Let us begin our prayerful meditation by being grateful for the gift of God’s kindom, as Jesus passion for living compassion and doing justice now…
Take a few deep breaths and journey to the center of your being... dwell in the Heart of God, the Heart of Love, where you receive infinite boundless love....and where love flows out from you to others....
As a resister to religious and political domination, Jesus was accused of planning to destroy the Temple and to make himself King….But, Jesus stood on the margins with the poor, rejected and oppressed. Jesus spoke truth to power. He did not back down even though he knew he would be in big trouble with both religious and civil authorities… This led to his death...
Jesus proclaimed the Kindom of God is about living compassion and doing justice for all especially to the poor, oppressed and marginalized. In Matthew 25, we read that whatsoever we do to the least of our sisters and brothers, that we do unto Jesus… Jesus’ kindom is about nurturing and loving relationships, not about domination, power and control…
Give thanks for the ways that you are living compassion and justice in your life now. Ask for healing of negative patterns of domination, power and control in your life...and in our church... and world.
Open yourself to God’s call to you to live compassion and do justice in deeper and even new ways….
One interpretation of Matt. 25 is that heaven and hell are not a geographical places, they are states of being that we all have experienced. In Understanding Difficult Scriptures in a Healing Way, (p.17) the Linns- Matthew, Dennis and Sheila, present this interpretation. Whenever we feel alienated, fail to give love, we pass by a sister or brother in need, we experience hell, whenever we have been loved, seen our goodness reflected in the loving appreciation of another, share our food, nurture another, live compassion, do justice, we have experienced heaven. As Dennis Linn concludes, the kindom of God is within us and we’re all good goats or one could say- saints in the making!...
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
sofiabmm@aol.com
Living Gospel Inclusivity and Empowerment Now- https://bridgetmarys.blogspot.com/2025/10/rev-dr-bridget-mary-meehan-arcwp-chat.html
Saturday, November 19, 2011
"Protests of Va. Parish’s Move Away From Altar Girls Reflects Wider Catholic Debate/Washington Post/ Message to Girls and Women- Not Wanted on Altar
by Michele Boorstein
"...After Taylor’s announcement, Zickel and her husband and two daughters, ages 4 and 7, stopped attending Corpus Christi. Zickel continued to teach at the Sunday school through June before the family started “floating around,” driving up to 45 minutes in an effort to find a parish with altar girls.Mary Barnes choked up as she described watching her seventh-grade daughter serve during Mass in a white robe while the boys were switched to black ones. Barnes has attended Corpus Christi, in a booming area of eastern Loudoun County, for 13 years.“It’s really hard to sit in church every weekend looking at that,” said Barnes, a manager at AOL. “It’s demoralizing, understanding you’re not really wanted.”The Vatican in 1994 approved the participation of girls in altar serving, and the official Vatican newspaper has run pieces characterizing the acceptance of girls as correcting a “profound inequality...”
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
How much more can girls or women take of this blatent sexism in our institutional church? The Vatican cannot continue to discriminate against women and blame God for it. Women are created equal by divine design and are desperately needed to take their rightful place as equals in all areas of church life including service at the altar as servers, deacons, priests and bishops. The good news is that more and more women are becoming Roman Catholic Women Priests and girls are welcome to serve at our altars everywhere. One day, we will be ordaining you too!
http://associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
Bridget Mary Meehan, Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
"...After Taylor’s announcement, Zickel and her husband and two daughters, ages 4 and 7, stopped attending Corpus Christi. Zickel continued to teach at the Sunday school through June before the family started “floating around,” driving up to 45 minutes in an effort to find a parish with altar girls.Mary Barnes choked up as she described watching her seventh-grade daughter serve during Mass in a white robe while the boys were switched to black ones. Barnes has attended Corpus Christi, in a booming area of eastern Loudoun County, for 13 years.“It’s really hard to sit in church every weekend looking at that,” said Barnes, a manager at AOL. “It’s demoralizing, understanding you’re not really wanted.”The Vatican in 1994 approved the participation of girls in altar serving, and the official Vatican newspaper has run pieces characterizing the acceptance of girls as correcting a “profound inequality...”
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
How much more can girls or women take of this blatent sexism in our institutional church? The Vatican cannot continue to discriminate against women and blame God for it. Women are created equal by divine design and are desperately needed to take their rightful place as equals in all areas of church life including service at the altar as servers, deacons, priests and bishops. The good news is that more and more women are becoming Roman Catholic Women Priests and girls are welcome to serve at our altars everywhere. One day, we will be ordaining you too!
http://associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
Bridget Mary Meehan, Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
Catholics Reject New Roman Missal/ Try New Inclusive Worship Aides from Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
http://liturgyforum.wordpress.com/2011/05/01/statement-of-convictions/#respond
Bridget Mary's Reflection
Catholics, stop complaining about new Roman Missal. Take action. One recommendation-try on some creative, joyous, inclusive liturgies. The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests just published our Inclusive Worship Aides which feature 11 Eucharistic Prayers utilizing inclusive prayers, and poetic language that people understand and can easily pray together. Some of the liturgies are the following: Advent, Lent, Ordinary Time, Easter/Pentecost, All Saints/Funerals/Memorials. Our first order came from a male priest in a parish community!
We offer them on cd and em in pdf or .docx so you can adapt for your community.
You can order on our web site:
http://associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
Bridget Mary's Reflection
Catholics, stop complaining about new Roman Missal. Take action. One recommendation-try on some creative, joyous, inclusive liturgies. The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests just published our Inclusive Worship Aides which feature 11 Eucharistic Prayers utilizing inclusive prayers, and poetic language that people understand and can easily pray together. Some of the liturgies are the following: Advent, Lent, Ordinary Time, Easter/Pentecost, All Saints/Funerals/Memorials. Our first order came from a male priest in a parish community!
We offer them on cd and em in pdf or .docx so you can adapt for your community.
You can order on our web site:
http://associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
Friday, November 18, 2011
Evaluation of 30 Years of Joseph Ratzinger on the Catholic Church/"We Are Church" Press Release
For 30 years, Joseph Ratzinger, has largely determined the course of the Universal Church
On 25 November 1981, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the current Pope Benedict XVI, was appointed by John Paul II as prefect of the Roman Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In the last 30 years, this German theologian has influenced the worldwide Roman Catholic Church for much longer, and in many more profound ways, than most others in the Vatican have been able to do in all of Church history. He is responsible for more than 23 years of administering the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF—the successor to the “Congregation of the Roman and General Inquisition,” founded in 1542) and for six and a half years as Pope.
We cannot forget, given how clearly the effects are still noticeable, how Ratzinger, between 1981 and 2005, in his capacity as Prefect of the CDF: imposed teaching bans, condemned the Theology of Liberation, marginalized women in the Church, put the brakes on Ecumenism with various churches of the Reformation, and has long contributed to the cover-up of sexual abuse. This is in line with numerous other decisions that were influenced by him, such as the Synodal Instruction of 1997, the Instruction to the Laity (1997), the “Dominus Iesus” declaration (2000), the Vatican paper against homosexual unions (2003) and also the approach to laity-based reform movements like We are Church. The German church was faced with a difficult ordeal by his teachings against the counseling of women with distressed pregnancies. The list of theologians (male and female) throughout the world who have been reprimanded and intimidated by him is long (see Appendix) and has led to a permanent climate of fear and paralysis within the church.
After his election as Pope, on 19 April 2005, there was a change in his public face, partly also due to the mass media’s influence. Yet the hope that Joseph Ratzinger, as Pope, would — in deference to his new title of “Pontifex Maximus” (“bridge builder-in-chief”) — change his behavior has not been fulfilled. The opposite has occurred.
Ratzinger, who is always complaining about the “dictatorship of relativism,” has himself been responsible for a long time for the relativization of the Second Vatican Council, mainly by his complete release of the pre-Vatican-II Tridentine rite (2007, contrary to the recommendations of the worldwide Synod of Bishops in 2005), through his reformulation of the Good Friday prayers for the conversion of the Jews (2008), and finally by the extremely problematic rehabilitation of the Confraternity of Pius X, in January 2009. The decades-long altercation with this confraternity might also be a personal trauma for Ratzinger. If only he had tried harder, on behalf of Pope John Paul II in 1988, to reintegrate its founder, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre! This has not yet occurred, despite all manner of extremely questionable concessions by the Vatican up to now.
The Roman Catholic Church now finds itself in the deepest crisis since the Reformation. The disclosure of the decades-long coverup of abuse scandals worldwide is certainly not the only reason for this is, but it has thrown open the crisis of the clerical system. The tragedy of Ratzinger is that he started too late and too hesitantly to deal directly with the abuse scandals, and that he is not fully supported by either the Roman Curia or the cardinals and bishops. This is not least because he had, as prefect of the CDF in 2001, ordered all the bishops under threat of punishment to keep sexual crimes against minors by clerics as secret as possible, and only to let the CDF know about them.
It is not secularism, but Joseph Ratzinger himself, who is largely responsible for the Church's failure in many areas to meet the challenges of our time. Again and again he proved to be deaf to the concerns brought to him by bishops, theologians, and numerous “lay” people from around the world. Liberation Theology, in particular, was treated by him with suspicion and hostility. The years of his pontificate are increasingly laying bare the fundamental weaknesses of the whole system of the Roman Catholic Church: its autocratic, monarchical governance, its “two-tier society” of priests and “lay,” as well as the rapidly growing Roman centralization in recent years, which concedes scarcely any responsibility to the local churches.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1993), which he substantially authored and edited, and the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (2005), which he approved and promulgated as Pope (i.e. formally approved and published), in no ways meet the demands of modern theology. The Vatican “Instruction on Homosexuality and ordained ministry” of 2005 (whose full title is Instruction Concerning the Criteria for the Discernment of Vocations with regard to Persons with Homosexual Tendencies in view of their Admission to the Seminary and to Holy Orders) was one of the first documents approved by him as pope to exclude homosexual men from the priesthood. Neither the widespread distribution of the catechism for youth, YouCat (2011), nor the commercial success of his many books, can obscure the fact that today only a small number of people accept and observe the teaching of the Catholic Church, as studies and surveys repeatedly show.
Pope Benedict should understand the increasingly loud and worldwide criticism of his pontificate as an expression of deep concern for the welfare of the faithful throughout the church. For as canon law states in Can. CIC 212 § 3: “According to their knowledge, competence and preeminent position they (i.e. the faithful) have the right and even at times the duty to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the church (. . .).
Meanwhile, humanity has developed a keen awareness of the countless injustices in the world. The Catholic Church, with its worldwide reach, could and must exert a positive influence on how we will all live in the future. The task for today should be to bid farewell to leadership structures that have been handed down but are no longer life-serving, rather than to cling anxiously to the hierarchical governance allegedly instituted by Jesus: “Do not call anyone on earth your father; only one is your Father, the One in heaven. Avoid being called teachers. Only one is your teacher, the Christ” (Matthew 23.9 ff.)
A list of all persons who, directly or indirectly, have been investigated in any way, disciplined, or excommunicated by the CDF under Joseph Ratzinger (a compilation by “Catholics for Choice,” 2006) is available at www.wirsindkirche.de/files/212_2006movingforwardbylookingback_31-38.pdf.
A list of 99 theologians and spiritual leaders who were banned, expelled, or silenced under Ratzinger is included in the 2011 book by Matthew Fox, The Pope’s War: Why Ratzinger’s Secret Crusade Has Imperiled the Church and How It Can Be Saved?www.wir-sind-kirche.de/files/1567_Fox_Liste%20der%2099.pdf
An in-depth analysis of the theology of Joseph Ratzinger is available (in German) in Hermann Haring's “Im Namen des Herrn. Wohin der Papst die Kirche führt” (Gütersloh, 2009).
English translation by Anne Goodrich Heck
On 25 November 1981, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the current Pope Benedict XVI, was appointed by John Paul II as prefect of the Roman Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In the last 30 years, this German theologian has influenced the worldwide Roman Catholic Church for much longer, and in many more profound ways, than most others in the Vatican have been able to do in all of Church history. He is responsible for more than 23 years of administering the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF—the successor to the “Congregation of the Roman and General Inquisition,” founded in 1542) and for six and a half years as Pope.
We cannot forget, given how clearly the effects are still noticeable, how Ratzinger, between 1981 and 2005, in his capacity as Prefect of the CDF: imposed teaching bans, condemned the Theology of Liberation, marginalized women in the Church, put the brakes on Ecumenism with various churches of the Reformation, and has long contributed to the cover-up of sexual abuse. This is in line with numerous other decisions that were influenced by him, such as the Synodal Instruction of 1997, the Instruction to the Laity (1997), the “Dominus Iesus” declaration (2000), the Vatican paper against homosexual unions (2003) and also the approach to laity-based reform movements like We are Church. The German church was faced with a difficult ordeal by his teachings against the counseling of women with distressed pregnancies. The list of theologians (male and female) throughout the world who have been reprimanded and intimidated by him is long (see Appendix) and has led to a permanent climate of fear and paralysis within the church.
After his election as Pope, on 19 April 2005, there was a change in his public face, partly also due to the mass media’s influence. Yet the hope that Joseph Ratzinger, as Pope, would — in deference to his new title of “Pontifex Maximus” (“bridge builder-in-chief”) — change his behavior has not been fulfilled. The opposite has occurred.
Ratzinger, who is always complaining about the “dictatorship of relativism,” has himself been responsible for a long time for the relativization of the Second Vatican Council, mainly by his complete release of the pre-Vatican-II Tridentine rite (2007, contrary to the recommendations of the worldwide Synod of Bishops in 2005), through his reformulation of the Good Friday prayers for the conversion of the Jews (2008), and finally by the extremely problematic rehabilitation of the Confraternity of Pius X, in January 2009. The decades-long altercation with this confraternity might also be a personal trauma for Ratzinger. If only he had tried harder, on behalf of Pope John Paul II in 1988, to reintegrate its founder, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre! This has not yet occurred, despite all manner of extremely questionable concessions by the Vatican up to now.
