorities have prepared for a million visitors to the weekend events."
... "Should a pope who turned his back on the worst crisis in modern Catholic history be exalted as a saint? Lawsuits by victims, numerous prosecutions and news coverage of bishops who enabled abuse are the shadow story of John Paul’s twenty-six-year pontificate, during which time he responded to continuing allegations of clergy abuse with denial and inertia. American dioceses and religious orders alone have spent nearly $2 billion on legal actions and treatment of sex offenders, an aching scandal at incalculable cost to the church’s stature."
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Is the beatification of John Paul II, the Vatican's attempt, to change the subject from the global sexual abuse scandal that is gutting the hierarchy's credibility?
The Vatican's intimidation of supporters of Roman Catholic Women Priests is backfiring. The most recent example is Maryknoll priest, Fr. Roy Bourgeois, whom the Vatican wants to dismiss from the priesthood. It makes no sense that criminal abusers get to stay in the priesthood and prophetic priests who support gender equality in the Catholic Church get excommunicated.
"Follow the money", Jimmy Breslin, once advised a group of Catholic activists!
Sounds like this upcomng book, "Render unto Rome" documents the donors who keep the Vatican funded! It will be an interesting read!
What if Catholics decided to stop giving to the institutional church until they accept women priests, married priests, and structural change? What would happen if the people are truly empowered and assume responsibility in leadership roles as decision-makers in the church? Would change come more quickly? I wonder.....
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
This article appeared in the May 16, 2011 edition of The Nation.
"The Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute assisted in a section of this article, drawn from Render Unto Rome: The Secret Life of Money in the Catholic Church, to be published June 7 by Crown. On May 1, Pope Benedict XVI will beatify his predecessor, John Paul II, at a huge ceremony in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. Beatification, the final step before canonization, or sainthood, ennobles the deceased as “blessed,” or worthy of veneration. Authorities have prepared for a million visitors to the weekend events."
... "Should a pope who turned his back on the worst crisis in modern Catholic history be exalted as a saint? Lawsuits by victims, numerous prosecutions and news coverage of bishops who enabled abuse are the shadow story of John Paul’s twenty-six-year pontificate, during which time he responded to continuing allegations of clergy abuse with denial and inertia. American dioceses and religious orders alone have spent nearly $2 billion on legal actions and treatment of sex offenders, an aching scandal at incalculable cost to the church’s stature."
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Is the beatification of John Paul II, the Vatican's attempt, to change the subject from the global sexual abuse scandal that is gutting the hierarchy's credibility?
The Vatican's intimidation of supporters of Roman Catholic Women Priests is backfiring. The most recent example is Maryknoll priest, Fr. Roy Bourgeois, whom the Vatican wants to dismiss from the priesthood. It makes no sense that criminal abusers get to stay in the priesthood and prophetic priests who support gender equality in the Catholic Church get excommunicated.
"Follow the money", Jimmy Breslin, once advised a group of Catholic activists!
Sounds like this upcomng book, "Render unto Rome" documents the donors who keep the Vatican funded! It will be an interesting read!
What if Catholics decided to stop giving to the institutional church until they accept women priests, married priests, and structural change? What would happen if the people are truly empowered and assume responsibility in leadership roles as decision-makers in the church? Would change come more quickly? I wonder.....
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
"Retired bishop in Oz Says Some Priests Do Not View Child Sex as Breach of Virtue"
http://in.news.yahoo.com/retired-bishop-oz-says-priests-not-view-child-110055727.html
Adelaide, Apr 25 (ANI): "A retired Catholic bishop in Australia has claimed that some priests do not view the molestation of boys as a breach of their celibacy vows.
Geoffrey Robinson, the former auxiliary bishop of Sydney, blames the absence of women from church life as a catalyst for the sexual abuse crisis enveloping the faith...
He believes the issue will not be properly dealt with until the church holds a council, or a conference of all the bishops in the church, to revise the centuries-old doctrine on celibacy, women and sexuality. "
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
This is simply shocking! How out of touch these priests are with reality. Sexual abuse of children is both a crime and a sin. It is hard to understand the twisted logic that attempts to hold that sexual abuse is not a breech of virtue.
While a conference or Council finally deals with structural change including women priests, married priests and the primacy of conscience in moral decision making in all areas of sexuality is a good idea, this change is already happening in grassroots inclusive communities of Catholics who are leading the church into its future now.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Roman Catholic Women Associations
www.associationofromancatholicswomenpriests.org
Adelaide, Apr 25 (ANI): "A retired Catholic bishop in Australia has claimed that some priests do not view the molestation of boys as a breach of their celibacy vows.
Geoffrey Robinson, the former auxiliary bishop of Sydney, blames the absence of women from church life as a catalyst for the sexual abuse crisis enveloping the faith...
He believes the issue will not be properly dealt with until the church holds a council, or a conference of all the bishops in the church, to revise the centuries-old doctrine on celibacy, women and sexuality. "
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
This is simply shocking! How out of touch these priests are with reality. Sexual abuse of children is both a crime and a sin. It is hard to understand the twisted logic that attempts to hold that sexual abuse is not a breech of virtue.
While a conference or Council finally deals with structural change including women priests, married priests and the primacy of conscience in moral decision making in all areas of sexuality is a good idea, this change is already happening in grassroots inclusive communities of Catholics who are leading the church into its future now.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Roman Catholic Women Associations
www.associationofromancatholicswomenpriests.org
Monday, April 25, 2011
Roman Catholic Woman Priest Judy Lee, Pastor of Good Shepherd Community, Ft. Myers Florida- "A Moving Testimony of Holy Week and Easter"
We had about 30 people faith-fully and enthusiastically partake in the Holy Week events. The pictures at the table are our Holy Thursday supper after the Mass in which we( three of the elders and myself) washed feet and the Last Supper was served. The Good Friday pictures were from our out doors Stations of the Cross. This was remarkable as several of our people have trouble walking but traveled this road willingly with Jesus and also because our young people participated.The Easter Mass for us included the blessing with water and the renewal of baptismal promises. And later the church gathered outside and the children had an Easter egg hunt and all had a wonderful Easter dinner prepared by Mary Ann Bohn and Cindy before Sunday School. In class the young people took turns telling the Easter story with a felt board and then did some Easter puzzles and crafts with their wonderful teacher Efe.These pictures hardly capture how moving this week was, but the devotion of the people was amazing!
