http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/30/opinion/sunday/women-as-priests.html
"REFORMERS within the Roman Catholic Church have been calling for the ordination of women as priests. The Vatican, however, refuses to consider the possibility and uses its power to silence those who speak out. Catholic clergy in Europe, Australia and the United States who have voiced public support for female ordination have been either dismissed or threatened with removal from administrative posts within the church..."
Living Gospel Inclusivity and Empowerment Now- https://bridgetmarys.blogspot.com/2025/10/rev-dr-bridget-mary-meehan-arcwp-chat.html
Saturday, September 29, 2012
The Butler's Trial: A Vatican Whitewash to Protect a Powerful Cardinal(s)?/Time for Women Priests in Top Jobs Inside Vatican
Another reason we need women priests in top jobs inside the Vatican! Is this a sham trial or what? How can the Vatican allow this travesty of justice and claim to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our modern day world? Why is the Butler's evidence not admitted? Who is the Vatican protecting and why? How about the issue of transparency and accountability? I think if Jesus was in the Vatican courtroom today, he would be ticked off and take action to shake the hierarchy up! Bridget Mary Meehan, arcwp, www.arcwp.org, sofiabmm@aol.com
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2012/09/30/Evidence-rejected-in-Popes-butlers-trial/UPI-13921349012570/
BBC Story
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19767667
Paolo Gabriele's lawyers had asked to include evidence gathered by cardinals who carried out an inquiry into the "Vatileaks" scandal for Pope Benedict.
But judges at the high-profile trial said they would rely only on evidence from the Vatican police and prosecutor.
They adjourned the case until Tuesday, when Mr Gabriele will be questioned.
The 46-year-old admitted to investigators that he had leaked confidential documents to expose "evil and corruption"..."
Trusted servant
The documents included private correspondence between senior Vatican figures, and appeared to reveal bitter power struggles and corruption."
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2012/09/30/Evidence-rejected-in-Popes-butlers-trial/UPI-13921349012570/
BBC Story
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19767667
"Vatican judges have refused to admit
key evidence in the trial of the Pope's former butler, charged with stealing
sensitive documents.
Paolo Gabriele's lawyers had asked to include evidence gathered by cardinals who carried out an inquiry into the "Vatileaks" scandal for Pope Benedict.
But judges at the high-profile trial said they would rely only on evidence from the Vatican police and prosecutor.
They adjourned the case until Tuesday, when Mr Gabriele will be questioned.
The 46-year-old admitted to investigators that he had leaked confidential documents to expose "evil and corruption"..."
Trusted servant
Continue reading the main story
"The first session of the Pope's butler's trial, held under heavy security
inside Vatican City's only courtroom, confirmed the intention of the Vatican
authorities to try to limit the fallout from the worst security breach to occur
in living memory.
Secret evidence collected earlier in the year by three senior Cardinals appointed by Pope Benedict to look into the theft of papers from his own desk, theoretically one of the most secure places in the entire city state, has been disallowed by the panel of three judges.
The Vatican makes a clear-cut distinction between ecclesiastical matters dealt with by the Holy See, defined as the international headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, and the ordinary administration of the tiny city state, the world's smallest sovereign state. The butler's case is being dealt with under Vatican City's criminal code, which closely follows Italian judicial procedure. If convicted, Paolo Gabriele could serve up to four years in an Italian jail under the terms of a treaty the Vatican signed with Italy during fascist times.
In other words, the Vatican is in serious damage control mode, anxious to avoid the prying eyes of world media into the rarefied world of decision makers within the Holy See.
Analysis:BBC
Secret evidence collected earlier in the year by three senior Cardinals appointed by Pope Benedict to look into the theft of papers from his own desk, theoretically one of the most secure places in the entire city state, has been disallowed by the panel of three judges.
The Vatican makes a clear-cut distinction between ecclesiastical matters dealt with by the Holy See, defined as the international headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, and the ordinary administration of the tiny city state, the world's smallest sovereign state. The butler's case is being dealt with under Vatican City's criminal code, which closely follows Italian judicial procedure. If convicted, Paolo Gabriele could serve up to four years in an Italian jail under the terms of a treaty the Vatican signed with Italy during fascist times.
In other words, the Vatican is in serious damage control mode, anxious to avoid the prying eyes of world media into the rarefied world of decision makers within the Holy See.
He was identified as the source of leaked documents that
were published in a book by an Italian journalist in May.
The documents included private correspondence between senior Vatican figures, and appeared to reveal bitter power struggles and corruption."
Friday, September 28, 2012
"Tell Archbishop Myers: Don't Use Communion as a Politican Weapon:. Can you sign our emergency petition right now?
Tell Archbishop Myers: Don't use communion as a political weapon.