The Roman Catholic Church now finds itself in the deepest crisis since the Reformation. The disclosure of the decades-long coverup of abuse scandals worldwide is certainly not the only reason for this is, but it has thrown open the crisis of the clerical system. The tragedy of Ratzinger is that he started too late and too hesitantly to deal directly with the abuse scandals, and that he is not fully supported by either the Roman Curia or the cardinals and bishops. This is not least because he had, as prefect of the CDF in 2001, ordered all the bishops under threat of punishment to keep sexual crimes against minors by clerics as secret as possible, and only to let the CDF know about them.
It is not secularism, but Joseph Ratzinger himself, who is largely responsible for the Church's failure in many areas to meet the challenges of our time. Again and again he proved to be deaf to the concerns brought to him by bishops, theologians, and numerous “lay” people from around the world. Liberation Theology, in particular, was treated by him with suspicion and hostility. The years of his pontificate are increasingly laying bare the fundamental weaknesses of the whole system of the Roman Catholic Church: its autocratic, monarchical governance, its “two-tier society” of priests and “lay,” as well as the rapidly growing Roman centralization in recent years, which concedes scarcely any responsibility to the local churches.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1993), which he substantially authored and edited, and the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (2005), which he approved and promulgated as Pope (i.e. formally approved and published), in no ways meet the demands of modern theology. The Vatican “Instruction on Homosexuality and ordained ministry” of 2005 (whose full title is Instruction Concerning the Criteria for the Discernment of Vocations with regard to Persons with Homosexual Tendencies in view of their Admission to the Seminary and to Holy Orders) was one of the first documents approved by him as pope to exclude homosexual men from the priesthood. Neither the widespread distribution of the catechism for youth, YouCat (2011), nor the commercial success of his many books, can obscure the fact that today only a small number of people accept and observe the teaching of the Catholic Church, as studies and surveys repeatedly show.
Pope Benedict should understand the increasingly loud and worldwide criticism of his pontificate as an expression of deep concern for the welfare of the faithful throughout the church. For as canon law states in Can. CIC 212 § 3: “According to their knowledge, competence and preeminent position they (i.e. the faithful) have the right and even at times the duty to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the church (. . .).
Meanwhile, humanity has developed a keen awareness of the countless injustices in the world. The Catholic Church, with its worldwide reach, could and must exert a positive influence on how we will all live in the future. The task for today should be to bid farewell to leadership structures that have been handed down but are no longer life-serving, rather than to cling anxiously to the hierarchical governance allegedly instituted by Jesus: “Do not call anyone on earth your father; only one is your Father, the One in heaven. Avoid being called teachers. Only one is your teacher, the Christ” (Matthew 23.9 ff.)
A list of all persons who, directly or indirectly, have been investigated in any way, disciplined, or excommunicated by the CDF under Joseph Ratzinger (a compilation by “Catholics for Choice,” 2006) is available at www.wirsindkirche.de/files/212_2006movingforwardbylookingback_31-38.pdf.
A list of 99 theologians and spiritual leaders who were banned, expelled, or silenced under Ratzinger is included in the 2011 book by Matthew Fox, The Pope’s War: Why Ratzinger’s Secret Crusade Has Imperiled the Church and How It Can Be Saved?www.wir-sind-kirche.de/files/1567_Fox_Liste%20der%2099.pdf
An in-depth analysis of the theology of Joseph Ratzinger is available (in German) in Hermann Haring's “Im Namen des Herrn. Wohin der Papst die Kirche führt” (Gütersloh, 2009).
English translation by Anne Goodrich Heck
Thursday, November 17, 2011
"Austrian Dissident Catholics Urged -Maintain Church Unity"/Christian Century
http://www.christiancentury.org/article/2011-11/austrias-dissident-catholics-urged-maintain-church-unity
Nov 17, 2011 by Jonathan Luxmoore
..." In their 10 November declaration, the bishops rejected a 5 November call by Austria's We Are Church movement for laypeople to preside at Mass and celebrate the Eucharist. The bishops were also reacting to a July "Call to Disobedience" signed by 250 of Austria's 4,200 Roman Catholic priests, urging the ordination of women priests and distribution of Communion to non-Catholics and remarried divorcees...Hans Peter Hurka, We Are Church's chairman, told ENInews that Austria's bishops had pledged to hold a dialogue with Catholic clergy, but had rejected calls for a discussion of New Testament guidelines. He added that 505,000 Austrians had signed the movement's founding petition in 1995, adding that recent opinion surveys suggested 80 percent now backed its demands."All of this is seen as irrelevant by the bishops -- they don't seem to realize the train has already left and they're still standing on the platform," the lay Catholic said. "The situation is now beyond church control and the dangers of a schism are very real..."
Bridget Mary's Reflection
The "holy shakeup" continues to grow and Catholics worldwide are joining the movement for ality for gender justice in the church. Obviously, the priests of Austria and Ireland are leading the way toward a renewed priestly ministry in union with the people of God, not the backward slide to the clerical culture of the Medieval world that promotes a "magical" approach that focuses on the special powers of the priest to "confect" the sacraments, and the indulgences that the laity gain by attending certain churches and saying specfic prayers. These devotions indicate that the Catholic believers in the pew's primary responsibility was to pray, obey and pay ( as in make an offering for candles lit etc). Note that Pope Benedict promotes indulgenes today for certain devotional practices including pilgrimages to sacred sites.
The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests focus on being living witnesses of the Gospel of compassion in serving our sisters and brothers, especially those in most need and in challenging structures that keep people on the margins and impoverished- we are called to speak truth to power, like Jesus did, so that justice will be a reality for God's people. Ordination is not about us, it is about being catalysts for justice in church and world!
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
sofiabmm@aol.com
Nov 17, 2011 by Jonathan Luxmoore
..." In their 10 November declaration, the bishops rejected a 5 November call by Austria's We Are Church movement for laypeople to preside at Mass and celebrate the Eucharist. The bishops were also reacting to a July "Call to Disobedience" signed by 250 of Austria's 4,200 Roman Catholic priests, urging the ordination of women priests and distribution of Communion to non-Catholics and remarried divorcees...Hans Peter Hurka, We Are Church's chairman, told ENInews that Austria's bishops had pledged to hold a dialogue with Catholic clergy, but had rejected calls for a discussion of New Testament guidelines. He added that 505,000 Austrians had signed the movement's founding petition in 1995, adding that recent opinion surveys suggested 80 percent now backed its demands."All of this is seen as irrelevant by the bishops -- they don't seem to realize the train has already left and they're still standing on the platform," the lay Catholic said. "The situation is now beyond church control and the dangers of a schism are very real..."
Bridget Mary's Reflection
The "holy shakeup" continues to grow and Catholics worldwide are joining the movement for ality for gender justice in the church. Obviously, the priests of Austria and Ireland are leading the way toward a renewed priestly ministry in union with the people of God, not the backward slide to the clerical culture of the Medieval world that promotes a "magical" approach that focuses on the special powers of the priest to "confect" the sacraments, and the indulgences that the laity gain by attending certain churches and saying specfic prayers. These devotions indicate that the Catholic believers in the pew's primary responsibility was to pray, obey and pay ( as in make an offering for candles lit etc). Note that Pope Benedict promotes indulgenes today for certain devotional practices including pilgrimages to sacred sites.
The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests focus on being living witnesses of the Gospel of compassion in serving our sisters and brothers, especially those in most need and in challenging structures that keep people on the margins and impoverished- we are called to speak truth to power, like Jesus did, so that justice will be a reality for God's people. Ordination is not about us, it is about being catalysts for justice in church and world!
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
sofiabmm@aol.com
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
The Ordination of Judy Beaumont as Deacon on Nov. 15, 2011/Sarasota, Florida
A Celebration of Ordination with the Community of the Good Shepherd. Judy Beaumont was ordained a deacon of ARCWP in the home of Bishop Bridget Mary on November 15, 2011. Twelve members of the community gathered in the mid-afternoon with Jack Meehan, Bridget Mary’s father, providing music on the sax and trumpet for the ordination liturgy. The music for Judy’s ordination came from the chants and melodies used by her Good Shepherd Community in Ft. Myers. These included “This is the Day our God has Made and This is Holy Ground” and we closed with “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” sung with great enthusiasm by all present.
Judy is co-pastor with Judy Lee, ARCWP of the Good Shepherd Community in Ft. Myers FL. Four of the elders represented her full community and Lauretta Rasmussen presented Judy for ordination to the deaconate with these words:
“I believe she has many good qualities for service as a priest…She serves our church with energy which is always inspiring…She enriches our lives with her kindness and gentleness…Judy is paramount in life-altering events in the lives of the poor, homeless and disabled…Her unselfish acts give inspiration for all…The Joshua House mission has given back to the poor their dignity and more, their hope. Ms. Beaumont has fed me, clothed me and provided shelter for me…When Judy smiles; you can see the Holy Spirit light up her face. The love she has for us is a gift from God. It shows in everything she does.”
Bishop Bridget Mary gave the homily, “…Today we are celebrating the ordination to the diaconate of Judy Beaumont, a woman who has spent her life on the margins living Jesus’ passion for justice and equality…your affirmation of your woman deacon and priest speaks loudly to all that the full equality of women and justice for all God’s people especially those who suffer poverty, joblessness and homelessness, is the voice of God in our time. Today Judy joins Judy Lee in ministry with you, the beloved community, as ordained women in Good Shepherd Community. Together they serve the Body of Christ at the table and around the table standing on the margins with you, living God’s compassion and doing justice.”
Then Bishop Bridget Mary called us into silence for the laying on of hands, the act of ordination of Judy as ARCWP deacon. The Spirit’s presence filled the room as each person came forward to lay their hands on Judy’s head offering prayers for her ministry. Jack Meehan could not come forward so immediately after Judy presented herself to Jack for his blessing. Such a tender Spirit filled moment for them and for us.
After the service we moved our celebration to a local restaurant for a wonderful Oriental buffet. May God’s Spirit Sofia pour down blessings on Judy Beaumont’s ministry as deacon with the People of God in Good Shepherd Community.
"Recognizing the Church We Already Are"/ Jamie Manson's Keynote At Call to Action/Link to Address
http://ncronline.org/blogs/grace-margins/recognizing-church-we-already-are
"This story, I think, does all of those things. It is a true story that happened in a place as ordinary as St. Louis and as recently as 2008. The year that stretched from the summer of 2008 to the summer of 2009 was especially bizarre for the Catholic Church in the United States (and, I know there is a lot of competition for that title). It was during this time that Father Roy Bourgeois was given his first notification from the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that he had 30 days in which to recant his position in support of women’s ordination or face excommunication.It was during this time that Sister Louise Akers was banned by the archbishop of Cincinnati from teaching catechetics on behalf of the archdiocese because of her public support of women's ordination in the Catholic church."
"This story, I think, does all of those things. It is a true story that happened in a place as ordinary as St. Louis and as recently as 2008. The year that stretched from the summer of 2008 to the summer of 2009 was especially bizarre for the Catholic Church in the United States (and, I know there is a lot of competition for that title). It was during this time that Father Roy Bourgeois was given his first notification from the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that he had 30 days in which to recant his position in support of women’s ordination or face excommunication.It was during this time that Sister Louise Akers was banned by the archbishop of Cincinnati from teaching catechetics on behalf of the archdiocese because of her public support of women's ordination in the Catholic church."
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
REMEMBERING THE FEAST DAY OF A CHILD/ by OLGA LUCIA ALVAREZ, ARCWP
A year ago, the child Juan Dieguito Borda:
"He pleased God y God loved him...y he took him away" (Wisdom 4:10)
"He pleased God y God loved him...y he took him away" (Wisdom 4:10)
Gilma and her sisters, aunts of Juan Dieguito.
His family, little friends, neighbors and the neighborhood, have wished to honor his memory with a community Eucharist in the House/Church.
His grandmothers, his aunts, uncles, cousins, friends y neighbors of the family were there.
The aunts set up the altar, in the living room of the house and arranged the seats for everyone. The cousins and little friends of Juan Diego, with whom we saw him playing foot-ball so many times in the block in front of the house, spontaneously, asked to organize the presentation of the gifts and thus they did it:
Cousins and friends of Juan Dieguito, at the Presentation of the Gifts.
The family and members of the Community, had invited a Catholic priest (of Old Catholic) whom we also invited to concelebrate, explaining to the Community, giving the sense of ecumenism which is provided in the sharing of inter-denominational and inter-religious communion, which goes farther than just meetings and signing documents of mutual "closeness", posing for the "ecumenical" album.
Father Miguel Adolfo Figueroa reading the Gospel.
The readings were shared. The sharing of the homily in a community way, is still hard for us, but efforts were made to do it and it's a work in progress which will continue.
At the moment of consecration, we acted as community, women and men extended their hands over the elements reciting the words of the consecration as a sign of promise and solidarity in the service of the community and the church.
One of the grandmothers of Juan Diego, who will give out Communion.
Before Communion, the grandmothers were asked to help with the distribution, explaining to the community why they were going to do so. "They through the years, in their homes, have cared for our lives, providing us with food. Giving us Communion today is caring for the spiritual life of their family, their sons, daughters and grandchildren, protecting them and helping them grow in the faith; therefore they are going to share Communion not only with their family, but also with the Community, recognizing thus their experience and wisdom."
When the church speaks of the importance of the laity, it is referring to the empowerment of the laic in it, causing the laity to assume responsability for the building of the Kingdom of God, in a community way and with a sense of church.
This was a powerful moment, understood and accepted by the community, which afterwards was much remarked about among the people.