Judy Lee, RCWP and the Good Shepherd Inclusive Catholic Community
Roman Catholic Women Priests Association
"Hold the Halo" by Maureen Dowd/New York Times/ John Paul Excommunicated Women Priests but Not Pedophiles
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/24/opinion/24dowd.html?_r=1
"Santo non subito! How can you be a saint if you fail to protect innocent children?
For years after the Rev. Marcial Maciel Degollado, the founder of the Legion of Christ, was formally accused of pedophilia in a Vatican proceeding, he remained John Paul’s pet. The ultra-orthodox Legion of Christ and Opus Dei were the shock troops in John Paul’s war on Jesuits and other progressive theologians...
“For John Paul,” Berry told me just after returning from Good Friday services, “the priesthood had a romantic, chivalrous cast, and he could not bring himself to do a fearless investigation of the clerical culture itself. "
Bridget Mary's Reflection
It is ironic that neither John Paul II nor Benedict did anything to transform the clerical culture and change the climate that was at the heart of the devastating global pedophilia crisis. They did not excommunicate or banish these offending priests and bishops from the priesthood. However, both John Paul II and Benedict moved with lightening speed against women priests,with decrees of excommunication and delecto graviora (putting women in the same serious crime category as pedophiles). Like Mary of Magdala and the women who stood by Jesus during his suffering and death, and were the first to encounter the Risen Christ, women priests are faithful women, who are leading the church into an era of justice and equality that includes major reform and renewal in a people-empowered community of faith. Now, Fr. Roy Bourgeois is being threatened with dismissal from his order for his support of our movement. Fr. Roy has already been excommunicated. Scratch your head, if you can't figure it out. How come Pope John Paul and Benedict have not excommunicated or thrown the pedophiles out of their orders yet have no trouble doing so with women priests and our supporters? Is this the behavoir of a saint? I agree with Maureen, hold the halo, please!
Bridget Mary Meehan RCWP
703-505-0004
sofiabmm@aol.com
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
"Santo non subito! How can you be a saint if you fail to protect innocent children?
For years after the Rev. Marcial Maciel Degollado, the founder of the Legion of Christ, was formally accused of pedophilia in a Vatican proceeding, he remained John Paul’s pet. The ultra-orthodox Legion of Christ and Opus Dei were the shock troops in John Paul’s war on Jesuits and other progressive theologians...
“For John Paul,” Berry told me just after returning from Good Friday services, “the priesthood had a romantic, chivalrous cast, and he could not bring himself to do a fearless investigation of the clerical culture itself. "
Bridget Mary's Reflection
It is ironic that neither John Paul II nor Benedict did anything to transform the clerical culture and change the climate that was at the heart of the devastating global pedophilia crisis. They did not excommunicate or banish these offending priests and bishops from the priesthood. However, both John Paul II and Benedict moved with lightening speed against women priests,with decrees of excommunication and delecto graviora (putting women in the same serious crime category as pedophiles). Like Mary of Magdala and the women who stood by Jesus during his suffering and death, and were the first to encounter the Risen Christ, women priests are faithful women, who are leading the church into an era of justice and equality that includes major reform and renewal in a people-empowered community of faith. Now, Fr. Roy Bourgeois is being threatened with dismissal from his order for his support of our movement. Fr. Roy has already been excommunicated. Scratch your head, if you can't figure it out. How come Pope John Paul and Benedict have not excommunicated or thrown the pedophiles out of their orders yet have no trouble doing so with women priests and our supporters? Is this the behavoir of a saint? I agree with Maureen, hold the halo, please!
Bridget Mary Meehan RCWP
703-505-0004
sofiabmm@aol.com
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
Movies of Easter Liturgy -Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community- Easter 2011 at St. Andrew UCC, Sarasota, Florida
left to right
Priest Partners:
Lee Breyer,
Bridget Mary Meehan
Katy Zatsick
Michael Rigdon
Priest Michael Rigdon Sings Exultet
http://youtu.be/7jmZzM4ieh0
Blessing of Water: RCWP Katy Zatsick
leads Assembly in Blessing
Blessing of Community with Water
by Kevin and Judy Connolly
and Priest Partner Couple:
Imogene and Michael Rigdon
Offertory
Preface:Community around altar
Community Prays Eucharistic Prayer/Consecration
Liturgical Dance as Communion Meditation:
(Sheila Carey -dancer
Katherine Alexander on Piano, Jack Meehan on Sax)
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community Photos- from Easter Vigil- April 23, 2011- Living Gospel Equality Now
Sheila Carey performs liturgical
dance to "I will raise you up"
left to right Priests:
Lee Breyer, Bridget Mary Meehan
Katy Zatsick, Michael Rigdon
Blessing of Water :Left to right,
Kevin and Judy Connolly,
Imogene and Michael Rigdon
Community with lit candles in church
Priests Lee Breyer and Michael Rigdon
(left to right) lighting of Easter Fire
Community with lit candles in church
Priests Lee Breyer and Michael Rigdon
(left to right) lighting of Easter Fire
Homily for Easter Sunday by Roberta Meehan, RCWP
Homily for Easter Sunday
-- Cycle A -- 24 April 2011
Acts 10:34a, 37-43
Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23
Col 3:1-4
Jn 20:1-9 or 20:1-18 or Matthew 28:1-10 or Luke 24:13