Can you sign our emergency petition right now? In our women priest- led communities, all are welcome to receive sacraments. The Archbishop of Newark contradicts the all-embracing love of Jesus in the Gospels. Needed immediately a renewed Roman Catholic Priesthood which embraces all. Visit www.arcwp.org and www.romancatholicwomenpriests.org (Bridget Mary Meehan, arcwp)
Can you sign our emergency petition right now? In our women priest- led communities, all are welcome to receive sacraments. The Archbishop of Newark contradicts the all-embracing love of Jesus in the Gospels. Needed immediately a renewed Roman Catholic Priesthood which embraces all. Visit www.arcwp.org and www.romancatholicwomenpriests.org (Bridget Mary Meehan, arcwp)
"We need a huge public outcry to show Archbishop John Myers that his new position is unacceptable, or we risk other bishops joining him -- and millions of faithful Catholics being denied Holy Communion. Can you sign our emergency petition right now? " (Faithful America)
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests " Good timing" according to Tim Padgett in TIME Magazine article today on female priesthood and the Papyrus Fragment/Jesus'Wife/Disciple
http://ideas.time.com/2012/09/25/why-jesuss-wife-matters-a-lot-and-not-at-all/#ixzz27aNv9NsQ
"The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests — a breakaway group founded in 2002 — sent out an e-mail yesterday announcing that its bishops will ordain six new female clerics next month. (The howl you just heard was from the archconservative Catholic League.) These ladies have nothing if not good timing: their missive immediately made me think of last week’s news from Harvard Divinity School that an early Christian text asserts Jesus was married and suggests his wife was a disciple — which would indicate women were eligible for the Catholic priesthood all along. But it also reminded me of the other reaction I usually have to these Da Vinci Code–ish historical discoveries about Jesus: So what?"...."
..."That also explains why it’s welcome to hear any historical evidence that Jesus didn’t consider clerical marriage or female ordination anathema to the religion he founded. But again, such evidence isn’t, or shouldn’t be, necessary...At a time when the Vatican, panicked by growing Catholic support for female ordination, is senselessly hounding U.S. nuns for their “radical feminism,” the latest piece of papyrus does serve as a useful reminder of how wrong Rome is in this matter. But most of us knew that long before King deciphered it."
Read more: http://ideas.time.com/2012/09/25/why-jesuss-wife-matters-a-lot-and-not-at-all/#ixzz27asvhZ6c
Meehan to TIME article by PadgeGreat article! The Vatican is wrong on gender equality which includes women's ordination and they know it. Even their own scholarship does not support them. (Biblical Pontifical Commission Report of 1976) I must point out that the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (ARCWP) is NOT a "breakaway group." We are faithful Catholic women leading the way toward gender equality and justice in our church, rooted in Jesus example in the Gospels and the early church tradition of women deacons, priests, and bishops! Our orders are valid because our first bishops were ordained by a male bishop with apostolic succession.
Women Priests live prophetic obedience, disobeying an unjust, man-made, canonical law that discriminates against women.
Luke 8:1-3 points out that among Jesus disciples were Mary of Magdala, Joanna, Susanna and MANY MORE! And so it is today as we are ordained as Roman Catholic Women Priests to promote an inclusive, partnership, non-hierarchical Catholic Church. ARCWP is a holy shakeup whose time has come!
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP, sofiabmm@aol.com, 703-505-0004
www.arcwp.org
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
A Report from Olga Lucia Olga Lucia Alvarez Benjumea ARCWP, from Colombia, South America:"This time from Cali, with Naomi and Ruth".
http://evangelizadorasdelosapostoles.wordpress.com/2012/09/25/esta-vez-desde-cali-con-noemi-y-rut/
"I come from Cali. I like to travel by bus, because I can, enjoy the beautiful scenery of my country. I love going through the Rio Magdalena, rice fields Tolima Valley the cane fields, smell the guava, when traveling on the Santanders, and enjoy the aroma of coffee, Caldas and Quindio ...
I felt that I sympathized with Mother Earth, I saw screaming dying of thirst, and with her children / as. The land, trees and cane fields sad and embraced by the summer heat.
(photo)
Listen to the stories of Rosita, Rosalba, Amparo, Trinidad, Carmen ... wanted to see them, and we had seen on another occasion, and I think I will continue watching, whenever you can. How is it that my sisters and friends could get along without water, to meet their grandchildren / as and get some food?. How have now, a little water only once a day?.
(photo)
(photo)
How in the neighborhood above, have to stand in long queues at 2 in the morning, to give them a little water to bring the houses?.
They got some water, thanks to protests and solidarity obtained, despite conflicting news media. (Photo)
It was a joy to share with these women. In the midst of suffering and tensions that are experienced, hope and dreams, make us smile.
We discuss the lessons from our women in the Bible as Ruth, his solidarity with Naomi, but beyond this we discovered that these women are "transgressive" of laws that are not met and if they are in favor of widows ... We saw them (Naomi and Ruth) are mutually complicit and involve the man to make part of this fraternal complicity, they do in hiding, because everything came to light, was approved by the community that are meeting in the outskirts of town, without legal or institutional intermediaries.