"As his life was pleasing to the Lord, the Lord acted quickly to remove him from the midst of evil. The people see, but neither hear nor understand, that God treats his chosen with mercy and goodness, watching over his faithful ones." Wisdom 4:14-15
His family, little friends, neighbors and the neighborhood, have wished to honor his memory with a community Eucharist in the House/Church.
His grandmothers, his aunts, uncles, cousins, friends y neighbors of the family were there.
The aunts set up the altar, in the living room of the house and arranged the seats for everyone. The cousins and little friends of Juan Diego, with whom we saw him playing foot-ball so many times in the block in front of the house, spontaneously, asked to organize the presentation of the gifts and thus they did it:
Cousins and friends of Juan Dieguito, at the Presentation of the Gifts.
The family and members of the Community, had invited a Catholic priest (of Old Catholic) whom we also invited to concelebrate, explaining to the Community, giving the sense of ecumenism which is provided in the sharing of inter-denominational and inter-religious communion, which goes farther than just meetings and signing documents of mutual "closeness", posing for the "ecumenical" album.
Father Miguel Adolfo Figueroa reading the Gospel.
The readings were shared. The sharing of the homily in a community way, is still hard for us, but efforts were made to do it and it's a work in progress which will continue.
At the moment of consecration, we acted as community, women and men extended their hands over the elements reciting the words of the consecration as a sign of promise and solidarity in the service of the community and the church.
One of the grandmothers of Juan Diego, who will give out Communion.
Before Communion, the grandmothers were asked to help with the distribution, explaining to the community why they were going to do so. "They through the years, in their homes, have cared for our lives, providing us with food. Giving us Communion today is caring for the spiritual life of their family, their sons, daughters and grandchildren, protecting them and helping them grow in the faith; therefore they are going to share Communion not only with their family, but also with the Community, recognizing thus their experience and wisdom."
When the church speaks of the importance of the laity, it is referring to the empowerment of the laic in it, causing the laity to assume responsability for the building of the Kingdom of God, in a community way and with a sense of church.
This was a powerful moment, understood and accepted by the community, which afterwards was much remarked about among the people.
"As his life was pleasing to the Lord, the Lord acted quickly to remove him from the midst of evil. The people see, but neither hear nor understand, that God treats his chosen with mercy and goodness, watching over his faithful ones." Wisdom 4:14-15
Monday, November 14, 2011
"Archaeological Sites in Rome and Elsewhere Depict Ordained Women/Interview by Nicole Sotelo/National Catholic Reporter
http://ncronline.org/blogs/young-voices/tomb-unknown-priests
Instead, she (Dorothy Irvin) said, "The really striking thing is that what we have archaeologically is pretty much universal coverage. We have ordained women from places such as Egypt and the southern deserts of Jordan through Jerusalem over to Turkey and the Czech Republic, and back through northern and southern Europe. In other words, the entire geographical area of the early church gives us written and pictorial documentation."
She noted that whatever forms of art are used in a particular region, "we find ordained women in those art forms." She went on to say, "If the art form is hand-woven textiles, then we will find ordained women in hand-woven textiles. If the art form is catacomb frescoes, we will find ordained women in those art forms."
Contact Dr. Irvin for calendars with depictions of ordained women at irvincalendar@hotmail.com
Instead, she (Dorothy Irvin) said, "The really striking thing is that what we have archaeologically is pretty much universal coverage. We have ordained women from places such as Egypt and the southern deserts of Jordan through Jerusalem over to Turkey and the Czech Republic, and back through northern and southern Europe. In other words, the entire geographical area of the early church gives us written and pictorial documentation."
She noted that whatever forms of art are used in a particular region, "we find ordained women in those art forms." She went on to say, "If the art form is hand-woven textiles, then we will find ordained women in hand-woven textiles. If the art form is catacomb frescoes, we will find ordained women in those art forms."
Contact Dr. Irvin for calendars with depictions of ordained women at irvincalendar@hotmail.com
Sunday, November 13, 2011
"The Devil and Joe Paterno"/New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/13/opinion/sunday/douthat-the-devil-and-joe-paterno.html
..."It was precisely because Castrillón had served his church heroically, I suspect, that he was so easily blinded to the reality of priestly sex abuse. It was precisely because Joe Paterno had done so much good for so long that he could do the unthinkable, and let an alleged child rapist continue to walk free in Penn State’s Happy Valley. ..
...The best piece about Darío Castrillón Hoyos was written by the Catholic essayist John Zmirak, and his words apply to Joe Paterno as well. Sins committed in the name of a higher good, Zmirak wrote, can “smell and look like lilies. But they flank a coffin. Lying dead and stiff inside that box is natural Justice ... what each of us owes the other in an unconditional debt.”
No higher cause can trump that obligation — not a church, and certainly not a football program. And not even a lifetime of heroism can make up for leaving a single child alone, abandoned to evil, weeping in the dark.
..."It was precisely because Castrillón had served his church heroically, I suspect, that he was so easily blinded to the reality of priestly sex abuse. It was precisely because Joe Paterno had done so much good for so long that he could do the unthinkable, and let an alleged child rapist continue to walk free in Penn State’s Happy Valley. ..
...The best piece about Darío Castrillón Hoyos was written by the Catholic essayist John Zmirak, and his words apply to Joe Paterno as well. Sins committed in the name of a higher good, Zmirak wrote, can “smell and look like lilies. But they flank a coffin. Lying dead and stiff inside that box is natural Justice ... what each of us owes the other in an unconditional debt.”
No higher cause can trump that obligation — not a church, and certainly not a football program. And not even a lifetime of heroism can make up for leaving a single child alone, abandoned to evil, weeping in the dark.
Woman Priest, a Beachwood Native, Sees Her Ordination as Valid; Roman Catholic Church Does Not"/The Plain Dealer
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/11/woman_priest_sees_her_ordinati.html
"Women priests are taboo in the eyes of the Roman Catholic Church, and those who participate in ordinations of women automatically excommunicate themselves from the church, according to laws of the Holy See.
But the Rev. Barbara Zeman, a Beachwood native, considers herself both a priest and a devout member of the Catholic faith.
Zeman, who now lives in Chicago, will be in Northeast Ohio this week to say a Mass. She was ordained in 2008 within a movement that believes God calls women as well as men to the sacrament of Holy Orders. She is one of an estimated 125 women in the United States who wear priest vestments and administer the sacraments..."
By Michael O'Malley, The Plain Dealer
"Women priests are taboo in the eyes of the Roman Catholic Church, and those who participate in ordinations of women automatically excommunicate themselves from the church, according to laws of the Holy See.
But the Rev. Barbara Zeman, a Beachwood native, considers herself both a priest and a devout member of the Catholic faith.
Zeman, who now lives in Chicago, will be in Northeast Ohio this week to say a Mass. She was ordained in 2008 within a movement that believes God calls women as well as men to the sacrament of Holy Orders. She is one of an estimated 125 women in the United States who wear priest vestments and administer the sacraments..."
By Michael O'Malley, The Plain Dealer
"Nuns who Won't Stop Nudging"/New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/13/business/sisters-of-st-francis-the-quiet-shareholder-activists.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
"NOT long ago, an unusual visitor arrived at the sleek headquarters of Goldman Sachs in Lower Manhattan.
It wasn’t some C.E.O., or a pol from Athens or Washington, or even a sign-waving occupier from Zuccotti Park.
It was Sister Nora Nash of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia. And the slight, soft-spoken nun had a few not-so-humble suggestions for the world’s most powerful investment bank.
Way up on the 41st floor, in a conference room overlooking the World Trade Center site, Sister Nora and her team from the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility laid out their advice for three Goldman executives. The Wall Street bank, they said, should protect consumers, rein in executive pay, increase its transparency and remember the poor... "
"NOT long ago, an unusual visitor arrived at the sleek headquarters of Goldman Sachs in Lower Manhattan.
It wasn’t some C.E.O., or a pol from Athens or Washington, or even a sign-waving occupier from Zuccotti Park.
It was Sister Nora Nash of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia. And the slight, soft-spoken nun had a few not-so-humble suggestions for the world’s most powerful investment bank.
Way up on the 41st floor, in a conference room overlooking the World Trade Center site, Sister Nora and her team from the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility laid out their advice for three Goldman executives. The Wall Street bank, they said, should protect consumers, rein in executive pay, increase its transparency and remember the poor... "
Saturday, November 12, 2011
"Dance with God" for Justice in Non-Violent Revolutions in the World and Church" by Bridget Mary Meehan
"If I can't dance," Emma Goldman writes, "I don't want to be part of your revolution."
Some are depressed at the state of the world and church. We have seen a movement toward democracy in which monarchy-style governments have tumbled with the Arab Spring.
We have seen the 99% challenge the 1% who possess an inordinate amount of the world's wealth in the "Occupy Wall Street" Movement.
We have seen the dictators in Egypt and Libya go.
We have seen it in the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement with more and more Catholics supporting gender justice in the church including male priests.
For some, this paradigm shift is frightening and depressing. Millions have lost their jobs. The growing gap between rich and poor is widening. Everything seems to be in chaos. Change appears to be happening everywhere, at once.
But, perhaps, because I love to dance, the image that best describes this phenomena is a spiritual dance-God's dance for justice in the non-violent revolutions, the holy shakeups of our times!
Like Miriam ,tambourine in hand, leading the women , singing and dancing, across the Sea of Reeds, after the Israelites escaped from slavery in Egypt to freedom, God is leading the dance of the people of our time from domination and oppression to liberation and justice. (Exodus 15:20)
In her joyful prayer, the Magnificat, Mary, Mother of Jesus, reminds us God always takes the lead in the dance of justice for those on the margins. "...You have deposed the mighty from their thrones and rased the lowly to high places. You have filled the hungry with good things, while you have sent the rich away empty. (Luke 1"46-58)
"My soul proclaims your greatness, O God, my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior", is the prayer that lifts our hearts as we twirl around with God in the dance in the the "holy shakeups" of unjust structures and systems of oppression. Now in this "dance" we pray that will God reveal the steps for living fully in the circle of life as sisters and brothers of all.
It appears to me that no amount of condemnation by the prelates, nor lobbying by Wall Street corporations or wealthy titans, nor dictators killing peaceful demonstrators, can put Humpty Dumpty back together again.
It is the time to dance wth God for justice!
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP
sofiabmm@aol.com
Some are depressed at the state of the world and church. We have seen a movement toward democracy in which monarchy-style governments have tumbled with the Arab Spring.
We have seen the 99% challenge the 1% who possess an inordinate amount of the world's wealth in the "Occupy Wall Street" Movement.
We have seen the dictators in Egypt and Libya go.
We have seen it in the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement with more and more Catholics supporting gender justice in the church including male priests.
For some, this paradigm shift is frightening and depressing. Millions have lost their jobs. The growing gap between rich and poor is widening. Everything seems to be in chaos. Change appears to be happening everywhere, at once.
But, perhaps, because I love to dance, the image that best describes this phenomena is a spiritual dance-God's dance for justice in the non-violent revolutions, the holy shakeups of our times!
Like Miriam ,tambourine in hand, leading the women , singing and dancing, across the Sea of Reeds, after the Israelites escaped from slavery in Egypt to freedom, God is leading the dance of the people of our time from domination and oppression to liberation and justice. (Exodus 15:20)
In her joyful prayer, the Magnificat, Mary, Mother of Jesus, reminds us God always takes the lead in the dance of justice for those on the margins. "...You have deposed the mighty from their thrones and rased the lowly to high places. You have filled the hungry with good things, while you have sent the rich away empty. (Luke 1"46-58)
"My soul proclaims your greatness, O God, my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior", is the prayer that lifts our hearts as we twirl around with God in the dance in the the "holy shakeups" of unjust structures and systems of oppression. Now in this "dance" we pray that will God reveal the steps for living fully in the circle of life as sisters and brothers of all.
It appears to me that no amount of condemnation by the prelates, nor lobbying by Wall Street corporations or wealthy titans, nor dictators killing peaceful demonstrators, can put Humpty Dumpty back together again.
It is the time to dance wth God for justice!
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP
sofiabmm@aol.com
Friday, November 11, 2011
"Excommunicated Sister Fnds Healing"/NCR Online/Zoe Ryan
http://ncronline.org/news/people/excommunicated-sister-finds-healing
MILWAUKEE -- "Caught in a controversy over medical ethics and excommunicated, Mercy Sr. Margaret McBride thought she would find all of her healing from the church. But she said she found healing in a conversation with the patient who unwittingly was at the center of the debate.
McBride, a former vice president of mission integration and a member of the ethics committee at the St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, was in the news last year when it became public that the ethics committee assented to the abortion of an 11-week-old fetus in order to save the life of a pregnant woman suffering from pulmonary hypertension.
For this, McBride was excommunicated latae sententiae, or automatically, Phoenix Bishop Thomas Olmsted said in May 2010. In December 2010, Olmsted withdrew formal recognition of St. Joseph’s as a Catholic hospital. .."
The psychiatrist left McBride a message saying the mother wanted to talk with her. It was Valentine's Day.
"I walked into the room and of course I burst into tears and she burst into tears, and she said, 'I'm so sorry for all these terrible things that happened to you. You saved my life, and all these terrible things happened to you,'" McBride said.
"And if I were to say where I thought I was going to get my healing, it would have been from the church. But the healing really came from the woman, who graciously told me that her life had been changed because of me, but that now she felt guilty that so many things had happened to me. And I told her 'you just don't see my support, you don't see the employees, you don't see the doctors, you don't see the board of directors and the Catholic Healthcare West who have supported me through this interesting time.'"
McBride also told the mother "that in some wonderful and beautiful way, when you go through difficulties and challenges, there is a tremendous amount of grace that comes to you, that I never would have experienced, that I never would have realized had it not been for this experience..."