He is risen! ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA!! And the angel said, “He has been raised from the dead, and he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.” This message was given to Mary of Magdala, a woman who is sometimes called the Apostle of the Apostles, a woman who non-scriptural sources say financed many of the ministries begun by Jesus. Some say that Mary was a successful business woman in Magdala and that she became a follower of Jesus after he expunged seven demons from her. Regardless of what is truth or fiction here, we do know that in all four gospels, it is to Mary that the message is given. She is instructed to take the message to the others – the message that HE IS RISEN!!! Jesus of Nazareth, a popular and exceptionally intelligent itinerant teacher, had been executed. His followers were devastated. They were lost and confused. They felt betrayed. What had happened to that marvelous dream he had told them about? He was dead and buried. The women went to tend to the body as soon as it was no longer the Sabbath. The body was not in the tomb. Instead an angel told them he had been raised. The followers of Jesus had little understanding of this, even though from the Lazarus story we are made keenly aware that Jesus had instructed them about resurrection. But Jesus himself rising from the dead? They had no concept. He had told them, but they had not understood. Now the angel was telling them that Jesus was going before them into Galilee and that they would see him there – in Galilee. They did not understand. The question is, do we understand? Have any of us ever thought about the impact of that statement? About the immediacy of Jesus going before them into Galilee? In the message at the resurrection, Jesus did not tell them he would see them in the next life nor did he tell them they would have to wait to see him at the end of time. The angel very specifically told Mary of Magdala and the followers of Jesus that Jesus had gone to Galilee and that they would see Jesus in Galilee. Why Galilee? To us, Galilee is just a place. But, if we go back to ancient times, we can get a clearer picture of “why Galilee?”. Galilee is in northern Palestine. It is a highly contested region now but at the same time, it is an area that from earliest times has been replete with an almost unbelievable mixture of people. (For additional scholarly insights into Galilee, see http://tinyurl.com/3w7gt ) If you read up on Galilee, you will see the tremendous diversity in land, in culture, and in political scope. That was true at the time of Jesus. It was a very cosmopolitan region. How appropriate that Jesus would go to Galilee! The mission of Jesus was not just for the Jews in the area of Jerusalem. The mission of Jesus was for all people! What better symbol of all people than a region such as Galilee, a region rich in all types of diversity? Jesus could have just as easily as gone to Jerusalem – but he did not. He went to Galilee. Going to Galilee should have meant something for his immediate followers; it definitely means something for us. We can see the historical significance of this journey to Galilee; we can see the universal symbolism of this place called Galilee. But, the angel said more! The angel said the disciples would see Jesus in Galilee. We know that over the course of the next forty days many did see him physically. Then he ascended into heaven. But, is there more to the disciples seeing Jesus in Galilee than just his personal appearances? Was he no longer to be seen in Galilee? Are we not his disciples too? Did Jesus not commission us to this discipleship? How are we going to see Jesus in Galilee? If we are the disciples of Jesus and if probably not one of us is from Galilee and probably most of us will never be in Galilee, how can this statement of the angel apply to us? How will we see Jesus in Galilee? The universality of Galilee could answer the geographic question. It was extremely diverse, But, how will we see Jesus? How will Galilee apply to our seeing Jesus? Jesus’ rising from the dead is not only our hope for resurrection and a continued life for all eternity. The message from the angel at Jesus’ resurrection is also our mandate. The promise of seeing Jesus in Galilee means that we must see Jesus in our own Galilees (even to the ends of the earth). In Matthew 25:40 we hear Jesus telling his followers that whatever they do to the least of his brethren, they do to him. That injunction did not cease with apostolic times. Those followers of Jesus include every one of us too! Whatever we do to one another, we do to Jesus. Yes, we do see Jesus before us in Galilee every day. And our mandate is that we must see Jesus the Christ in Galilee in every person we meet. The diversity of Galilee is everybody! Alleluia! He is risen! He has gone before us into Galilee. Symbolically, we are in Galilee – that amazingly diverse place – and we can see Jesus in every person we meet. And every person we meet can see Jesus in us. All of this because he is risen and he has gone before us into Galilee and he is with us, with us until the end of time! Alleluia, Alleluia!!
Roberta M. Meehan, RCWP
Roman Catholic Women Priests Association
Roman Catholic Woman Bishop Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger: 'Defying the Pope? It's like not paying a parking fine' article in the London Independent
"She served in church as a child, has been excommunicated, is married to a divorced man, and has been consecrated a bishop. How much further can a Catholic woman challenge the Vatican? Peter Stanford meets Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger
Sunday, 24 April 2011
JASON ALDEN
Bishop Mayr-Lumetzberger still hopes the papacy will relent over women
"And this is the funeral in one of our big Benedictine monasteries in Austria," explains Bishop Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger, "of a young woman whose mother wanted me to officiate." Her finger moves along a row of photographs on the screen of her laptop as we talk.
"Here I am with the parish priest, making the procession to the altar together. I always try to be conciliatory. We agreed he would lead the service when we were in the abbey, and I would lead Here is Mayr-Lumetzberger, in file after file of pictures, with her bishop's cross and vestments, officiating at weddings and baptisms and Sunday services, in Catholic parish churches and abbeys, usually alongside a bevy of male Catholic priests.
"They are very respectful," she explains. "So if we are walking as a group up the aisle, they automatically get in the right formation with the bishop at the back as the church's rules teach."
Sunday, 24 April 2011
JASON ALDEN
Bishop Mayr-Lumetzberger still hopes the papacy will relent over women
"And this is the funeral in one of our big Benedictine monasteries in Austria," explains Bishop Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger, "of a young woman whose mother wanted me to officiate." Her finger moves along a row of photographs on the screen of her laptop as we talk.