It is the Word of the Godhead, who gives us life, strength, enthusiasm and zest for life!"
Monday, September 24, 2012
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests Following Gospel Tradition of Female Disciples, Six Women to Be Ordained in Atlanta, Georgia on October 20, 2012/ARCWP Press Release
September 24, 2012
Contact: Janice Sevre-Duszynska, 859-684-4247,
Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan, 703-505-0004,sofiabmm@aol.com
Celebration of Priestly Ordination for:
Diane Dougherty of Newnan, GA, 770-683-8101, 678-857-7146, add57@numail.org
Celebration of Ordination to the Diaconate for:
Barbara Anne Duff of Macon, GA, 478-718-0613, barbara.duff@cox.net
Debra Meyers of Batavia, OH, 513-735-2876, drmeyers@aol.com
Joleane Presley of Manassas, VA, 410-900-3998, joprsly@gmail.com
Rosemarie Smead of Bedford, KY, 502-663-1237, shanti.rosemarie@gmail.com
Irene Scaramazza of Columbus, OH, 614-357-0626, irenes@columbus.rr.com
“She will be able to be my disciple,” Jesus says in the recently announced discovery of a Coptic fourth century papyrus. See:
Today, women priests continue to follow the tradition of women disciples living and preaching the Gospel taught to them by Jesus.
On Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. Diane Dougherty (Newnan, Georgia) will be ordained a priest in the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (ARCWP) Barbara Anne Duff (Macon,GA), Debra Meyers (Batavia, OH), Joleane Presley (Manassas, Va), Rosemarie Smead (Bedford, KY), and Irene Scaramazza (Columbus, OH) will be ordained deacons in ARCWP. The presiding bishop will be Bridget Mary Meehan of Falls Church, Virginia and Sarasota, Florida. A warm welcome has been given by Pastor Paul Graetz and The First Metropolitan Community Church, an Inclusive Christian Community. The ceremony will take place there at 1 p.m., 1379 Tullie Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30329. All are welcome.
Media are invited to a pre-ordination press conference on Friday, October 19, at 1:00 p.m. at the church with the candidates and Bridget Mary Meehan. Call Janice (859-684-4247) to schedule an interview.
The candidates are theologically prepared and have many years of experience in ministry. Diane Dougherty, an educator and native of Ohio, served Catholic communities as a Sister of Humility of Mary for 23 years. As a lay ecclesial minister she served in Catholic schools and parishes as a master educator and catechist and in the Religious Education and Faith Formation office for the Archdiocese of Atlanta. "I consider my journey toward priesthood as the next phase in my vocation to serve within the Catholic tradition, said Dougherty. By becoming a woman priest my original call to serve Christ through the church is fulfilled and I hope my ordination will open the door to the many women Christ is calling to serve."
A former Maryknoll Sister and educator, Barbara Anne Duff has retired after a nursing career in VA hospitals. A wife, grandmother and author, Debra Meyers, teaches history and women's studies at Northern Kentucky University. Joleane Presley, a wife and senior hospital chaplain, provides pastoral care to patients recovering from physical disabilities. A former Catholic sister for 21 years, Irene Scaramazza has worked as an educator, community mental health counselor, hospice chaplain and spiritual director who leads home liturgies. Dr. Rosemarie Smead, a former Discalced Carmelite nun is a retired professor and family therapist who has written six books and videos on training therapists to work with youth.
The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests rejoices in a “holy shakeup” that millions of Catholics worldwide welcome. The good news now is that male priests, bishops, a cardinal as well as theologians have expressed their support of female priests. They are following in the footsteps of Maryknoll Roy Bourgeois whose prophetic call for a dialogue on women priests is being heard in more and more places today in our Church.
“Nothing can stop the movement of the spirit toward human rights, justice and equality in our world and in our Church,” said Bridget Mary Meehan. “The full equality of women is the voice of God in our time.”
The Women Priests movement in the Roman Catholic Church advocates a new model of priestly ministry united with the people with whom we minister. We stand in prophetic obedience to Jesus who calls women and men to be disciples and equals. The movement began with the ordination of seven women on the Danube in 2002. Today there are over 140 in the movement worldwide. ARCWP is in the United States and Latin America. Our specific charism within the broader global Roman Catholic Women Priests initiative is to live Gospel equality and justice for women in the Church and in society now. We work in solidarity with the poor and marginalized for transformative justice in partnership with all believers. Our vision is to live as a community of equals in decision making both as an organization and within all our faith communities. We advocate the renewal of the vision of Jesus in the Gospel in our Church and world.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic House Church Celebrates Liturgy on Sundays at 10:30 A.M.
Today we were blessed with visitors from Charlottesville, VA.