[Zoe Ryan is an NCR staff writer. Her e-mail address is zryan@ncronline.org.]
MILWAUKEE -- "Caught in a controversy over medical ethics and excommunicated, Mercy Sr. Margaret McBride thought she would find all of her healing from the church. But she said she found healing in a conversation with the patient who unwittingly was at the center of the debate.
McBride, a former vice president of mission integration and a member of the ethics committee at the St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, was in the news last year when it became public that the ethics committee assented to the abortion of an 11-week-old fetus in order to save the life of a pregnant woman suffering from pulmonary hypertension.
For this, McBride was excommunicated latae sententiae, or automatically, Phoenix Bishop Thomas Olmsted said in May 2010. In December 2010, Olmsted withdrew formal recognition of St. Joseph’s as a Catholic hospital. .."
The psychiatrist left McBride a message saying the mother wanted to talk with her. It was Valentine's Day.
"I walked into the room and of course I burst into tears and she burst into tears, and she said, 'I'm so sorry for all these terrible things that happened to you. You saved my life, and all these terrible things happened to you,'" McBride said.
"And if I were to say where I thought I was going to get my healing, it would have been from the church. But the healing really came from the woman, who graciously told me that her life had been changed because of me, but that now she felt guilty that so many things had happened to me. And I told her 'you just don't see my support, you don't see the employees, you don't see the doctors, you don't see the board of directors and the Catholic Healthcare West who have supported me through this interesting time.'"
McBride also told the mother "that in some wonderful and beautiful way, when you go through difficulties and challenges, there is a tremendous amount of grace that comes to you, that I never would have experienced, that I never would have realized had it not been for this experience..."
[Zoe Ryan is an NCR staff writer. Her e-mail address is zryan@ncronline.org.]
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Sign Petiton to Stop Bullying and Violence Against Youth/Link/USCCB
Dear Fortunate Families friends,
The link below takes you to the petition sponsored by Equally Blessed, a coalition -- of Fortunate Families, DignityUSA, Call To Action and New Ways Ministry -- working for justice and equality for LGBT people.
The petition calls on the US bishops to work for an end to bullying and violence against LGBT youth.
We have over 1500 signatures! Can you help us reach 2000?
The signatures will be delivered to the USCCB at their meeting next week.
You can link to the petition at:
www.equally-blessed.org
(in the upper left corner)
Fortunate Families, Inc.PO Box 18082
Rochester, NY 14618-0082585-698-6100
www.fortunatefamilies.org
info@fortunatefamilies.com
The link below takes you to the petition sponsored by Equally Blessed, a coalition -- of Fortunate Families, DignityUSA, Call To Action and New Ways Ministry -- working for justice and equality for LGBT people.
The petition calls on the US bishops to work for an end to bullying and violence against LGBT youth.
We have over 1500 signatures! Can you help us reach 2000?
The signatures will be delivered to the USCCB at their meeting next week.
You can link to the petition at:
www.equally-blessed.org
(in the upper left corner)
Fortunate Families, Inc.PO Box 18082
Rochester, NY 14618-0082585-698-6100
www.fortunatefamilies.org
info@fortunatefamilies.com
(British High) Court's Ruling on Church Responsibility the Correct One/ Sexual Abuse/National Catholic Reporter
http://ncronline.org/blogs/examining-crisis/courts-ruling-church-responsibility-correct-one
by Thomas P. Doyle on Nov. 10, 2011
Examining the crisis
"The British High Court ruled Tuesday that the Roman Catholic Church can be held responsible for the wrongdoings of its priests, according to BBC News.
"The Church had claimed it could not be held vicariously responsible because there was no formal employment relationship with its priests," the site reported.
It appears that Mr. Justice MacDuff used a realistic test to determine if the Diocese of Portsmouth was liable for the actions of its priest, Fr. Wilfred Baldwin, who is accused of raping a woman, now 47, when she was a girl at a children's home in Hampshire."...MacDuff bypassed the literal interpretation of a classic employer-employee relationship when it came to the diocese and the priest and focused instead on the relationship itself as well as the role of the bishop of the diocese in the activities of the priest. "
"..The bishop alone appoints a priest to his post, and the bishop alone can remove him. It is true that the pope alone has the power to involuntarily "defrock" a priest, but that is not the point. The bishop can suspend a priest with little or no due process. He can remove a priest's faculties, which are the special permissions needed to perform key priestly functions. The bishop lacks the power of complete dismissal from the priesthood itself, but he certainly can dismiss a priest from an assignment, ministry or even residence in a diocese...
..."Priests are referred to as "collaborators," "brothers," "sons" and co-workers with the bishop, all of which lead to the mistaken impression that there is a standard collaborative relationship based on some degree of equality. Nothing could be further from the truth. The bishop is part of a governmental system that is the last absolute monarchy in the world. He is an aristocrat and the sole authority in his own share of the overall church-kingdom...What is even more important to understand is that though the bishop does not technically "own" the property and the funds of a parish, he does have control over them. The priest's monthly check may be drawn on the parish bank account, but it is the bishop who has ultimate control over that account."
"It is true that there is no formal contract between a priest and a bishop, but there is no need for one. During the ceremony of his ordination to the priesthood, the priest promises "obedience and respect" to his bishop and to his successors. This is not mere decoration but is a real promise with real consequences. The bishop's word is final subject in some cases to appeal to the Holy See. The priest is pledged to obey the bishop, thereby fulfilling God's will for him in his life and ministry..."
[Tom Doyle is a priest, canon lawyer, addictions therapist and longtime supporter of justice and compassion for clergy sex abuse victims. He is a co-author of the first report ever issued to the U.S. bishops on clergy sex abuse, in 1986.
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
In the Roman Catholic Women Priests model of governance, the bishops are equal members of the community. They have a spiritual, pastoral role, but no administrative duties. Our bishops ordain deacons, priests and bishops. The ordinands do not promise to obey the bishop. In fact, at ordinations ordinands prostrate in front of the altar to indicate consecration to God, not in front of the bishop to demonstrate obedience to the bishops.We are reimagining the bishop's role as one that is truly collaborative and egalitarian.
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
sofiabmm@aol.com
by Thomas P. Doyle on Nov. 10, 2011
Examining the crisis
"The British High Court ruled Tuesday that the Roman Catholic Church can be held responsible for the wrongdoings of its priests, according to BBC News.
"The Church had claimed it could not be held vicariously responsible because there was no formal employment relationship with its priests," the site reported.
It appears that Mr. Justice MacDuff used a realistic test to determine if the Diocese of Portsmouth was liable for the actions of its priest, Fr. Wilfred Baldwin, who is accused of raping a woman, now 47, when she was a girl at a children's home in Hampshire."...MacDuff bypassed the literal interpretation of a classic employer-employee relationship when it came to the diocese and the priest and focused instead on the relationship itself as well as the role of the bishop of the diocese in the activities of the priest. "
"..The bishop alone appoints a priest to his post, and the bishop alone can remove him. It is true that the pope alone has the power to involuntarily "defrock" a priest, but that is not the point. The bishop can suspend a priest with little or no due process. He can remove a priest's faculties, which are the special permissions needed to perform key priestly functions. The bishop lacks the power of complete dismissal from the priesthood itself, but he certainly can dismiss a priest from an assignment, ministry or even residence in a diocese...
..."Priests are referred to as "collaborators," "brothers," "sons" and co-workers with the bishop, all of which lead to the mistaken impression that there is a standard collaborative relationship based on some degree of equality. Nothing could be further from the truth. The bishop is part of a governmental system that is the last absolute monarchy in the world. He is an aristocrat and the sole authority in his own share of the overall church-kingdom...What is even more important to understand is that though the bishop does not technically "own" the property and the funds of a parish, he does have control over them. The priest's monthly check may be drawn on the parish bank account, but it is the bishop who has ultimate control over that account."
"It is true that there is no formal contract between a priest and a bishop, but there is no need for one. During the ceremony of his ordination to the priesthood, the priest promises "obedience and respect" to his bishop and to his successors. This is not mere decoration but is a real promise with real consequences. The bishop's word is final subject in some cases to appeal to the Holy See. The priest is pledged to obey the bishop, thereby fulfilling God's will for him in his life and ministry..."
[Tom Doyle is a priest, canon lawyer, addictions therapist and longtime supporter of justice and compassion for clergy sex abuse victims. He is a co-author of the first report ever issued to the U.S. bishops on clergy sex abuse, in 1986.
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
In the Roman Catholic Women Priests model of governance, the bishops are equal members of the community. They have a spiritual, pastoral role, but no administrative duties. Our bishops ordain deacons, priests and bishops. The ordinands do not promise to obey the bishop. In fact, at ordinations ordinands prostrate in front of the altar to indicate consecration to God, not in front of the bishop to demonstrate obedience to the bishops.We are reimagining the bishop's role as one that is truly collaborative and egalitarian.
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
sofiabmm@aol.com
"Ban On Women Priests Is a Betrayal of the Loyalty and Sacrifice of Nuns"/ Herald Scotland
http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/herald-letters/ban-on-women-priests-is-a-betrayal-of-the-loyalty-and-sacrifice-of-nuns-1.1133781
Published on 9 Nov 2011
"I HEARTILY endorse the views of Colette Douglas Home and Helena Kennedy QC on the need for women priests in the Catholic Church (“Women priests would be boon for Catholic Church”, The Herald, November 8).
We hear of the dire shortage of (male) priestly candidates. The reality is a dwindling number of overstretched, drained and heroic individuals spread too thinly and rattling round vast parish houses, while ignored, intelligent, stable, and dedicated women, nuns as well as married women, are out there doing priests’ work, unconsidered and sidelined. I know many of them..."
Published on 9 Nov 2011
"I HEARTILY endorse the views of Colette Douglas Home and Helena Kennedy QC on the need for women priests in the Catholic Church (“Women priests would be boon for Catholic Church”, The Herald, November 8).
We hear of the dire shortage of (male) priestly candidates. The reality is a dwindling number of overstretched, drained and heroic individuals spread too thinly and rattling round vast parish houses, while ignored, intelligent, stable, and dedicated women, nuns as well as married women, are out there doing priests’ work, unconsidered and sidelined. I know many of them..."
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Catholic Church Liable Over Priests/London High Court
Catholic Church liable over priests – London High Court
http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/catholic-church-liable-over-priests-ndash-london-high-court-2928531.html
THE High Court in London ruled today that the Catholic Church can be held liable for the wrongdoings of its priests.
http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/catholic-church-liable-over-priests-ndash-london-high-court-2928531.html
THE High Court in London ruled today that the Catholic Church can be held liable for the wrongdoings of its priests.
"Austria: The Arrival of the “Do-it-Yourself” Mass"
http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/homepage/inquiries-and-interviews/detail/articolo/austria-9753/
Austrian Catholics
The neoliberal “We are Church” movement anounces its launch of liturgical celebrations led by laypeople
GIACOMO GALEAZZI
vatican city
A lay Mass in Austria. This has become the cause for an open clash between Austrian Catholic dissidents and the Holy See after the announcement by the ultra-progressive movement “We are Church” that it intends to promote in the country liturgical ceremonies in which laypeople act as priests.
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Jesus invited all to the table to "do this in memory of me", the gathered assembly is the celebrant of the Eucharist, not the priest alone!
The Austrial "Do it Yourself" Mass obviously is rooted in a Vatican II understanding of Eucharist that is rooted in a earlier understand of Eucharist. The Dutch Dominicans affirmed this view.
(From Introduction to New Inclusive Worship Aids by Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests, 11 Inclusive Liturgies available from Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests)
"In his book The Future Of Eucharist, Bernard Cooke observes that a new understanding of the resurrection in the Vatican II church has broadened the church's understanding of "real presence" and helped people to appreciate Christ's loving presence in the believing community. According to Cooke, while individuals may have specific functions within the gathered assembly, the entire community performs the eucharistic action (p. 32). If this is so, then the gathered assembly is the celebrant of Eucharist. It is the community that "does" the Eucharist, not the presider alone. A community encamps, wherever it happens to rest for this moment in time, around the Christ Presence that infuses our communion, vivifying our One Body. Some apply a “both/and” theology and say that the Body of Christ is on the table, at the table and around the table.
Historical scholarship supports this conclusion and goes even farther. Gary Macy, chairperson of the Theology and Religious Studies Department at the University of San Diego, concludes from his research in Middle Ages manuscripts that, in the understanding of the medieval mind, regardless of who spoke the words of consecration - man or woman, ordained or community - the Christ presence became reality in the midst of the assembly. Contrary to the mindset of many contemporary Catholics who think that the way the Church is now was the way it was from the beginning, Dr. Macy observes that the theology of the Middle Ages was very broad in application. It was far less rigid than has usually been imagined and more open to different liturgical practices than we have realized. In other words, people were not declared heretics or thrown into prison for not following the norms. (National Catholic Reporter. Jan. 9, 1998 p.5)
Small faith communities are gatherings of spiritual pilgrims from different backgrounds who reflect this profound shift in perception toward Eucharist. Here, we remember that eucharists with the “small e” are those celebrated without the presence of an ordained presider and Eucharistic celebrations (Capital E) usually have an ordained presider, who, in the case of women priests, will share the prayer of consecration with the whole community. Both celebrations are genuine Eucharistic celebrations."