"Here I am with the parish priest, making the procession to the altar together. I always try to be conciliatory. We agreed he would lead the service when we were in the abbey, and I would lead Here is Mayr-Lumetzberger, in file after file of pictures, with her bishop's cross and vestments, officiating at weddings and baptisms and Sunday services, in Catholic parish churches and abbeys, usually alongside a bevy of male Catholic priests.
"They are very respectful," she explains. "So if we are walking as a group up the aisle, they automatically get in the right formation with the bishop at the back as the church's rules teach."
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Isn't it interesting that Bishop Christine is ministering alongside Catholic priests in Catholic Churches in Austria?! I believe that this is a sign of the official church's acceptance of women priests in spite of the Vatican's paranoid reactions to ordained women serving the people of God. The people of God are inviting women to serve as priests. More people in the United States are attending our liturgies and supporting our movement. The Spirit is indeed a'moving and we rejoice that like the women who were the first witnesses to encounter the Risen Christ, women priests today are spreading the Gospel to a renewed community of faith on this blessed Easter Sunday!
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Roman Catholic Women Priests Association
Thursday, April 21, 2011
A Prayer Service in Support of Maryknoll Priest Roy Bourgeois/Women Priests
Prayer Vigil in Support of Maryknoll Priest Roy Bourgeois/ Women Priests
Columbus, Ohio: Tuesday: April 19, 2011
Introductory Prayer: Holy One: You have given us a prophet in our midst. A man who is willing to hear your word and follow his conscience. A man who has the courage to speak truth to power. A man willing to stand up for the Gospel equality that Jesus proclaims.
Our response will be: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Prayer: That our brother priests in the Vatican roll away the stone from their hearts.
Response: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Prayer: That our brother priests hear the Word and feel the Movement of the Spirit calling us
to a discipleship of equals.
Response: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Prayer: That our brother priests hear the Spirit moving in our grassroots communities/church.
Response: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Prayer: To recognize that God calls men and women to the priesthood.
Response: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Prayer: In gratefulness for Roy’s support of women priests.
Response: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Prayer: That the Maryknoll Order support Roy and the Spirit’s movement for women priests.
Response: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Prayer: That all priests hear the Spirit and “Be Not Afraid.”
Response: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Prayer: That priests follow God’s law over the Pope’s and man made law.
Response: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Prayer: That all of us People of God follow the primacy of our conscience,
Response: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Prayer: For Roy’s family and their continued understanding and support of his actions.
Response: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Prayer: For our brother priests to support and speak out for women priests in our church.
Response: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Prayer: That we may all continue to be friends of God and prophets.
Response: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Please feel free to add your prayer and we will respond: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Prayer: Loving God, we thank you this Holy Week for your Son, the Christ, who continues to teach us Gospel love and equality. We thank you for giving us Roy as a prophet for the People of God to move us into a new era as we do the Work of Your Healing Hands bringing about the Kin-dom. May we see You in each of us as we support the rising up of prophetic women and men.
Janice Sevre-Duszynska, RCWP,
859-684-4247
"At Easter, Church Expels Women's Advocate, Keeps Pedophiles in the Fold" by Angela Bonavoglia/Huffingtonn Post
Fr. Roy joined women priests
at ordination of Janice Sevre-Duszynska
in Lexington Kentucky on Aug.9, 2008
..."And neither excommuniaton nor laicization has been threatened against any of the scores of Philadelphia priests who Cardinal Justin Rigali, under public pressure, was forced to relieve of duty, following the recent release of a second damning Grand Jury report. ... even after the diocesan authorities knew of the horrific allegations against them -- that they had repeatedly raped and sodomized children, turning one child into a sexual slave who they pimped out from priest to priest..."
"This same Rigali in 2006 castigated Eileen McCafferty DiFranco for daring to be ordained a Roman Catholic priest, accusing her of causing "confusion and discord," charging that if she celebrated a sacrament, she would "further exacerbate the public scandal." This was at the time of the first Grand Jury report, which described one of the most astounding histories of child sex abuse of any diocese in the country. The list of crimes by more than 60 priests included a teenage girl groped by her priest while she lay immobilized in traction and a boy who awoke intoxicated in a priest's bed to find the priest "sucking his penis while three other priests watched and masturbated."
"Bourgeois was incredibly engaging and moving on the Barnard panel, as he is in the film -- humble, deeply committed to women's rights in the Church, immovable in his position of support. But what struck me, what touched me most deeply was his concern, his wish and his deep disappointment that his fellow priests have refused to step forward and join him in this fight. They remain silent, despite knowing in their hearts how unjust and discriminatory is the Church's position, which flies in the face of church history, archaeological evidence and even a Pontifical Biblical Commission that found insufficient Scriptural grounds to exclude the possibility of women's ordination..."
"This same Rigali in 2006 castigated Eileen McCafferty DiFranco for daring to be ordained a Roman Catholic priest, accusing her of causing "confusion and discord," charging that if she celebrated a sacrament, she would "further exacerbate the public scandal." This was at the time of the first Grand Jury report, which described one of the most astounding histories of child sex abuse of any diocese in the country. The list of crimes by more than 60 priests included a teenage girl groped by her priest while she lay immobilized in traction and a boy who awoke intoxicated in a priest's bed to find the priest "sucking his penis while three other priests watched and masturbated."
"Bourgeois was incredibly engaging and moving on the Barnard panel, as he is in the film -- humble, deeply committed to women's rights in the Church, immovable in his position of support. But what struck me, what touched me most deeply was his concern, his wish and his deep disappointment that his fellow priests have refused to step forward and join him in this fight. They remain silent, despite knowing in their hearts how unjust and discriminatory is the Church's position, which flies in the face of church history, archaeological evidence and even a Pontifical Biblical Commission that found insufficient Scriptural grounds to exclude the possibility of women's ordination..."