On Sundays at 10:30 A.M., we celebrate liturgy with my Dad, who is being treated by Hospice Capital Caring and Comfort, his care-giver. If you are in N.VA. area and would like to attend, contact me at sofiabmm@aol.com
On Sundays at 10:30 A.M., we celebrate liturgy with my Dad, who is being treated by Hospice Capital Caring and Comfort, his care-giver. If you are in N.VA. area and would like to attend, contact me at sofiabmm@aol.com
 |
| Kristen, Erik, BMM, Theresa, Mary, Bill |
Saturday, September 22, 2012
First Meeting of Christ Sophia Inclusive Catholic Community of Louisville, KY. with Rosemarie Smead,ARCWP Ordinand for Diaconate, Janice Sevre-Duszysnska, ARCWP and Donna Rougeux, ARCWP
Rosemarie Smead, from Louisville, KY, an ordinand with ARCWP, will be ordained a deacon in Atlanta, GA. on Oct. 20, 2012. Today, Christ Sophia Inclusive Catholic Community, a new community in Louisville celebrated their first Eucharist with Janice Sevre-Duszynska, ARCWP, and Donna Rougeux, ARCWP from Lexington, KY. This looks and feels a lot like the early church where there where women presided at Eucharist in their homes. (See Romans 16:1-7 for one example) Amen! Alleluia!
 |
| left to right: Janice Sevre-Duszynska, ARCWP and Rosemarie Smead, ARCWP Ordinand |
Friday, September 21, 2012
"Taking the Movement to New Orleans" By Donna Rougeux, ARCWP/Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
.JPG)
As we
drove into the town that just experienced hurricane Isaac we swirled with
excitement to see our friends, Bill and Debbie Quigley. Long time friends of
Janice, kindred spirits of the movement and devoted social justice activists,
Bill and Debbie, welcomed us into their home with enthusiasm.
Jennifer Milona and her two school aged sons came to the house to meet us and arranged for us to spend the next day visiting three different places that minister to the needs of people dealing with poverty and homelessness in New Orleans. We visited The Rebuild Center, The Hope House and The Catholic Worker House.
.JPG)
On
Tuesday evening Janice led the liturgy as deacon Diane and I assisted. It was
thrilling to be received by 46 people who eagerly wanted to participate in the
first liturgy in New Orleans that was led by a Roman Catholic Woman Priest. It
was heartwarming to hear the voices of the people participating in the liturgy
as they dialoged with ideas from the homily and as they participated by
individually reading parts of the Eucharistic prayer. Two school aged boys each
took their turn and were visibly pleased to read part of the pray. They were
very happy to meet Janice because they had previously seen her in Pink Smoke Over the Vatican.
It is humbling, life giving, and exciting to take our movement to new places. Our experience seems similar to the disciples who were sent out to spread the good news when the early church was being born. This is yet another road trip with Janice that has given me the opportunity to connect with kindred spirits in another place and be part of growing the movement. It fills my heart to overflowing to have the privilege to see Sophia breathe new life into a sick and dying church with this movement as it offers hope, encouragement and empowerment to the people it touches. The people we met in New Orleans seemed to be inspired by our visit. I am inspired by them because they give me such hope for a church that is living, awake and functioning as the kindom on earth.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Good Shepherd Community, Ft. Myers, Fl.- Summer Fun for Inner City Kids with Women Priests' Pastors- Judy Lee, ARCWP and Judy Beaumont, ARCWP
.jpg)
During this
period we have been impressed with the leadership and assistance offered by the
members of the Good Shepherd Community.
We used a special summer schedule (usually every other week) during this time of heat, storms and vacations but the needs of the people we serve seem to remain constant.
Although many of our volunteers who cook and serve are “snowbirds”, we were able to offer over 455 hot meals to those who came to eat with us on Tuesdays and Sundays. (This is not counting second helpings or meals taken home).
While some of our volunteers from Lamb of God and Call To Action with Ellen and Jack McNally and the Country Creek community continued to help, many of these meals were prepared and served by Good Shepherd Church members, especially the Rismays, the Cudjoes and Judy Alves. Similarly some church members tithe with us and this helps tide us over during this period. These tithes are compounded by those of LOG and Sophia Churches and other faithful groups and individuals and help to keep our treasury balanced.
Additionally we made an appeal for summer funding for our youth activities program and we received twice as much as we initially asked for thus enabling many activities. Yet it was the participation of our members and especially Efe Cudjoe our youth leader home from Brown University for the summer, that enabled us to actually carry out the program. Dr. Teresa Sievers continued to see our people for medical exams for housing and SS and she also met with our young women during this time.
Similarly we continue to count on Hank Tessandori and Mr. Harry Gary who continues to provide supervision for the residents of Joshua House and is counted on for help with outreach as well. With this sharing of the work we are able to carry out the goals of this ministry.