The Dutch Dominicans in their groundbreaking work, “The Church and the Ministry” addressed the pastoral dilemma many Catholics face today:
“ With some emphasis we urge our faith communities, the parishes, to realize what is at stake in the present emergency situation of the shortage of ordained celibate priests and to be allowed to take the extent of freedom which is theologically justified to choose their own leader or team of leaders from their own midst. …If a bishop should refuse such a confirmation or `ordination' on the basis of arguments not involving the essence of the Eucharist, such as obligatory celibacy, parishes may be confident that they are able to celebrate a real and genuine Eucharist when they are together in prayer and share bread and wine.”
futurechurch.org/sopc/DutchDominicansThe_Church_and_the_Ministry.pdf
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP
sofiabmm@aol.com
Austrian Catholics
The neoliberal “We are Church” movement anounces its launch of liturgical celebrations led by laypeople
GIACOMO GALEAZZI
vatican city
A lay Mass in Austria. This has become the cause for an open clash between Austrian Catholic dissidents and the Holy See after the announcement by the ultra-progressive movement “We are Church” that it intends to promote in the country liturgical ceremonies in which laypeople act as priests.
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Jesus invited all to the table to "do this in memory of me", the gathered assembly is the celebrant of the Eucharist, not the priest alone!
The Austrial "Do it Yourself" Mass obviously is rooted in a Vatican II understanding of Eucharist that is rooted in a earlier understand of Eucharist. The Dutch Dominicans affirmed this view.
(From Introduction to New Inclusive Worship Aids by Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests, 11 Inclusive Liturgies available from Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests)
"In his book The Future Of Eucharist, Bernard Cooke observes that a new understanding of the resurrection in the Vatican II church has broadened the church's understanding of "real presence" and helped people to appreciate Christ's loving presence in the believing community. According to Cooke, while individuals may have specific functions within the gathered assembly, the entire community performs the eucharistic action (p. 32). If this is so, then the gathered assembly is the celebrant of Eucharist. It is the community that "does" the Eucharist, not the presider alone. A community encamps, wherever it happens to rest for this moment in time, around the Christ Presence that infuses our communion, vivifying our One Body. Some apply a “both/and” theology and say that the Body of Christ is on the table, at the table and around the table.
Historical scholarship supports this conclusion and goes even farther. Gary Macy, chairperson of the Theology and Religious Studies Department at the University of San Diego, concludes from his research in Middle Ages manuscripts that, in the understanding of the medieval mind, regardless of who spoke the words of consecration - man or woman, ordained or community - the Christ presence became reality in the midst of the assembly. Contrary to the mindset of many contemporary Catholics who think that the way the Church is now was the way it was from the beginning, Dr. Macy observes that the theology of the Middle Ages was very broad in application. It was far less rigid than has usually been imagined and more open to different liturgical practices than we have realized. In other words, people were not declared heretics or thrown into prison for not following the norms. (National Catholic Reporter. Jan. 9, 1998 p.5)
Small faith communities are gatherings of spiritual pilgrims from different backgrounds who reflect this profound shift in perception toward Eucharist. Here, we remember that eucharists with the “small e” are those celebrated without the presence of an ordained presider and Eucharistic celebrations (Capital E) usually have an ordained presider, who, in the case of women priests, will share the prayer of consecration with the whole community. Both celebrations are genuine Eucharistic celebrations."
The Dutch Dominicans in their groundbreaking work, “The Church and the Ministry” addressed the pastoral dilemma many Catholics face today:
“ With some emphasis we urge our faith communities, the parishes, to realize what is at stake in the present emergency situation of the shortage of ordained celibate priests and to be allowed to take the extent of freedom which is theologically justified to choose their own leader or team of leaders from their own midst. …If a bishop should refuse such a confirmation or `ordination' on the basis of arguments not involving the essence of the Eucharist, such as obligatory celibacy, parishes may be confident that they are able to celebrate a real and genuine Eucharist when they are together in prayer and share bread and wine.”
futurechurch.org/sopc/DutchDominicansThe_Church_and_the_Ministry.pdf
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP
sofiabmm@aol.com
"Women Priests Would Be Boon for Catholic Church"/Scotland
http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/colette-douglas-home/women-priests-would-be-boon-for-catholic-church-1.1133614
"HELENA KENNEDY QC has become a standard bearer in the fight for women to become priests in the Catholic Church.
It is, she says, an issue of justice and fairness. The ban on women priests is an “enduring form of the marginalisation of women”. I couldn’t agree more."
"HELENA KENNEDY QC has become a standard bearer in the fight for women to become priests in the Catholic Church.
It is, she says, an issue of justice and fairness. The ban on women priests is an “enduring form of the marginalisation of women”. I couldn’t agree more."
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
NEW Inclusive Liturgies for Catholic Masses- Order NOW: Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests/ADVENT is coming soon!
...."Inclusive Worship Aids, a resource created by priests in the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests contain a variety of Eucharistic liturgies. Some will be ideally suited for Advent/Lent, Easter/Pentecost, and Ordinary Time, while other celebrations like the liturgy of the Poor, the Marian liturgy, and the Women’s Empowerment liturgy can be used for anytime. It is our hope that this resource will be a blessing for all inclusive communities who worship in spirit and truth. The prayers and rituals can easily be adapted to the specific needs of any group. You have our permission to fit our resource to your needs. It is our hope that other pilgrims will experience the blazing fire of Spirit's outpouring as they enter into the celebration of new life. We truly believe that in God and in the Christ we live and move and have our being. As we take our place around the banquet table of Christ’s love, we invite all to the tent and pray that all may be one. The moment has arrived and the celebration has begun! "
..."The eucharistic/Eucharistic prayers that are presented in these liturgies can be recited by a single presider or in parts by several members or by groups of community members. We believe that the consecratory prayers belong to the entire community and should be vocalized in that spirit, not by a single presider.
In this resource, we use inclusive language and imagery for God. The Prayer of Jesus is an inclusive prayer; therefore we recommend beginning the prayer with: "Our Father/Mother who art/are...." Women are equal images of God and our liturgy should reflect this reality. As award-winning theologian, Elizabeth Johnson notes:
“The still-developing historical struggle for women’s equal human dignity is the context for the growing treasury of female icons of the living God who acts womanish: outrageous, audacious, courageous, willfully desiring the flourishing of women... Walking this path, Christian believers cast their lot with the liberating compassion of Sophia-God present in the midst of the silencing and degradation specifically of women… It also challenges people of faith to collaborate in the struggle to transform society into a place where discrimination, exclusion, and violence against women and girl-children will cease and where women of all races and classes will be mutual partners with men rather than subordinate auxiliaries or marginalized objects.” (Quest for the Living God, p. 110.)
...."The Inclusive Worship Aids are formatted so that when you photocopy the pages, two-side your copies so your participants will only have one sheet of paper to handle. Feel free to use colored paper for the seasonal liturgies. Laminating the pages is also another hint for liturgies you plan to reuse frequently. "
..."The eucharistic/Eucharistic prayers that are presented in these liturgies can be recited by a single presider or in parts by several members or by groups of community members. We believe that the consecratory prayers belong to the entire community and should be vocalized in that spirit, not by a single presider.
In this resource, we use inclusive language and imagery for God. The Prayer of Jesus is an inclusive prayer; therefore we recommend beginning the prayer with: "Our Father/Mother who art/are...." Women are equal images of God and our liturgy should reflect this reality. As award-winning theologian, Elizabeth Johnson notes:
“The still-developing historical struggle for women’s equal human dignity is the context for the growing treasury of female icons of the living God who acts womanish: outrageous, audacious, courageous, willfully desiring the flourishing of women... Walking this path, Christian believers cast their lot with the liberating compassion of Sophia-God present in the midst of the silencing and degradation specifically of women… It also challenges people of faith to collaborate in the struggle to transform society into a place where discrimination, exclusion, and violence against women and girl-children will cease and where women of all races and classes will be mutual partners with men rather than subordinate auxiliaries or marginalized objects.” (Quest for the Living God, p. 110.)
...."The Inclusive Worship Aids are formatted so that when you photocopy the pages, two-side your copies so your participants will only have one sheet of paper to handle. Feel free to use colored paper for the seasonal liturgies. Laminating the pages is also another hint for liturgies you plan to reuse frequently. "
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP, sofiabmm@aol.com, 703-505-0004
For more information, visit http://associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
Worship Aids are provided on a CD in Word Docx and PDF formats.
If you are able, a suggested donation of $25.00 will defray our cost and help to support the growth of ARCWP and our ministry. Please click the DONATION button above. If you prefer, you may write a check to: ARCWP, 18520 Eastshore Drive, Ft. Myers, Florida 33967
Here is a list of included liturgies: ~ Liturgy for Advent/Christmas ~ Liturgy for Lent ~ Liturgy for Water, Feast of the Baptism of Jesus, Third Sunday of Lent, Easter Season, Baptismal Celebration Liturgy, Earth or Renewal Themes ~ Liturgy for Fire, Easter Season, Pentecost, Earth Day, Social Justice ~ Liturgy for Ordinary Time ~ Liturgy to Celebrate Creation, New Life, Creativity, New Beginnings, Spring or Summer ~ Liturgy for Marian Feast ~ Liturgy to Celebrate Justice, Partnership and Equality for Women in Church and Society ~ Liturgy of Good News to the Poor, For Anytime ~ Liturgy for All Saints’ and/or All Souls’ Day, Funerals/ Memorials.
If you are able, a suggested donation of $25.00 will defray our cost and help to support the growth of ARCWP and our ministry. Please click the DONATION button above. If you prefer, you may write a check to: ARCWP, 18520 Eastshore Drive, Ft. Myers, Florida 33967
Vatican Punished Bishop Gumbleton for Support of Extending Statute of Limitations for Victims of Sex Abuse/NCR
Retired bishop asked to leave Detroit parish for testimony
Nov. 04, 2011
Bishop Thomas Gumbleton speaks at the Call to Action conference in Milwaukee. MILWAUKEE -- "Because he violated "communio episcoporum" (the communion of bishops) and other canons by speaking in support of extending the statute of limitations for cases of sexual abuse by clergy, retired Detroit auxiliary bishop Thomas Gumbleton said he was forced to discontinue his role as pastor at a Detroit parish.
Besides receiving the official notification that he had to resign as pastor, Gumbleton said none of his fellow bishops contacted him personally when he spoke in support of the bill and revealed at the bill's hearing that he was a survivor of sexual abuse by a priest.
Gumbleton spoke Nov. 4 at a session given by the Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests at the Call to Action national conference in Milwaukee.
Read more about Bishop Gumbleton's story here: Vatican moved quickly to punish Gumbleton "
"In 2006, he gave a written testimony to the Ohio House Judiciary Committee that explained his support for a bill that would extend the statute of limitations to 20 years past the victim's 18th birthday. In that testimony, he also said a priest sexually abused him in the 9th and 10th grades.
The Ohio Catholic Conference and bishops had spoken out against the bill. They opposed one part of the bill, which would give a one-year look-back period that allowed people to come forward with allegations that had ran past the statute of limitations..."
...His last day as pastor of St. Leo was Jan. 21, 2007.
Gumbleton, widely known as an advocate for the poor and for pacifist causes, has a weekly column of his homilies [4] on the NCR website.
Nov. 04, 2011
Bishop Thomas Gumbleton speaks at the Call to Action conference in Milwaukee. MILWAUKEE -- "Because he violated "communio episcoporum" (the communion of bishops) and other canons by speaking in support of extending the statute of limitations for cases of sexual abuse by clergy, retired Detroit auxiliary bishop Thomas Gumbleton said he was forced to discontinue his role as pastor at a Detroit parish.
Besides receiving the official notification that he had to resign as pastor, Gumbleton said none of his fellow bishops contacted him personally when he spoke in support of the bill and revealed at the bill's hearing that he was a survivor of sexual abuse by a priest.
Gumbleton spoke Nov. 4 at a session given by the Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests at the Call to Action national conference in Milwaukee.
Read more about Bishop Gumbleton's story here: Vatican moved quickly to punish Gumbleton "
"In 2006, he gave a written testimony to the Ohio House Judiciary Committee that explained his support for a bill that would extend the statute of limitations to 20 years past the victim's 18th birthday. In that testimony, he also said a priest sexually abused him in the 9th and 10th grades.
The Ohio Catholic Conference and bishops had spoken out against the bill. They opposed one part of the bill, which would give a one-year look-back period that allowed people to come forward with allegations that had ran past the statute of limitations..."
...His last day as pastor of St. Leo was Jan. 21, 2007.
Gumbleton, widely known as an advocate for the poor and for pacifist causes, has a weekly column of his homilies [4] on the NCR website.
Shut Down the School of the Americas: Nov. 18-20, 2011
November 8, 2011
Contact: Hendrik Voss,
202-234-3440
OCCUPY FORT BENNING
Shut Down the School of the Americas
November 18-20, 2011:
Thousands of social justice activists from across the Americas will occupy the main gates of Fort Benning, Georgia to call for an end to U.S. militarization and for the closure of the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, formerly the School of Americas,The three day convergence will include a massive rally, where thousands will occupy the main gates of the Fort Benning military base in order to transform it from a place that trains assassins to a place of initiation into political awareness. On Sunday, November 20, the chain-linked barbed wire fence will be transformed with images of the martyrs, crosses, stars and flowers into a memorial for the victims of SOA violence and U.S. intervention. Human rights activists will carry their protest onto the grounds of the military base, risking arrest and up to six month in federal prison.