Bridget Mary's Reflection
Angela Bonavoglia hit the nail on the head! The hierarchy's strong arm tactics in response to women priests and our supporters, including Fr. Roy Bourgeois, is a last ditch effort to resist the movement for the full equality of women in the church. It is is doomed to failure. The real scandal is the failure of the Vatican to make the structural changes that will address the pedophile crisis. The real scandal is the church's protection of pedophiles who have harmed raped, sodomized and sexually abused Catholic youth. Fr. Roy is a prophet leading the way toward justice for women in our church. While only a handful of priests are following his example in the United States, there are a few glimmers of hope that the tide is changing. The Irish Priests Association and German theologians have raised the issue of women's equality in the church. In South America, a priest, stood with us as we ordained the first women there. It is my hope that the example of Fr. Roy Bourgeois will inspire more priests to come forward and support Roman Catholic Women Priests. As Martin Luther King reminds us that injustice anywhere, threatens justice everywhere! Like Rosa Parks, who refused to sit in the back of the bus, Roman Catholic Women Priests are refusing second class status in our church. We are leading the way toward a new era of justice and equality for women in the church. This Easter, we celebrate the courage of the women who stood by Jesus during his sufferings and death, and were the first witnesses to the resurrection. We are following the path of Mary Magdala, the apostle to the apostles, who was called by the Risen Christ to go and tell the good news. So too, women priests are good news for the people of God who are ready for partnership and equality. Like the male disciples- locked up in fear-the hierarchy is afraid and resists, but a new Pentecost will come!
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Catholics Rally in U.S. for Fr. Roy Bourgeois and Women Priests/Television Coverage
(Florida Ordination-4 RCWP deacons)
Catholics Rally in Venice, Florida in support of Fr. Roy and women priests
http://www.mysuncoast.com/content/news/7SouthNews/story/Protest-held-outside-Venice-Catholic-church/9fdAQsXQzk6CgUOuHeb1Vw.cspx
Catholics rally in downtown Syracuse in support of priest who ...
Syracuse.com... on Tuesday in support of the ordination of women priests in the Catholic Church. ... in the Roman Catholic Church, has refused to recant his position. ...
Catholics protest for women in priesthoodWGNtv.com
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Protest Held Outside Venice Catholic Church Support of Fr. Roy/Women Priests/ABC Coverage/April 19, 2011
Protest held outside Venice Catholic church
"Holy Week in the Catholic Church was met with protests Tuesday in Venice in an effort to let women become priests. A group named "Call To Action" along with others held signs in a peaceful protest outside Epiphany Cathedral this morning. They greeted churchgoers and more than 200 priests from across the diocese who were celebrating Mass.Protesters are upset over the news a priest will be removed from the priesthood, because of his support for women becoming priests.That’s something protestors say will one day be accepted. “I think that female Roman Catholic priests are leading the way to a new renewed catholic church. The Vatican is kicking and screaming right now about us, but one day they too will recognize us as faithful witnesses to the gospel," says Bridget Mary Meehan."
A Vigil for Justice and Equality
Tuesday April 19, 2011
The Holy Week mass to bless the chrism oil for baptism, confirmation, and ordination was held today in the Epiphany Cathedral in Venice, Florida. As the procession of 200 priests, the bishop, and many other dignitaries prepared to enter the church, our vigil for justice and equality began.
Call to Action leaders requested quiet and peaceful vigils at chrism masses across the country to support Fr. Roy Bourgeois and the ordination of women. As a priest and member of the Maryknoll community for 44 years, Fr. Roy was threatened with expulsion from Maryknoll and laicization unless he recanted his support for women’s ordination. In his written response, Fr. Roy held fast to the primacy of conscience and his vision of women’s ordination as an issue of justice within the Church. Isn’t this how Jesus would deal with these issues today? The vigils were a way to support Fr. Roy who respectfully asked that his “fellow priests, bishops, Church leaders in the Vatican and Catholics in the pews speak out and affirm God’s call of women to the priesthood.”
Thirty-nine supporters of Fr. Roy and women’s ordination lined the sidewalks next to the cathedral. They represented the members of Southwest Florida Chapter of CTA, the newly-formed Peace River branch, the Venice Area Voice of the Faithful, and Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community. Vigil participants were an impressive group that included vested women priests and Bishop Bridget Mary, as well as individuals from West Palm Beach in Florida, Ontario in Canada, and snowbirds from many states.
The Diocese of Venice made certain that we were greeted by a Venice police captain and lieutenant. The police cars expanded to four when one of the vigil participants offered Fr. Roy’s letter to a staff person from the bishop’s office. He immediately informed us of the private property boundaries and his intention to enforce them. We remained quiet and respectful. Thus we were relegated to the sidewalk on one side of the cathedral. Our signs could be seen by the priests, but we were disappointed that we were not allowed close enough to give each one of them Fr. Roy’s letter. As the procession continued into the cathedral, many of the priests looked toward the vigil participants with varying positive and negative nonverbal communications. Most of the people attending the mass had the opportunity to talk to us and see our signs. Their responses were mostly indifferent. Several were curious or friendly.
Supporting Fr. Roy and women priests in this way was the first Call to Action for the new Peace River branch of the CTA Southwest Florida Chapter. We believe it was a great success. And it could not have been so without the members of CTA, Venice area VOTF, Mary Mother of Jesus, the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests, and each of the vigil participants. Thank you!
Signs included:
I support Fr. Roy and all priests
Justice for Fr. Roy and Catholic women
Father Roy: priest and prophet
Save our Church--Ordain women
Wome n are equal images of God
Support Fr. Roy & Justice in the Church of Jesus
Imogene Rigdon, Co-Chair CTA Peace River Florida
Branch of SW Florida Chapter
Tuesday April 19, 2011
The Holy Week mass to bless the chrism oil for baptism, confirmation, and ordination was held today in the Epiphany Cathedral in Venice, Florida. As the procession of 200 priests, the bishop, and many other dignitaries prepared to enter the church, our vigil for justice and equality began.