Pastor Judy Lee, ARCWP
Pastor Judy Beaumont, ARCWP
We used a special summer schedule (usually every other week) during this time of heat, storms and vacations but the needs of the people we serve seem to remain constant.
Although many of our volunteers who cook and serve are “snowbirds”, we were able to offer over 455 hot meals to those who came to eat with us on Tuesdays and Sundays. (This is not counting second helpings or meals taken home).
While some of our volunteers from Lamb of God and Call To Action with Ellen and Jack McNally and the Country Creek community continued to help, many of these meals were prepared and served by Good Shepherd Church members, especially the Rismays, the Cudjoes and Judy Alves. Similarly some church members tithe with us and this helps tide us over during this period. These tithes are compounded by those of LOG and Sophia Churches and other faithful groups and individuals and help to keep our treasury balanced.
Additionally we made an appeal for summer funding for our youth activities program and we received twice as much as we initially asked for thus enabling many activities. Yet it was the participation of our members and especially Efe Cudjoe our youth leader home from Brown University for the summer, that enabled us to actually carry out the program. Dr. Teresa Sievers continued to see our people for medical exams for housing and SS and she also met with our young women during this time.
Similarly we continue to count on Hank Tessandori and Mr. Harry Gary who continues to provide supervision for the residents of Joshua House and is counted on for help with outreach as well. With this sharing of the work we are able to carry out the goals of this ministry.
Pastor Judy Lee, ARCWP
Pastor Judy Beaumont, ARCWP
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
"Pink Smoke Over the Vatican" Premieres in Virginia at George Mason University on Sept. 17, 2012/ Panel Discussion by Fr. Roy Bourgeois, Bridget Mary Meehan, Andrea Johnson, Jeannette Mulherin and Kate Conmy
.JPG) |
| left to right: Jeannette Mulherin, WOC Board, Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP, Fr. Roy Bourgeois MM, Bishop Andrea Johnson, RCWP-USA, Kate Conmy WOC Membership Director |
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
"A Faded Piece of Papyrus Refers to Jesus’ Wife" by Laurie Goodstein/New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/19/us/historian-says-piece-of-papyrus-refers-to-jesus-wife.html?_r=0
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — "A historian of early Christianity at Harvard Divinity School has identified a scrap of papyrus that she says was written in Coptic in the fourth century and contains a phrase never seen in any piece of Scripture: “Jesus said to them, ‘My wife …'”
The faded papyrus fragment is smaller than a business card, with eight lines on one side, in black ink legible under a magnifying glass. Just below the line about Jesus having a wife, the papyrus includes a second provocative clause that purportedly says, “she will be able to be my disciple.”
The finding is being made public in Rome on Tuesday at an international meeting of Coptic scholars by the historian Karen L. King, who has published several books about new Gospel discoveries and is the first woman to hold the nation’s oldest endowed chair, the Hollis professor of divinity..."
Monday, September 17, 2012
"Between Heaven and Mirth, Can You Laugh with God?" by Fr. James Martin
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-james-martin-sj/between-heaven-and-mirth-can-you-laugh-with-god_b_994344.html
One of my favorite images of Jesus is a pencil drawing of Jesus laughing!
Our God has a sense of humor, all we have to do to prove it, is look in the mirror!
Bridget Mary Meehan, arcwp
www.arcwp.org
Fr. James Martin in Huffington Post
"...Rabbi Burton Visotzky, professor of Midrash and interreligious studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, noted that while the Hebrew Bible often shows a stern God, the tradition of a playful and loving God is also part of the Jewish tradition. "In a fifth-century Midrash in Israel," said Rabbi Visotzky, "the rabbis tell the story of God braiding Eve's hair in the Garden of Eden, like one who would help a bride. It is a charming and playful image of a loving God."
Once, when she was travelling to one of her convents, St. Teresa of Ávila was knocked off her donkey and fell into the mud, injuring her leg. "Lord," she said, "you couldn't have picked a worse time for this to happen. Why would you let this happen?" And the response in prayer that she heard was, "That is how I treat my friends."Teresa answered, "And that is why you have so few of them!" This story, one of the most well known about St. Teresa, is often told as a way of demonstrating the abundant humor of the saint. But it shows something else: her playful way of addressing God. Moreover, it shows her assumption of God's playfulness with her...."
One of my favorite images of Jesus is a pencil drawing of Jesus laughing!
Our God has a sense of humor, all we have to do to prove it, is look in the mirror!
Bridget Mary Meehan, arcwp
www.arcwp.org
Fr. James Martin in Huffington Post
"...Rabbi Burton Visotzky, professor of Midrash and interreligious studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, noted that while the Hebrew Bible often shows a stern God, the tradition of a playful and loving God is also part of the Jewish tradition. "In a fifth-century Midrash in Israel," said Rabbi Visotzky, "the rabbis tell the story of God braiding Eve's hair in the Garden of Eden, like one who would help a bride. It is a charming and playful image of a loving God."