The mobilization will include speakers from the NAACP, the Sisters of Mercy, the Georgia Undocumented Youth Alliance (GUYA), torture survivors and human rights activists from Latin America as well as plenaries, workshops, concerts, strategy sessions and more.“The SOA provides the military muscle to protect the greed of the 1% at the expense of the 99% throughout the Americas.” said Father Roy Bourgeois, the founder of SOA Watch. “The surge of social justice activism in the U.S. is fueling the call for the closure of this notorious institution.”The SOA/WHINSEC is a U.S. taxpayer-funded military training school for Latin American soldiers, located at Fort Benning, Georgia. The school made headlines in 1996 when the Pentagon released training manuals used at the school that advocated torture, extortion and execution. Despite this shocking admission and hundreds of documented human rights abuses connected to soldiers trained at the school, no independent investigation into the training facility has ever taken place. SOA violence continues in Mexico, where 1/3 of the original members of the Zetas drug cartel were trained at the SOA, and where the U.S. is promoting military solutions to the drug problem. SOA violence continues in Colombia, which has sent more than 10,000 soldiers to train at the SOA, and where SOA graduates are involved with extrajudicial killings and other serious human rights violations. SOA violence continues in Honduras, where SOA graduates overthrew the democratically elected government in 2009. SOA violence continues in Guatemala, where SOA graduate Otto Pérez Molina just won the presidential elections, and throughout the Americas. In October 2011, Time Magazine published the article “Is It Time to Shutter the Americas' 'Coup Academy'?:” http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2097124,00.html#ixzz1b9Rvmcbu
In August 2011, 69 Members of the House of Representatives delivered a letter to President Obama, calling on the President to shut down the Western Hemispheric Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC), formerly the School of Americas (SOA) by executive order. The 69 Representatives including Representative John Lewis from Georgia, Representative Ron Paul from Texas and Representative James McGovern from Massachusetts. To read the letter, visit http://soaw.org/docs/ObamaLetter.pdf
On November 4, Representative McGovern introduced H.R. 3368, the Latin America Military Training Review Act, in the House of Representatives. The bill calls for the suspension of the SOA/ WHINSEC and an investigation into the connection between U.S. military training and human rights abuses in Latin America.
Contact: Hendrik Voss,
202-234-3440
OCCUPY FORT BENNING
Shut Down the School of the Americas
November 18-20, 2011:
Thousands of social justice activists from across the Americas will occupy the main gates of Fort Benning, Georgia to call for an end to U.S. militarization and for the closure of the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, formerly the School of Americas,The three day convergence will include a massive rally, where thousands will occupy the main gates of the Fort Benning military base in order to transform it from a place that trains assassins to a place of initiation into political awareness. On Sunday, November 20, the chain-linked barbed wire fence will be transformed with images of the martyrs, crosses, stars and flowers into a memorial for the victims of SOA violence and U.S. intervention. Human rights activists will carry their protest onto the grounds of the military base, risking arrest and up to six month in federal prison.
The mobilization will include speakers from the NAACP, the Sisters of Mercy, the Georgia Undocumented Youth Alliance (GUYA), torture survivors and human rights activists from Latin America as well as plenaries, workshops, concerts, strategy sessions and more.“The SOA provides the military muscle to protect the greed of the 1% at the expense of the 99% throughout the Americas.” said Father Roy Bourgeois, the founder of SOA Watch. “The surge of social justice activism in the U.S. is fueling the call for the closure of this notorious institution.”The SOA/WHINSEC is a U.S. taxpayer-funded military training school for Latin American soldiers, located at Fort Benning, Georgia. The school made headlines in 1996 when the Pentagon released training manuals used at the school that advocated torture, extortion and execution. Despite this shocking admission and hundreds of documented human rights abuses connected to soldiers trained at the school, no independent investigation into the training facility has ever taken place. SOA violence continues in Mexico, where 1/3 of the original members of the Zetas drug cartel were trained at the SOA, and where the U.S. is promoting military solutions to the drug problem. SOA violence continues in Colombia, which has sent more than 10,000 soldiers to train at the SOA, and where SOA graduates are involved with extrajudicial killings and other serious human rights violations. SOA violence continues in Honduras, where SOA graduates overthrew the democratically elected government in 2009. SOA violence continues in Guatemala, where SOA graduate Otto Pérez Molina just won the presidential elections, and throughout the Americas. In October 2011, Time Magazine published the article “Is It Time to Shutter the Americas' 'Coup Academy'?:” http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2097124,00.html#ixzz1b9Rvmcbu
In August 2011, 69 Members of the House of Representatives delivered a letter to President Obama, calling on the President to shut down the Western Hemispheric Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC), formerly the School of Americas (SOA) by executive order. The 69 Representatives including Representative John Lewis from Georgia, Representative Ron Paul from Texas and Representative James McGovern from Massachusetts. To read the letter, visit http://soaw.org/docs/ObamaLetter.pdf
On November 4, Representative McGovern introduced H.R. 3368, the Latin America Military Training Review Act, in the House of Representatives. The bill calls for the suspension of the SOA/ WHINSEC and an investigation into the connection between U.S. military training and human rights abuses in Latin America.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Roman Catholic Woman Priest Janice Sevre-Duszynska Blesses Priests Who Supported Fr. Roy Bourgeois at Call To Action Conference in Milwaukee
Janice Sevre-Duszynska- blessing of priests- who supported Fr. Roy Bourgeois stance of primacy of conscience http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCJXm4AJEeM&feature=related
Fr. Roy Bourgeoishttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K76zbXudhf4&feature=related
Janice Sevre-Duszynska's Report from Call to Action Conference
At CTA this year in Milwaukee (Nov. 4-6' 2011),
Ruth Steinert-Foote greeted folks at our ARCWP booth. About 2,000 reform-minded Catholics came to hear Keynote speakers Jamie Manson, Marcus Borg, Kenneth Hardy and Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz. There were lots of other speakers. Roy Bourgeois talked about sexism in the church along with Roman Catholic Womenpriests Alta Jacko and Jean Marchant. He spoke at the Thursday night reception.
On Saturday morning we held a blessing ceremony for Roy and the priests who have gone public in their support of Roy's primacy of conscience. CTA's Jim Fitzpatrick introduced WOC's Erin Hanna followed by Sr. Teresa Kane, Roy and myself. As I read the blessing, the names of the 200 priests who signed the petition in support of Roy were scrolled on the screen for all to see. About 20 priests were present at CTA and when I asked them to stand, they received a great applause. On Friday afternoon local peace and justice folks Bob Graf, Joe Radesewski and Don Timmerman led a march to Marquette University to protest their ROTC program for the Army, Navy and Air Force. It was a joy to see peace and justice friends Bill Bischel, Dave and Barb Corcoran and Bill Brennan. Mary Hunt and Diane Neu joined us later. it was great to chat with RCWP sisters Juanita Cordero, Barb Zeman, Barb Stinger, Mary Ann Schottley, and Ree Hudson.
At the WOC caucus Erin Asked me to share how I invited Roy to my ordination and about our trip to Rome. Later Jane Via and I got to chat. It was great to see Jane and Laura Singer and family, including Paschal and Kiara.
I was happy to be with my friend Marjorie Maguire and to get to spend some time with six month old Niko, Erin and Safi's little one. Also, special to see fellow Rome companions Kate Conmy, Nicole Sotelo, Bob Heineman, Pat McSweeney and Mike Toner.
Catholic Rebels Challenge Austrian Bishops/Reuters
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/11/07/uk-austria-church-idUKTRE7A62SL20111107
CathVIENNA Mon Nov 7, 2011 1:59pm GMT
(Reuters) - "Dissident Austrian Catholics announced lay people will start celebrating Mass when a priest is unavailable, a clear call to disobedience just as the country's bishops hold their autumn conference.
A manifesto adopted by dozens of activists at the weekend said lay people will preach, consecrate and distribute communion in priestless parishes, said Hans Peter Hurka, head of the group We Are Church.
"Church law bans this. The question is, can Church law overrule the Bible? We are of the opinion, based on findings from the Second Vatican Council, that this (ban) is not possible," he said Monday...Schoenborn, a former student and close associate of Pope Benedict, has ruled out sweeping changes demanded by dissident priests led by his former deputy, Rev. Helmut Schueller...The group, which claims to represent about 10 percent of the Austrian clergy, has challenged Church teaching on taboo topics such as priestly celibacy and women's ordination..."
"...A record 87,000 Austrians left the Church in 2010, many in reaction to sexual abuse scandals."
(Reporting by Michael Shields and Tom Heneghan)
CathVIENNA Mon Nov 7, 2011 1:59pm GMT
(Reuters) - "Dissident Austrian Catholics announced lay people will start celebrating Mass when a priest is unavailable, a clear call to disobedience just as the country's bishops hold their autumn conference.
A manifesto adopted by dozens of activists at the weekend said lay people will preach, consecrate and distribute communion in priestless parishes, said Hans Peter Hurka, head of the group We Are Church.
"Church law bans this. The question is, can Church law overrule the Bible? We are of the opinion, based on findings from the Second Vatican Council, that this (ban) is not possible," he said Monday...Schoenborn, a former student and close associate of Pope Benedict, has ruled out sweeping changes demanded by dissident priests led by his former deputy, Rev. Helmut Schueller...The group, which claims to represent about 10 percent of the Austrian clergy, has challenged Church teaching on taboo topics such as priestly celibacy and women's ordination..."
"...A record 87,000 Austrians left the Church in 2010, many in reaction to sexual abuse scandals."
(Reporting by Michael Shields and Tom Heneghan)
Sunday, November 6, 2011
"Vatican Officials Stunned by Irish Decision to Close Embassy"
Pope said to be ‘deeply irritated’ by the move to end diplomatic ties
By
CATHY HAYES,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
Read more: http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Vatican-officials-stunned-by-Irish-decision-to-close-embassy-133290623.html#ixzz1cyQfFVyg
By
CATHY HAYES,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
Read more: http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Vatican-officials-stunned-by-Irish-decision-to-close-embassy-133290623.html#ixzz1cyQfFVyg
"Leading Irish Priest Criticizes Catholic Hierarchy for 'Burying its Head in the Sand'"/Irish Independent
http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Leading-Irish-priest-criticizes-Catholic-hierarchy-for-burying-its-head-in-the-sand-133320373.html
By
ANTOINETTE KELLY,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
"A top Irish priest has said the Catholic Church hierarchy has been burying its head in the sand over key issues.
If the current church regime continues, says Fr Joe McGuane, Mass attendance in Ireland will be reduced to just a few groups of old women.
Fr McGuane's comments came just as the relationship between the Church and Ireland hit a historic low after the country confirmed the forthcoming shutdown of its embassy in the Vatican.
The church's precarious economic situation could have some clerics "filling supermarket shelves at night or on the dole if they have bad backs," said the Youghal, Co Cork-based priest.
Fr McGuane, a chaplain at the St Raphael's Centre, said the Eucharistic Congress, to be held in Dublin next summer, was "designed as a distraction."
"Priests will have to drag themselves along to -- I suppose -- the Phoenix Park or Croke Park for a ridiculous jamboree, and dragoon as many parishioners as possible along with them," he told the Irish Independent.
He added that he took no pleasure in his negative assessment of the church's problems and said that the problems could be overcome "with honesty, courage, and transparency."
"...He said that the Church needs to change its position on women priests.
"We are the only profession that excludes women; the only one who insists that it (the vocation) is for life.
"Unless we have married women, we will soon have tiny numbers.
"But then they will only be catering for a few, so I suppose there is no need to panic. Furthermore, there will be income only for a few.
"Is it any wonder we are in the mess we are in? Seventeen years after the late Brendan Smyth was convicted of child sexual abuse, not alone are we still at square one but we have actually gone backwards.
"This is because of our dearth of leadership," he said. "Our prelates are, by and large, incapable of initiative and innovation. They are almost entirely bereft of ideas. They have no idea what to do."
Read more: http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Leading-Irish-priest-criticizes-Catholic-hierarchy-for-burying-its-head-in-the-sand-133320373.html#ixzz1cyIWOqwS
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Fr McGuane is right on in his analysis that the church needs women priests now. I look forward to the day that we will have women priests in Ireland, following in the path of St. Brigit of Kildare! As the institutional church is in free fall in Ireland, may women rise up to create a more open, inclusive and just church of the people!
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
sofiabmm@aol.com
By
ANTOINETTE KELLY,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
"A top Irish priest has said the Catholic Church hierarchy has been burying its head in the sand over key issues.
If the current church regime continues, says Fr Joe McGuane, Mass attendance in Ireland will be reduced to just a few groups of old women.
Fr McGuane's comments came just as the relationship between the Church and Ireland hit a historic low after the country confirmed the forthcoming shutdown of its embassy in the Vatican.
The church's precarious economic situation could have some clerics "filling supermarket shelves at night or on the dole if they have bad backs," said the Youghal, Co Cork-based priest.
Fr McGuane, a chaplain at the St Raphael's Centre, said the Eucharistic Congress, to be held in Dublin next summer, was "designed as a distraction."
"Priests will have to drag themselves along to -- I suppose -- the Phoenix Park or Croke Park for a ridiculous jamboree, and dragoon as many parishioners as possible along with them," he told the Irish Independent.
He added that he took no pleasure in his negative assessment of the church's problems and said that the problems could be overcome "with honesty, courage, and transparency."
"...He said that the Church needs to change its position on women priests.
"We are the only profession that excludes women; the only one who insists that it (the vocation) is for life.
"Unless we have married women, we will soon have tiny numbers.
"But then they will only be catering for a few, so I suppose there is no need to panic. Furthermore, there will be income only for a few.
"Is it any wonder we are in the mess we are in? Seventeen years after the late Brendan Smyth was convicted of child sexual abuse, not alone are we still at square one but we have actually gone backwards.
"This is because of our dearth of leadership," he said. "Our prelates are, by and large, incapable of initiative and innovation. They are almost entirely bereft of ideas. They have no idea what to do."
Read more: http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Leading-Irish-priest-criticizes-Catholic-hierarchy-for-burying-its-head-in-the-sand-133320373.html#ixzz1cyIWOqwS
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Fr McGuane is right on in his analysis that the church needs women priests now. I look forward to the day that we will have women priests in Ireland, following in the path of St. Brigit of Kildare! As the institutional church is in free fall in Ireland, may women rise up to create a more open, inclusive and just church of the people!