Call to Action leaders requested quiet and peaceful vigils at chrism masses across the country to support Fr. Roy Bourgeois and the ordination of women. As a priest and member of the Maryknoll community for 44 years, Fr. Roy was threatened with expulsion from Maryknoll and laicization unless he recanted his support for women’s ordination. In his written response, Fr. Roy held fast to the primacy of conscience and his vision of women’s ordination as an issue of justice within the Church. Isn’t this how Jesus would deal with these issues today? The vigils were a way to support Fr. Roy who respectfully asked that his “fellow priests, bishops, Church leaders in the Vatican and Catholics in the pews speak out and affirm God’s call of women to the priesthood.”
Thirty-nine supporters of Fr. Roy and women’s ordination lined the sidewalks next to the cathedral. They represented the members of Southwest Florida Chapter of CTA, the newly-formed Peace River branch, the Venice Area Voice of the Faithful, and Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community. Vigil participants were an impressive group that included vested women priests and Bishop Bridget Mary, as well as individuals from West Palm Beach in Florida, Ontario in Canada, and snowbirds from many states.
The Diocese of Venice made certain that we were greeted by a Venice police captain and lieutenant. The police cars expanded to four when one of the vigil participants offered Fr. Roy’s letter to a staff person from the bishop’s office. He immediately informed us of the private property boundaries and his intention to enforce them. We remained quiet and respectful. Thus we were relegated to the sidewalk on one side of the cathedral. Our signs could be seen by the priests, but we were disappointed that we were not allowed close enough to give each one of them Fr. Roy’s letter. As the procession continued into the cathedral, many of the priests looked toward the vigil participants with varying positive and negative nonverbal communications. Most of the people attending the mass had the opportunity to talk to us and see our signs. Their responses were mostly indifferent. Several were curious or friendly.
Supporting Fr. Roy and women priests in this way was the first Call to Action for the new Peace River branch of the CTA Southwest Florida Chapter. We believe it was a great success. And it could not have been so without the members of CTA, Venice area VOTF, Mary Mother of Jesus, the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests, and each of the vigil participants. Thank you!
Signs included:
I support Fr. Roy and all priests
Justice for Fr. Roy and Catholic women
Father Roy: priest and prophet
Save our Church--Ordain women
Wome n are equal images of God
Support Fr. Roy & Justice in the Church of Jesus
Imogene Rigdon, Co-Chair CTA Peace River Florida
Branch of SW Florida Chapter
ABC News Atlanta Ordination of 4 more Roman Catholic Women Deacons in Sarasota, Florida Interviews plus raw footage
Interview with Bridget Mary/Raw footagehttp://bcove.me/b8bahg4d
Interview with Diane Dougherty/Raw footagehttp://bcove.me/y8t8mcbz
Interview with Diane Dougherty/Raw footagehttp://bcove.me/y8t8mcbz
Television Interviews that aired on ABC News
http://www.wsbtv.com/video/27590829/index.html http://www.wsbtv.com/video/27589754/index.html
http://www.wsbtv.com/video/27590829/index.html http://www.wsbtv.com/video/27589754/index.html
Monday, April 18, 2011
ABC News Atlanta Covers Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests Ordination of 4 Deacons in Sarasota, Florida on April 2, 2011
http://www.wsbtv.com/video/27590829/index.html http://www.wsbtv.com/video/27589754/index.html
ATLANTA -- A Roman Catholic would recognize the sights, sounds and actions inside the Sarasota Church of Christ, but the Roman Catholic Church did not approve of what happened on a Saturday afternoon this month. Four women maintain they became deacons and eventually will become priests after a ceremony inside the central Florida church. One of them, Diane Dougherty, is a second-grade teacher from Newnan. The devout Irish Catholic said she first had the calling 44 years ago. “I always knew I had a calling and in my time the only way that calling could be expressed was through my sisters,” said
Dougherty. 5 p.m.: Woman Hopes To Become 1st Female Priest From Ga. 6 p.m.: Ga. Woman Joins Movement To Become Catholic Priest READ: Statement From Archbishop Wilton Gregory "Dougherty followed that call for 23 years, then left the sisterhood, but still felt there was something more so she decided to become a priest. “Aren’t you afraid of excommunication?” asked Channel 2 Action News anchor Monica Pearson. “I believe that the law that has kept me and so many wonderful and brilliant women from priesthood is unjust,” responded Dougherty. brightcove.createExperiences(); The Association of Roman Catholic Womenpriests organized the ordination into the diaconate. Bridget Mary Meehan is a bishop with the group but she doesn’t want to be called bishop. Meehan told Pearson, “We are trying to deconstruct the clerical hierarchal church.” “This is our Church, we belong to it, we are as Catholic as the pope is,” Meehan told Pearson. The issue of women’s ordination has been the subject of fierce debate. The Vatican recently condemned the action as a grave sin, on par with the sexual abuse of children. The Archdiocese of Atlanta declined requests for an interview..."
ATLANTA -- A Roman Catholic would recognize the sights, sounds and actions inside the Sarasota Church of Christ, but the Roman Catholic Church did not approve of what happened on a Saturday afternoon this month. Four women maintain they became deacons and eventually will become priests after a ceremony inside the central Florida church. One of them, Diane Dougherty, is a second-grade teacher from Newnan. The devout Irish Catholic said she first had the calling 44 years ago. “I always knew I had a calling and in my time the only way that calling could be expressed was through my sisters,” said
Dougherty. 5 p.m.: Woman Hopes To Become 1st Female Priest From Ga. 6 p.m.: Ga. Woman Joins Movement To Become Catholic Priest READ: Statement From Archbishop Wilton Gregory "Dougherty followed that call for 23 years, then left the sisterhood, but still felt there was something more so she decided to become a priest. “Aren’t you afraid of excommunication?” asked Channel 2 Action News anchor Monica Pearson. “I believe that the law that has kept me and so many wonderful and brilliant women from priesthood is unjust,” responded Dougherty. brightcove.createExperiences(); The Association of Roman Catholic Womenpriests organized the ordination into the diaconate. Bridget Mary Meehan is a bishop with the group but she doesn’t want to be called bishop. Meehan told Pearson, “We are trying to deconstruct the clerical hierarchal church.” “This is our Church, we belong to it, we are as Catholic as the pope is,” Meehan told Pearson. The issue of women’s ordination has been the subject of fierce debate. The Vatican recently condemned the action as a grave sin, on par with the sexual abuse of children. The Archdiocese of Atlanta declined requests for an interview..."