Once, when she was travelling to one of her convents, St. Teresa of Ávila was knocked off her donkey and fell into the mud, injuring her leg. "Lord," she said, "you couldn't have picked a worse time for this to happen. Why would you let this happen?" And the response in prayer that she heard was, "That is how I treat my friends."Teresa answered, "And that is why you have so few of them!" This story, one of the most well known about St. Teresa, is often told as a way of demonstrating the abundant humor of the saint. But it shows something else: her playful way of addressing God. Moreover, it shows her assumption of God's playfulness with her...."
"Between Heaven and Mirth, Can You Laugh with God" by Fr. James Martin
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-james-martin-sj/between-heaven-and-mirth-can-you-laugh-with-god_b_994344.html
One of my favorite images of Jesus is a pencil drawing of Jesus laughing!
Our God has a sense of humor, all we have to do to prove it, is look in the mirror!
Bridget Mary Meehan, arcwp
www.arcwp.org
One of my favorite images of Jesus is a pencil drawing of Jesus laughing!
Our God has a sense of humor, all we have to do to prove it, is look in the mirror!
Bridget Mary Meehan, arcwp
www.arcwp.org
Visit Sr. Sean OLaoire's Awe-Inspiring Website:Author of Eucharistic Prayer of the Cosmos
http://spiritsinspacesuits.com/
http://www.companionsonthejourney.org/
Eucharistic Prayer of the Cosmos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffp7BdN2fIw
"Father Seán ÓLaoire was born in Ireland...Fr. Seán is a co-founder and Spiritual Director of Companions on the Journey (COJ), a spiritual community which seeks to recognize the God/divinity within each of us and among all of us. COJ is an independent, non-hierarchical Eucharistic community dedicated to aligning itself with God and healing the separations between us. Each individual's spirituality is seen as derived from his/her own experiences of God, immanent and transcendent, and is illuminated by the teachings of Christ and the wisdom of other spiritual traditions.
Dr. ÓLaoire has an MA and a PhD in Transpersonal Psychology and is a licensed Clinical Psychologist with a private counseling practice in Los Altos, California. He lectures and conducts scientific research on the effects of prayer."
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Friday, September 14, 2012
Beverly Bingle is ordained a deacon by Bishop Joan Houk/ RCWP-USA in Toledo, Ohio/ Youtube clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVVvXRJpPEY
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"Financially troubled parts of Europe consider taxing church properties"/Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/financially-troubled-cities-in-spain-consider-taxing-church-properties/2012/09/13/3b62c736-f842-11e1-8398-0327ab83ab91_story.html
..."Mismanagement has been another problem, especially for the Vatican, which this year reported its worst deficit — $19 million — in a decade. The Vatican bank has been embroiled in scandal for two decades, from the recent ousting of its president to accusations of money laundering and ties to the mafia, a possible murder and the disappearance of $1 billion in a bank it was closely linked to."
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Again we have material for another blockbuster movie about the Vatican. What has changed since the Middle Ages? Murder, intrigue, wealth at the Vatican? Now we Monsignor-Gate and the Vati-leaks. Hey move over Dan Brown!
...."The issue of church tax payments has been simmering for several years. In 2010, European Union regulators launched an investigation into the Catholic Church and the taxes it pays in various countries. The E.U.’s competition czar, Joaquin Almunia, has said the tax breaks could be considered state aid and illegally distort competition in the market. But the issue wasn’t at the forefront of the debate until earlier this year when Monti, the Italian prime minister, called for assessing taxes on church properties..."
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
If European countries tax the Catholic Church, that will reverse years of special treatment. It is also an issue of justice and fairness to all religions and to tax payers. If the Irish government takes over primary education, this will bring a major change in Ireland. I remember my first two years in St. John of God School in Rathdowney. If we answered a question incorrectly, we had to put our hand for a slap with a ruler! Talk about fear and trembling!
..."Mismanagement has been another problem, especially for the Vatican, which this year reported its worst deficit — $19 million — in a decade. The Vatican bank has been embroiled in scandal for two decades, from the recent ousting of its president to accusations of money laundering and ties to the mafia, a possible murder and the disappearance of $1 billion in a bank it was closely linked to."
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Again we have material for another blockbuster movie about the Vatican. What has changed since the Middle Ages? Murder, intrigue, wealth at the Vatican? Now we Monsignor-Gate and the Vati-leaks. Hey move over Dan Brown!
...."The issue of church tax payments has been simmering for several years. In 2010, European Union regulators launched an investigation into the Catholic Church and the taxes it pays in various countries. The E.U.’s competition czar, Joaquin Almunia, has said the tax breaks could be considered state aid and illegally distort competition in the market. But the issue wasn’t at the forefront of the debate until earlier this year when Monti, the Italian prime minister, called for assessing taxes on church properties..."