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
sofiabmm@aol.com
Saturday, November 5, 2011
"Priest to Push Women's Ordination at Conference"/Call to Action/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Roman Catholic Women Priests
Ree Hudson, Deacon Donna Rougeux,
Fr. Roy Bourgeois, Janice Sevre-Duszysnka
in Rome at Press Conference
http://www.jsonline.com/features/religion/priest-to-push-womens-ordination-at-conference-f62tm7t-133280498.html
"In recent years, the 72-year-old Bourgeois has turned his attention to the Catholic Church's ban on women's ordination, calling it a grave injustice and an affront to God.
Bourgeois, who has been threatened by the Vatican with excommunication and now faces dismissal from his religious order for refusing to recant his views, will speak on sexism in the church this weekend in Milwaukee, at the annual gathering of the Catholic reform group Call to Action.
"This for me is rooted in justice. It is a matter of conscience," said Bourgeois, who says he was persuaded by the many gifted and spiritual women he's met in his work as a peace activist.
"We profess that God created women and men of equal worth and dignity," said Bourgeois, who likens the ban to the racism in the Deep South of his youth, where black Catholics sat in the last pews of his church.
"As priests, we say we are called by God and only God. Who are we to say that our call is authentic, and God's call of a woman is not?..."
"...The majority of U.S. Catholics say they would support women's ordination - 62 percent, according to a new study by researchers at Georgetown University and The Catholic University of America."...
Read more: http://www.modbee.com/2011/11/05/1934439/controversial-catholic-priest.html#ixzz1ctQklMUK
Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community Celebrate Liturgy in Sarasota, Florida on Nov. 5, 2011/All Are Welcome!
On Nov. 5th, 2011, Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community invited all to a joyous reception at St. Andrew United Church of Christ where we meet weekly during the winter and spring to celebrate liturgy on Sat. evenings at 6:00 PM.
There were warm greetings and hugs as we connected with our faith community. Dad and I are returning snow birds. There is a wonderful year round community who share summer montly liturgies. Here we have women priests and married priests and a vibrant community of equals living Gospel equality together!
Jack, (my Dad) played special requests during the reception. What a joy that he was able to do so after his recent hospitalizations during the summer and early fall. Pastor Phil Garrison, from St. Andrew UCC dropped by to greet us and welcome us back to this beautiful sanctuary for our weekly liturgies.
I gave a brief summary of the highlights of the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement. There was time for dialogue and questions and lots to share!
Lee and Carol Ann Breyer, a married priest couple, designed the liturgy which Lee led with the participation of 9 leaders who had special roles. The theme of our gathering was a thought-provoking reflection on "priestly people" utilizing the resources of Vatican II and Future Church. In our dialogue homily, many in the assembly offered rich insights on this topic including that we could summarize the call of priestly people as rooted in our baptism and a call to service, justice and compassion in our world today. We then gathered around the altar to pray the Eucharistic Prayer together as is our custom in our MMOJ community.
As Dad, Marcia, our friend and I drove home, we gave thanks to belong to such a caring, energized and dynamic community on the margins of the Catholic Church, which is a very liberating and blessed place to be in today's church!
May everyone who joins us for future worship feel welcome and at home in the Heart of our God and in each others hearts as together we serve God's beloved people especially those who are alienated and hurt and in need of healing and acceptance.
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP
sofiabmm@aol.com
Friday, November 4, 2011
"My Episcopal Ordination" by Marie Bouclin, first Roman Catholic Woman Bishop in Canada
Bishop Patricia Fresen ordains
Marie Bouclin, first bishop of Canada
Bishops:
Bishops:
Marie Bouclin and Patricia Fresen
"Deacon Roberta Fuller says it well: “There were so many bishops in traditional red robes that (the chapel) looked ablaze like an autumn hillside.” The presiding bishop was Dr. Patricia Fresen, a theologian from South Africa now living in Germany and two German women bishops, Ida Raming and Gisela Forster. Ida and Gisela were among the first seven women to be ordained Roman Catholic priests on the Danube in 2002. Three other American women bishops, Andrea Johnson, Joan Houk, and Regina Nicolosi also co-presided. Michele Birch Conery and Rose Mewhort represented RCWP Canada; Dr. Dorothy Irvin, priest Janice Sevré-D. and deacon Donna Rougeux from the US attended on their way to the Roy Bourgeois event in Rome. Several friends travelled from Canada, Scotland, and other parts of Germany. My husband stood by me the whole time, joined by our children: Robert and his wife Chantal, Dan, and Suzanne who also served as official photographer. My dear friends Danielle and Woilford Whissell served as MC and cantor, respectively. Danielle can also take credit for much of the pre-ordination organization, along with Patricia, of course, and her good friends Christel Hildebrand (whom some of you know from the WOW Steering Committee) and Elsbeth Franck. To all of them, and to all who came and can’t be named, meinen herzlichen Dank.
The readings we heard were Wisdom 9:9-12 in which the writer asks God to send forth wisdom, for “she knows and understands all things, and she will guide me wisely in my actions...”; we then sang the responsorial psalm of thanksgiving (Ps 116), and listened to 2 Timothy 1: 6-13. Both were recommended by a liturgist friend because they are often read at the ordination of bishops, with good reason! Bishops Andrea and Patricia preached about the need of a bishop to be first a person of deep prayer, then a fearless preacher. From the Gospel reading (John 15: 12-17) they elaborated on the spirit that should animate both our model of priestly ministry and our communities: friendship. We are to be welcoming and inclusive, treating people as friends the way Jesus did. That is what I retained.
A lighter moment was during the anointing when Patricia was so generous with the oil that it actually ran down into my glasses (and my hair was greasy for a week!). Bishop Regina handed me the book of the Gospels, one that has been signed by all the women bishops of RCWP; Bishop Ida placed the bishop’s ring on my finger, a gold ring made from my elder son’s baptism chain and medal (far too delicate for a boy...); Bishop Joan presented me with my bishop’s cross that was hand-made by my husband’s oldest friend, Stan Snider; Bishop Gisela lent me the staff that she had made for her own ordination because carrying one home would have been a bit of a challenge.
The service was bilingual to honour my bi-cultural roots. We sang in French, English and also Latin. We opened with “All our welcome…” to indicate ours was indeed an open table, and it was indeed a joy to see our Lutheran friends come up for communion. It was also amazing to hear a group of about 35 people sing the Veni Creator almost faultlessly all these years after the reform of the liturgy, but then most of us are old enough to remember the pre-Vatican II days...
The reason for traveling to Germany was to return to the birthplace of our movement, and be ordained at the hands of our first women bishops. Afterwards, my husband and I went on a pilgrimage of sorts to Eastern Europe because it was in the “iron curtain” countries that the first women were ordained in the modern era. It’s important for people to know that there were bishops who were authorized to secretly ordain married men and also women to ensure the survival of the Church in communist countries. Later these people, who had risked their jobs and in some cases even their lives, were asked to renounce their ordination. As many of you know, one woman who refused to do so was Ludmila Javorova, who still lives in the Czech Republic. Traveling there gave me the opportunity to tell people on our tour that we in the West are indebted to these heroic people for reinstating the ordination of women, and that while it is subject to sanctions by the hierarchy in the Roman Catholic Church, it is not a new phenomenon - it dates back to the 1970`s. "
The readings we heard were Wisdom 9:9-12 in which the writer asks God to send forth wisdom, for “she knows and understands all things, and she will guide me wisely in my actions...”; we then sang the responsorial psalm of thanksgiving (Ps 116), and listened to 2 Timothy 1: 6-13. Both were recommended by a liturgist friend because they are often read at the ordination of bishops, with good reason! Bishops Andrea and Patricia preached about the need of a bishop to be first a person of deep prayer, then a fearless preacher. From the Gospel reading (John 15: 12-17) they elaborated on the spirit that should animate both our model of priestly ministry and our communities: friendship. We are to be welcoming and inclusive, treating people as friends the way Jesus did. That is what I retained.
A lighter moment was during the anointing when Patricia was so generous with the oil that it actually ran down into my glasses (and my hair was greasy for a week!). Bishop Regina handed me the book of the Gospels, one that has been signed by all the women bishops of RCWP; Bishop Ida placed the bishop’s ring on my finger, a gold ring made from my elder son’s baptism chain and medal (far too delicate for a boy...); Bishop Joan presented me with my bishop’s cross that was hand-made by my husband’s oldest friend, Stan Snider; Bishop Gisela lent me the staff that she had made for her own ordination because carrying one home would have been a bit of a challenge.
The service was bilingual to honour my bi-cultural roots. We sang in French, English and also Latin. We opened with “All our welcome…” to indicate ours was indeed an open table, and it was indeed a joy to see our Lutheran friends come up for communion. It was also amazing to hear a group of about 35 people sing the Veni Creator almost faultlessly all these years after the reform of the liturgy, but then most of us are old enough to remember the pre-Vatican II days...
The reason for traveling to Germany was to return to the birthplace of our movement, and be ordained at the hands of our first women bishops. Afterwards, my husband and I went on a pilgrimage of sorts to Eastern Europe because it was in the “iron curtain” countries that the first women were ordained in the modern era. It’s important for people to know that there were bishops who were authorized to secretly ordain married men and also women to ensure the survival of the Church in communist countries. Later these people, who had risked their jobs and in some cases even their lives, were asked to renounce their ordination. As many of you know, one woman who refused to do so was Ludmila Javorova, who still lives in the Czech Republic. Traveling there gave me the opportunity to tell people on our tour that we in the West are indebted to these heroic people for reinstating the ordination of women, and that while it is subject to sanctions by the hierarchy in the Roman Catholic Church, it is not a new phenomenon - it dates back to the 1970`s. "
Thursday, November 3, 2011
"Ireland To Close Vatican Embassy Following Child Abuse Row"/Time for Catholics to Speak Truth to Power to Reform Church
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jJA5EzNl5STR-CfU-k2dzr_dWWOw?docId=CNG.05ef6098d03ca3f6ae535c992af6d23d.691
(AFP) – 3 hours ago
DUBLIN — "Ireland said Thursday it would close its embassy to the Vatican as part of a shake-up of its missions abroad following a row with the Holy See earlier this year over a child sex abuse scandal.
"It is with the greatest regret and reluctance that the government has decided to close Ireland's (embassy) to the Holy See," said a statement from the foreign ministry.
Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore said the move was not connected to the row with the Vatican which was sparked by a July report into a long-running abuse scandal in the diocese of Cloyne, insisting it was aimed at saving money.
"I very much regret that due to the financial constraints that this country is under at the moment that we have to reduce the number of missions that we have abroad, including the mission that we have at the Vatican," he told RTE state radio.
The foreign ministry added in a statement that "the government believes that Ireland's interests with the Holy See can be sufficiently represented by a non-resident ambassador."
Cardinal Sean Brady, the ecclesiastical head of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, expressed his "profound disappointment" at the decision, which was relayed to him by Gilmore in a telephone conversation earlier Thursday.
"This decision seems to show little regard for the important role played by the Holy See in international relations and of the historic ties between the Irish people and the Holy See over many centuries," said Brady in a statement.
"I hope that today's decision will be revisited as soon as possible," he added.
The Vatican took note of Ireland's decision and stressed in a statement: "What is important are diplomatic relations between the Holy See and other states, and in the case of Ireland they are not brought into question."
The Irish ministry also announced the closure of the embassy in Iran and a representative office in East Timor as part of the overhaul, which it also insisted were aimed at saving money in the wake of the financial crisis.
Predominantly Catholic Ireland has traditionally had close links with the Vatican and the embassy was opened in 1929 but Dublin and the Holy See fell out dramatically earlier this year.
The July report into more than a decade of abuse by priests in the diocese of Cloyne condemned the Church's handling of abuse claims against clerics as inadequate.
The report sparked outrage in the Irish government and triggered an unprecedented attack by Prime Minister Enda Kenny who called the Roman Catholic Church's behaviour "absolutely disgraceful".
The Vatican subsequently recalled its envoy to Ireland in order to formulate an official response.
The decision to close the missions followed a 2009 report on public expenditure savings choices for the government which said Ireland had 76 embassies and consulates compared to 40 in 1989.
The report recommended reducing the number of embassies and consulates to 55.
Thursday's foreign ministry statement insisted the closures were aimed at saving money and made no mention of the child sex abuse row.
"In order to meet its targets under the EU/IMF programme and to restore public expenditure to sustainable levels, the government has been obliged to implement cuts across a wide range of public services," it said..."
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Be assured that this closure represents more than a break in diplomatic relations between Ireland and the Vatican. It is a seismic shift in consciousness that indicates that the people of Ireland will no longer tolerate a corrupt dysfunctional Vatican whose disgraceful handling of child sex abuse contradicts not only civil law in Ireland, but also, the values of Jesus in the Gospels. The Irish Association of Priests has recently come out for an end to mandatory celibacy and for women priests. Kudos to the women and men of Ireland, the land of my birth, who are no longer afraid of the crack of a crozier! It is time for faithful Catholics worldwide to speak truth to power and demand reform. It is time to follow the example of the Isle of Saints and Scholars.
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP
sofiabmm@aol.com
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
(AFP) – 3 hours ago
DUBLIN — "Ireland said Thursday it would close its embassy to the Vatican as part of a shake-up of its missions abroad following a row with the Holy See earlier this year over a child sex abuse scandal.
"It is with the greatest regret and reluctance that the government has decided to close Ireland's (embassy) to the Holy See," said a statement from the foreign ministry.
Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore said the move was not connected to the row with the Vatican which was sparked by a July report into a long-running abuse scandal in the diocese of Cloyne, insisting it was aimed at saving money.
"I very much regret that due to the financial constraints that this country is under at the moment that we have to reduce the number of missions that we have abroad, including the mission that we have at the Vatican," he told RTE state radio.
The foreign ministry added in a statement that "the government believes that Ireland's interests with the Holy See can be sufficiently represented by a non-resident ambassador."