Call Maryknoll and Express Your Support of Fr. Roy and Women Priests
"Maryknoll leadership needs to hear your support of Fr. Roy and women's ordination today! Join the national call-in day by dialing 914.941.7590 and tell Maryknoll "I support women's ordination and Fr. Roy. I hope Maryknoll will, too!" Fr. Roy has given nearly 40 years of his life to Maryknoll as a priest and prophetic leader for justice in Central and South America. He should not be removed from the priesthood because of his beliefs in women's equality! It is heartbreaking to see the reports this weekend that Rome has only sanctioned but not removed a pedophile bishop but church officials want to remove a priest who support's women's equality as priests." Jim Fitzgerald/Call to Action
Bridget Mary's Reflection: Support Fr. Roy and call Maryknoll today-914.941.7590. The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests call on the Maryknoll Order to resist Vatican oppression and support Fr. Roy in his call for justice for women in the Catholic Church. It is time for Catholics to challenge the Vatican who keeps pedophile bishops and priests and excommunicates women priests and our supporters. This is the real scandal- an outrageous abuse of power- by the hierarchy! Fr. Roy is a prophet who is leading the way toward justice and equality for women in the church. How can Maryknoll go along with this spiritual charade?
Local Catholics in Florida Join Protest Vigils Across the Country to Support Maryknoll Fr. Roy Bourgeois and Women Priests
On a sunny morning on April 19th, at 10 am, an enthusiastic gathering of Catholics held a Protest Vigil before the Chrism Mass in front of Epiphany Cathedral in Venice Florida in support of a well-known Maryknoll priest, Roy Bourgeois for his support of women women priests in the Catholic Church. This prayerful vigil was scheduled to concide with the Chrism Mass where the male priests gather with the bishop who blesses the oil for use during sacramental celebrations. Michael and Imogene Rigdon from the new chapter of Call to Action Peace River and Ellen McNally from Call to Action Southwest Florida organized the Vigil.Roman Catholic Women Priests, Katy Zatsick and Bridget Mary Meehan dressed in their albs and stoles, joined the assembly waving signs and banners that expressed solidarity with Fr. Roy and women priests. Protest Vigils were scheduled across the U.S. in front of Cathdrals in a dozen dioceses.
Fr. Roy Bourgeois has been threatened with dismissal from the Maryknoll Order. This vigil come in response to news last week that Fr. Roy Bourgeois, a Maryknoll priest and founder of the School of the Americas Watch, refused to recant his views on women’s equality in the church and will be removed from the priesthood.
Fr. Roy Bourgeois has been threatened with dismissal from the Maryknoll Order. This vigil come in response to news last week that Fr. Roy Bourgeois, a Maryknoll priest and founder of the School of the Americas Watch, refused to recant his views on women’s equality in the church and will be removed from the priesthood.
A recent New York Times poll shows 60% of Catholics in the United States support women's ordination as priests and the Pew Forum in Religion and Public Life shows that 39% of people who leave Catholicism do so over the way the Church treats women.
The Vatican is putting pressure on Maryknoll to laicize Fr. Roy to intimidate other priests ,who support women priests, from going public. At the end of the day, this is all about power and control. And this tactic is backfiring! More and more people are supporting our movement.
Yesterday I received a letter from Kelly, a woman who has ten children. She is leaving the institutional church because of the sexual abuse scandal and the hierarchy's treatment of women. When she heard about women priests, she contacted me and asked if there are any women priests in her area. Fortunately, there is a woman priest community not far away from her.
For Catholics who are heart sick with the institutional Church's treatment of women as second class citizens, women priests offer hope. We share women's experiences and claim women's power as spiritual equals. This is helping to heal centuries of misogny. Women priests are visible reminders that women are equal images of God, and therefore worthy to preside at the altar. This is the Vatican's deepest fear, -women as equal images of God- but with God's grace, our presence in communities of faith are helping to transform our beloved church into a more open, transparent, inclusive, community of Christ's love with us.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Friday, April 15, 2011
Catholics Rally for Priest, (Fr. Roy Bourgeois) Who Could Be Excommunicated/Fox 4 News -- Ft. Myers, Florida
http://www.fox4now.com/Global/story.asp?S=14456902
"Some Catholics in the area are rallying behind a priest who could get excommunicated from the church. Father Roy Bourgeois faces expulsion by the Vatican for his support of women joining the priesthood. Bourgeois has been a Catholic priest for 38 years but he could get excommunicated from the church for his support of women's ordination. Ellen McNally is the president of the call to action in Southwest Florida. It's a Catholic movement which works for equality and justice in church and society. She echoes Bourgeois' feelings that the time has come for women to be ordained as priests in the catholic church. McNally says, "But a woman is as qualified, she's as holy and dedicated and can accomplish as much as anyone else."
Belgian Bishop Admits Abusing Second Nephew: Contrast with Vatican's Excommunication/Dismissal of Maryknoll Priest Roy Bourgeois and Women Priests
BRUSSELS (AP) — "A former Belgian bishop at the center of one of the Roman Catholic church's biggest pedophile scandals said Thursday that he had abused two nephews and insisted he had no plans to abandon the priesthood. In his first television interview since the scandal broke a year ago, Roger Vangheluwe claimed he paid one nephew he abused for years tens of thousands of euros in support, but denied it was meant to keep him silent. He called 13 years of sexual abuse of one nephew which started at age 5 as no more than "a little piece of intimacy." He said the abuse of a second nephew was very short...Sex abuse victims accuse the church of letting off the hook bishops who molested minors and see Vangheluwe's fate as a prime example.Pope Benedict XVI will eventually decide his fate. He could be stripped of his priesthood."