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
If European countries tax the Catholic Church, that will reverse years of special treatment. It is also an issue of justice and fairness to all religions and to tax payers. If the Irish government takes over primary education, this will bring a major change in Ireland. I remember my first two years in St. John of God School in Rathdowney. If we answered a question incorrectly, we had to put our hand for a slap with a ruler! Talk about fear and trembling!
"Kansas City's Bishop Finn Must Resign or Be Removed
http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/editorial-kansas-citys-finn-must-resign-or-be-removed
"If Bishop Robert W. Finn wanted today to volunteer at a parish in the Kansas City-St. Joseph, Mo., diocese to teach a religious education class or chaperone a parish youth group to World Youth Day, he couldn't do it. Convicted of a misdemeanor charge of failure to report suspected child abuse, Finn wouldn't pass the background check necessary to work with young people in the Catholic church.
That is, he could not serve in those positions if he were just a layman, deacon or priest. But he is a bishop, and that makes all the difference. And he can, apparently, do anything he wants under church law.
There are two issues at play here: the governance of the Kansas City-St. Joseph diocese and the integrity of the U.S. bishops as a national conference.
Finn cannot govern the diocese. It is clear to local Catholics he has been largely absent from the day-to-day life of the diocese for almost a year. The chancery offices are in disarray, diocesan personnel feel abandoned, and the clergy are either angry or dumbfounded. From the very first day of his tenure in this diocese, Finn has been a source of division and divisiveness. He does have supporters, but he has never won even a grudging respect from majority of active Catholics..."
"If Bishop Robert W. Finn wanted today to volunteer at a parish in the Kansas City-St. Joseph, Mo., diocese to teach a religious education class or chaperone a parish youth group to World Youth Day, he couldn't do it. Convicted of a misdemeanor charge of failure to report suspected child abuse, Finn wouldn't pass the background check necessary to work with young people in the Catholic church.
That is, he could not serve in those positions if he were just a layman, deacon or priest. But he is a bishop, and that makes all the difference. And he can, apparently, do anything he wants under church law.
There are two issues at play here: the governance of the Kansas City-St. Joseph diocese and the integrity of the U.S. bishops as a national conference.
Finn cannot govern the diocese. It is clear to local Catholics he has been largely absent from the day-to-day life of the diocese for almost a year. The chancery offices are in disarray, diocesan personnel feel abandoned, and the clergy are either angry or dumbfounded. From the very first day of his tenure in this diocese, Finn has been a source of division and divisiveness. He does have supporters, but he has never won even a grudging respect from majority of active Catholics..."
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Summer Events in Calgary with Roman Catholic Women Priests in Canada and Women Priests from USA Celebrating Liturgies
In July, our St. Brigid's community here in Calgary had some special visitors.First, this photo (from a community member's iphone) is of our St. Brigid's mass in July 2012 with visiting/concelebrating (new) priest, Ruth Wasylenko, from Edmonton (3 hours north of Calgary). (Genevieve Kilburn-Smith, my 14-year-old daughter, is altar server). We had a really rich time, saying mass together and receiving so much support from those gathered with us!Then later in the month, we took on a transnational and international flavour with coinciding visits from our Canadian bishop Marie Bouclin (who was making a three week trek across the western provinces to see all our communities), and California priests Suzanne Dunn and Jeannette Love (Catholic Church of the Beatitudes, Santa Barbara). Here are some photos, below, from our Mary Magdalene mass and reception on July 22. Marie and Suzanne shared the homily time and spoke about different aspects of Mary Magdalene's importance in our tradition.
We also had lots of other special events over a period of five days - spectacular! We were so delighted, all of us, to be together, share ideas and inspiration, and witness together to the movement of the Holy Spirit across our two countries and in so many hearts and lives. And my thanks to you, Marie, Suzanne and Jeannette, for your wonderful sharing, generosity, and love. Praise God!Blessings to all, Monica
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Catholics React to Bishop's Conviction By Jesse Bogan and Tim Townsend St. Louis Post-Dispatch
http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/catholics-react-bishop-finns-conviction
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- "At an early morning Mass here at St. Patrick Parish on Friday (Sept. 7), the Fr. Justin Hoye preached about judgment, saying people are incapable of admitting the absolute fullness of their own sins.
He didn't mention Bishop Robert Finn, shepherd of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. On Thursday, a judge in Jackson County found Finn, 59, guilty of one misdemeanor count of failing to report suspected child abuse, including the fact that Finn knew child pornography was on the computer of the Fr. Shawn Ratigan, who used to be pastor of St. Patrick's.
But it was clear that Hoye's caution against judgment and prayers for healing were about Finn and the wounded congregation.
"We pray that the Holy Spirit might move throughout the diocese and grant us consolation and peace," Hoye said. "We pray for the victims of injustice, those denied rights owed them."
When the service was over, parishioners were polite but not as subtle about the court ruling...