Cardinal Sean Brady, the ecclesiastical head of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, expressed his "profound disappointment" at the decision, which was relayed to him by Gilmore in a telephone conversation earlier Thursday.
"This decision seems to show little regard for the important role played by the Holy See in international relations and of the historic ties between the Irish people and the Holy See over many centuries," said Brady in a statement.
"I hope that today's decision will be revisited as soon as possible," he added.
The Vatican took note of Ireland's decision and stressed in a statement: "What is important are diplomatic relations between the Holy See and other states, and in the case of Ireland they are not brought into question."
The Irish ministry also announced the closure of the embassy in Iran and a representative office in East Timor as part of the overhaul, which it also insisted were aimed at saving money in the wake of the financial crisis.
Predominantly Catholic Ireland has traditionally had close links with the Vatican and the embassy was opened in 1929 but Dublin and the Holy See fell out dramatically earlier this year.
The July report into more than a decade of abuse by priests in the diocese of Cloyne condemned the Church's handling of abuse claims against clerics as inadequate.
The report sparked outrage in the Irish government and triggered an unprecedented attack by Prime Minister Enda Kenny who called the Roman Catholic Church's behaviour "absolutely disgraceful".
The Vatican subsequently recalled its envoy to Ireland in order to formulate an official response.
The decision to close the missions followed a 2009 report on public expenditure savings choices for the government which said Ireland had 76 embassies and consulates compared to 40 in 1989.
The report recommended reducing the number of embassies and consulates to 55.
Thursday's foreign ministry statement insisted the closures were aimed at saving money and made no mention of the child sex abuse row.
"In order to meet its targets under the EU/IMF programme and to restore public expenditure to sustainable levels, the government has been obliged to implement cuts across a wide range of public services," it said..."
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Be assured that this closure represents more than a break in diplomatic relations between Ireland and the Vatican. It is a seismic shift in consciousness that indicates that the people of Ireland will no longer tolerate a corrupt dysfunctional Vatican whose disgraceful handling of child sex abuse contradicts not only civil law in Ireland, but also, the values of Jesus in the Gospels. The Irish Association of Priests has recently come out for an end to mandatory celibacy and for women priests. Kudos to the women and men of Ireland, the land of my birth, who are no longer afraid of the crack of a crozier! It is time for faithful Catholics worldwide to speak truth to power and demand reform. It is time to follow the example of the Isle of Saints and Scholars.
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP
sofiabmm@aol.com
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
"Maryrose's Cantcle" to Sophia, Holy Wisdom"
All praise and glory to you oh Sophia Wisdom.
You have removed the scales from my eyes
You opened my ears, my mind, and my heart
You formed me to be a companion to all who seek you
You stripped me of my prejudice.
You opened my mind and heart to all traditions
All praise and glory to you oh Sophia Wisdom.
You have removed the scales from my eyes
You opened my ears, my mind, and my heart
You introduced me to outrageous and courageous women
You stripped me of patriarchal views
You opened me to the potential for equity, inclusivity, and unity.
All praise and glory to you oh Sophia Wisdom.
You have removed the scales from my eyes
You opened my ears, my mind, and my heart
You gave me a welcoming community to worship with
You stripped me from the routine of liturgy
You opened me to the community’s wisdom
All praise and glory to you oh Sophia Wisdom.
You have removed the scales from my eyes
You opened my ears, my mind, and my heart
You revealed to me the need for all to celebrate/ritualize your work within us and our life-cycle moments
You stripped away my doubt, confusion and feelings of inadequacy
You opened my heart to new beginnings
All praise and glory to you oh Sophia Wisdom.
You have removed the scales from my eyes
You opened my ears, my mind, and my heart
I now stand naked before you oh Sophia
And I am ready for you to show me the path
All praise and glory to you oh Sophia Wisdom.
You have removed the scales from my eyes
You opened my ears, my mind, and my heart
©Maryrose Petrizzo 30 Oct. 2010
Maryrose Petrizzo, MS, Spiritual Director and Certified Life-Cycle
You have removed the scales from my eyes
You opened my ears, my mind, and my heart
You formed me to be a companion to all who seek you
You stripped me of my prejudice.
You opened my mind and heart to all traditions
All praise and glory to you oh Sophia Wisdom.
You have removed the scales from my eyes
You opened my ears, my mind, and my heart
You introduced me to outrageous and courageous women
You stripped me of patriarchal views
You opened me to the potential for equity, inclusivity, and unity.
All praise and glory to you oh Sophia Wisdom.
You have removed the scales from my eyes
You opened my ears, my mind, and my heart
You gave me a welcoming community to worship with
You stripped me from the routine of liturgy
You opened me to the community’s wisdom
All praise and glory to you oh Sophia Wisdom.
You have removed the scales from my eyes
You opened my ears, my mind, and my heart
You revealed to me the need for all to celebrate/ritualize your work within us and our life-cycle moments
You stripped away my doubt, confusion and feelings of inadequacy
You opened my heart to new beginnings
All praise and glory to you oh Sophia Wisdom.
You have removed the scales from my eyes
You opened my ears, my mind, and my heart
I now stand naked before you oh Sophia
And I am ready for you to show me the path
All praise and glory to you oh Sophia Wisdom.
You have removed the scales from my eyes
You opened my ears, my mind, and my heart
©Maryrose Petrizzo 30 Oct. 2010
Maryrose Petrizzo, MS, Spiritual Director and Certified Life-Cycle
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
16-Year-Old Latin Whiz Finds New Liturgy Language Lacking/NCR Today Online by Robert McClory
http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/16-year-old-latin-whiz-finds-new-liturgy-language-lacking
16-year-old Latin whiz finds new liturgy language lacking
By Robert McClory
Created Nov 02, 2011
by Robert McClory [1] on Nov. 02, 2011
NCR Today [2]
Erik Baker is a 16-year-old high school student who has been studying Latin since 6th grade. Now as a senior at Evanston Township High School near Chicago, he has completed all the Latin classes available at his school, including the Advanced Placement courses. He is pursuing his ongoing interest through Latin classes at nearby Northwestern University.
"Erik has been raised as a Catholic and attends Mass with his family at the Sheil Catholic Center at Northwestern. Recently, when materials were distributed explaining the new liturgical changes based on the original Latin text, he studied them with special interest."
By Erik Baker
"...Let's start at the beginning. The first major change is to the Confiteor, the prayer used in most forms of the Penitential Rite. The new translation translates the adverb "nimis" as "greatly", so that it now reads "I have greatly sinned." It's certainly a dramatic change, but one that's grounded in the Latin. In fact, the word "nimis" means something more than "greatly"; it actually connotes the idea of "excessiveness". The other change is that the Latin "mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa" is now translated "through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault." This is pretty much a literal translation. So the Latin is solid.
The problem, though, is that the Latin itself seems to be hyperbolically critical of humanity. It might aim to promote humility, but inevitably it fosters guilt instead. It promotes a vision of human nature as overwhelmingly and inexorably sinful-- a vision more in line with the heretical Janesenist doctrine of centuries past than Catholic dogma.
An apologist of the translation reminds us that "the guiding principle of the new translation is a closer adherence to the Latin--not a sharper critique of our virtue." But this makes absolutely no sense. Who cares what the "guiding principle" was? The end result is that the Latin is more condemnatory for no discernible reason. And there is no scriptural grounding for this “sharper critique” either-- the first appearance of the prayer is in 1100 AD, over a millennium after Christ.
The next major change is to the Gloria. Most of the changes are innocuous enough, but there's one at the beginning of the prayer that seems bizarre to me. The familiar "and peace to his people on earth" is changed to "on earth peace to people of good will." Not only is the latter far more awkward in English, but there's also a problematic sentiment implicit in the new phrase. Why are we only praying that people "of good will" receive peace? This seems to say that people who are without "good will" are not deserving of peace.
But what is "good will"? It seems to me that it could either mean "good" in the virtuous sense of the word, or, more specifically, Catholic. In either case, it expresses a profoundly anti-Christian sentiment. The notion that only moral or Christian people deserve peace and our prayers is anathema to everything Jesus ever taught. There is simply no sound reason for abandoning "love your enemies" simply because it’s closer to the Latin. The original Greek text recognizes this, and expresses "goodwill to all people." Ironically, the Latin is then actually a mistranslation of the Greek. This just highlights the fact that the possibility of human error doesn’t disappear when writing church texts. It’s hard to see what inherent reason we have for respecting this highly fallible process.
Finally, I think the changes to the Nicene Creed merit some discussion. As before, all of them have good grounding in the Latin, but it's the Latin that's problematic. The first is the fact that all of the "believe"s are in the first person. This destroys the sense of communal vision found in the "we believe" of the previous translation. Faith becomes something of the individual, by the individual, for the individual -- ironically, a very Protestant idea. Catholicism is supposed to value unity and togetherness.
Furthermore, there are two bizarre translations of particular words in the Latin that sound awkward and even obscure: "consubstantial" and "was incarnate." The former is a translation of the word "consubstantialem" in the Latin, so it certainly resembles the Latin the most. But does that make it a better translation?Surely not. The first rule that every Latin translator learns is that often Latin words may look like certain long, rare English words -- but comprehensibility matters more. The same applies to "was incarnate." The whole reason why an English translation is used in the first place is so people can actually understand the Mass. For the average churchgoer "consubstantial" is no more comprehensible than "consubstantialem.” Ridiculous words defeat the point of a translation in the first place.
Ultimately, the whole affair just begs the question of why the Latin Mass has any particular spiritual significance. It's certainly not Scripture, and it's often just an amalgamation of various communal prayers used throughout Europe for several centuries. In fact, many early bishops would write their own Masses or translations to best fit their community's needs..."
16-year-old Latin whiz finds new liturgy language lacking
By Robert McClory
Created Nov 02, 2011
by Robert McClory [1] on Nov. 02, 2011
NCR Today [2]
Erik Baker is a 16-year-old high school student who has been studying Latin since 6th grade. Now as a senior at Evanston Township High School near Chicago, he has completed all the Latin classes available at his school, including the Advanced Placement courses. He is pursuing his ongoing interest through Latin classes at nearby Northwestern University.
"Erik has been raised as a Catholic and attends Mass with his family at the Sheil Catholic Center at Northwestern. Recently, when materials were distributed explaining the new liturgical changes based on the original Latin text, he studied them with special interest."
By Erik Baker
"...Let's start at the beginning. The first major change is to the Confiteor, the prayer used in most forms of the Penitential Rite. The new translation translates the adverb "nimis" as "greatly", so that it now reads "I have greatly sinned." It's certainly a dramatic change, but one that's grounded in the Latin. In fact, the word "nimis" means something more than "greatly"; it actually connotes the idea of "excessiveness". The other change is that the Latin "mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa" is now translated "through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault." This is pretty much a literal translation. So the Latin is solid.
The problem, though, is that the Latin itself seems to be hyperbolically critical of humanity. It might aim to promote humility, but inevitably it fosters guilt instead. It promotes a vision of human nature as overwhelmingly and inexorably sinful-- a vision more in line with the heretical Janesenist doctrine of centuries past than Catholic dogma.
An apologist of the translation reminds us that "the guiding principle of the new translation is a closer adherence to the Latin--not a sharper critique of our virtue." But this makes absolutely no sense. Who cares what the "guiding principle" was? The end result is that the Latin is more condemnatory for no discernible reason. And there is no scriptural grounding for this “sharper critique” either-- the first appearance of the prayer is in 1100 AD, over a millennium after Christ.
The next major change is to the Gloria. Most of the changes are innocuous enough, but there's one at the beginning of the prayer that seems bizarre to me. The familiar "and peace to his people on earth" is changed to "on earth peace to people of good will." Not only is the latter far more awkward in English, but there's also a problematic sentiment implicit in the new phrase. Why are we only praying that people "of good will" receive peace? This seems to say that people who are without "good will" are not deserving of peace.
But what is "good will"? It seems to me that it could either mean "good" in the virtuous sense of the word, or, more specifically, Catholic. In either case, it expresses a profoundly anti-Christian sentiment. The notion that only moral or Christian people deserve peace and our prayers is anathema to everything Jesus ever taught. There is simply no sound reason for abandoning "love your enemies" simply because it’s closer to the Latin. The original Greek text recognizes this, and expresses "goodwill to all people." Ironically, the Latin is then actually a mistranslation of the Greek. This just highlights the fact that the possibility of human error doesn’t disappear when writing church texts. It’s hard to see what inherent reason we have for respecting this highly fallible process.
Finally, I think the changes to the Nicene Creed merit some discussion. As before, all of them have good grounding in the Latin, but it's the Latin that's problematic. The first is the fact that all of the "believe"s are in the first person. This destroys the sense of communal vision found in the "we believe" of the previous translation. Faith becomes something of the individual, by the individual, for the individual -- ironically, a very Protestant idea. Catholicism is supposed to value unity and togetherness.
Furthermore, there are two bizarre translations of particular words in the Latin that sound awkward and even obscure: "consubstantial" and "was incarnate." The former is a translation of the word "consubstantialem" in the Latin, so it certainly resembles the Latin the most. But does that make it a better translation?Surely not. The first rule that every Latin translator learns is that often Latin words may look like certain long, rare English words -- but comprehensibility matters more. The same applies to "was incarnate." The whole reason why an English translation is used in the first place is so people can actually understand the Mass. For the average churchgoer "consubstantial" is no more comprehensible than "consubstantialem.” Ridiculous words defeat the point of a translation in the first place.
Ultimately, the whole affair just begs the question of why the Latin Mass has any particular spiritual significance. It's certainly not Scripture, and it's often just an amalgamation of various communal prayers used throughout Europe for several centuries. In fact, many early bishops would write their own Masses or translations to best fit their community's needs..."
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