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Contrast the treatment by the Vatican of Roger Vangheluwe, a bishop pedophile, with the Vatican's threat to force Maryknoll to dismiss Fr. Roy Bourgeois for his support of women priests! Observe the Vatican is not threatening the bishop pedophile with excommunication or dismissal from the priesthood, but is pushing Maryknoll to dismiss Fr. Roy from the Order. (The Vatican has already excommunicated Fr. Roy.
The real scandal here is the Vatican who places women priests in the same serious crime category as pedophiles! The real scandal here is the institutional church's abuse of power - demanding that Fr. Roy recant his support for women's equality in our church. Since when is God's call to women to serve the church as priests and justice for women in the church a crime? The global sexual abuse crisis and its coverup has gutted the moral credibility of the institutional church. This is the real crime here. The silver lining in this crisis is that God is doing something new to renew the church. Catholic communities worldwide are calling forth women priests, married priests, and in some cases celibate male priests. (In Clevland, a pastor is continuing to serve the community after the parish was closed.)
This new model is rooted in the example of Jesus who called women and men to be disciples and equals. See Luke 8 : Among Jesus disciples were Mary of Magdala, Joanna, Suzanna and "many others." In all four Gospels, Mary of Magdala is the only one who is present at both the cross and tomb. The Risen Christ appeared first to Mary of Magdala and called her to "go and tell" which is the job description of an apostle. So Mary, the apostle to the apostles proclaimed the the good news to the other disciples - including the male apostles. It is time for the Vatican to follow Jesus' example of Gospel equality and partnership as this renewal is already taking place in grassroots communities.
In Romans 16:1-16, Paul greets the women leaders of the house churches. Scholars conclude that women presided at Eucharist in these house churches, and that women were ordained to serve their communities for 1200 years.
As we move into Holy Week, let us reflect on how we can follow Jesus' example of total self-giving in service to others as a more open, loving, compassionate and just community of faith.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Roman Catholic Women Priests Association
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Catholic Church Has Age-Old Devotion to Mary as Priest by John Wijngaards
http://www.womenpriests.org/mrpriest/mpr_tab.asp
Mary, Mother of Jesus, who turned the Spirit of God into the Body and Blood of Christ, pray for us. The Catholic Church has an age-old devotion to Mary as priest.
"With our short ecclesiastical memories we have almost forgotten that in the run up to its dogmatic definition in 1854, Mary’s Immaculate Conception was often justified on the grounds of her being a priest. Tradition frequently applied Hebrews 7,26 to her: "It is fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens." The Benedictine prior Jacques Biroat wrote in 1666 that “Paul’s reasoning” in Hebrews 7,26 “is relevant to Christ’s mother. She shares in the priesthood of her son and is the origin of our reconciliation to God. Therefore, she had to be entirely innocent and separated from sinners. She had to be preserved from original sin.” Mary was immaculately conceived because she had to be a priest without stain." "The Fathers of the Church pointed out that Mary belonged to a priestly family, as her relationship to Elizabeth shows. She was "Aaron’s staff which has budded forth as a guarantee of the eternal priesthood" (St. Methodius)... The Fathers loved calling Mary ‘the sanctuary’, ‘the ark of the covenant’, ‘the golden thurible’ and ‘the altar of incense’, implying her priestly dignity. .." At the presentation in the Temple, for instance, Mary functioned as ‘an ordained virgin who offered Jesus for our reconciliation as a victim agreeable to God’, in the words of St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153). Ubertino of Casale (1259-1330) added that there was no other priest. Only she could offer Jesus, and she was, after Jesus himself, the greatest of all priests..."
Vatican Served with Court Docs in Wis. Abuse Case
April 12th, 2011
By CARRIE ANTLFINGER
Associated Press
MILWAUKEE (AP) - "The Vatican has been served with court papers stemming from decades-old allegations of sexual abuse against a now-deceased priest at a Wisconsin school for the deaf, attorneys for the accuser and the Vatican said Tuesday. "Jeff Anderson, an attorney for the man making the allegations, said he had been notified the papers were successfully filed through official diplomatic channels. " "Every time we make a step forward, as long as that takes, we are going in the right direction," Anderson said. "And the direction we're headed is a measure of accountability. We really believe that we need to put some heat on the Vatican to bring some light." ..."The lawsuit was filed nearly a year ago in federal court on behalf of Terry Kohut, now of Chicago. It claims Pope Benedict XVI and two other top Vatican officials knew about allegations of sexual abuse at St. John's School for the Deaf outside Milwaukee and called off internal punishment of the accused priest, the Rev. Lawrence Murphy."
By CARRIE ANTLFINGER
Associated Press
MILWAUKEE (AP) - "The Vatican has been served with court papers stemming from decades-old allegations of sexual abuse against a now-deceased priest at a Wisconsin school for the deaf, attorneys for the accuser and the Vatican said Tuesday. "Jeff Anderson, an attorney for the man making the allegations, said he had been notified the papers were successfully filed through official diplomatic channels. " "Every time we make a step forward, as long as that takes, we are going in the right direction," Anderson said. "And the direction we're headed is a measure of accountability. We really believe that we need to put some heat on the Vatican to bring some light." ..."The lawsuit was filed nearly a year ago in federal court on behalf of Terry Kohut, now of Chicago. It claims Pope Benedict XVI and two other top Vatican officials knew about allegations of sexual abuse at St. John's School for the Deaf outside Milwaukee and called off internal punishment of the accused priest, the Rev. Lawrence Murphy."
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