"Maybe this will get different dioceses and bishops, everybody throughout the religious world, to realize they have a responsibility to basically do what Jesus taught us and that is take care of kids, to respect other lives," said Steve Burk, 59, a retired Ford assembly line worker who attends Mass throughout the week.
Finn, a St. Louis native who was ordained in the St. Louis Archdiocese, is the first U.S. bishop convicted for failing to report criminal sexual activity by a priest.
The verdict is a landmark moment in a clergy abuse saga that has rattled the Catholic Church for more than a decade.
Critics of the church's handling of the sex abuse scandal say they hope the ruling will be a seminal moment that brings greater reform.
"You're tempted to think surely this will send a chill down the spine of hundreds of church employees who are concealing, or have concealed, child sex crimes," said David Clohessy, head of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. "It must be unsettling to see that even a bishop can be brought to justice..."
For some parishioners at St. Patrick's, the incident has done nothing to shake their belief.
"God is my faith," said Florence Wilbur, 79, who has attended the church for 59 years. "(Finn) is just a person."
He didn't mention Bishop Robert Finn, shepherd of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. On Thursday, a judge in Jackson County found Finn, 59, guilty of one misdemeanor count of failing to report suspected child abuse, including the fact that Finn knew child pornography was on the computer of the Fr. Shawn Ratigan, who used to be pastor of St. Patrick's.
But it was clear that Hoye's caution against judgment and prayers for healing were about Finn and the wounded congregation.
"We pray that the Holy Spirit might move throughout the diocese and grant us consolation and peace," Hoye said. "We pray for the victims of injustice, those denied rights owed them."
When the service was over, parishioners were polite but not as subtle about the court ruling...
"Maybe this will get different dioceses and bishops, everybody throughout the religious world, to realize they have a responsibility to basically do what Jesus taught us and that is take care of kids, to respect other lives," said Steve Burk, 59, a retired Ford assembly line worker who attends Mass throughout the week.
Finn, a St. Louis native who was ordained in the St. Louis Archdiocese, is the first U.S. bishop convicted for failing to report criminal sexual activity by a priest.
The verdict is a landmark moment in a clergy abuse saga that has rattled the Catholic Church for more than a decade.
Critics of the church's handling of the sex abuse scandal say they hope the ruling will be a seminal moment that brings greater reform.
"You're tempted to think surely this will send a chill down the spine of hundreds of church employees who are concealing, or have concealed, child sex crimes," said David Clohessy, head of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. "It must be unsettling to see that even a bishop can be brought to justice..."
For some parishioners at St. Patrick's, the incident has done nothing to shake their belief.
"God is my faith," said Florence Wilbur, 79, who has attended the church for 59 years. "(Finn) is just a person."
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Ruth Wasylenko's Ordination in Edmonton, Canada on March 31, 2012/Presiding Bishop Marie Bouclin,RCWP Canada
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"Bill Donohue stands by his man" by Grant Gallicho in Commonweal
"It has never seemed the best hill to die on, but apparently Catholic League president Bill Donohue doesn’t know how to quit defending Bishop Robert Finn [1], who was found guilty this week [2] of one misdemeanor count of failing to report suspected child abuse. (Be sure to read David Gibson’s post [3] on the devastating Times story.) Back in November, Donohue declared [4] that Finn was “an innocent man,” and flew all the way to Kansas City just to show how much he meant it. “In an ideal world,” Donohue claimed, “there would have been no charges whatsoever: there was no complainant and no violation of law.” Yes, and in an ideal world, when a U.S. bishop learns — nearly a decade after the 2002 wave of scandals broke — that one of his priests has crotch shots of kids on his computer, after having learned about a detailed letter of complaint about the guy from a Catholic school principal, the bishop would report the priest to the proper authorities, in accordance with civil and canon law. But that’s not the world Bishop Finn was living in. So now he stands convicted of failing to report suspected child abuse. In other words, Finn is not an innocent man. That’s why he issued a statement — both through his lawyer [5] (.doc) and on his own behalf [6] (.doc) — that contains apologetic-sounding words arranged in a way that avoids actually accepting responsibility for his failure to report the pornographer priest Ratigan. (Do yourself a favor and read Mark Silk on that and more here [7].)
You’d think Finn’s conviction would be enough to force Donohue back from the ledge, or at least show a measure of contrition. But no. He’s going all the way over. In his latest pronouncement [8], magisterially titled “Assessing Bishop Finn’s Guilt,” Donohue purports to bust some myths about the Finn case. Instead, he perpetrates some myth-making of his own..."
..."But what is he thinking when he calls the “condemnations targeting Finn…as unfair as they are contrived”? The man is guilty of not reporting suspected child abuse. He was informed of Ratigan’s disturbing photos of children (children, not teenagers) on December 16, 2010. There is nothing contrived or unfair about condemning his failure to respond adequately to the threat posed by Ratigan. He chose not to forward the case to his own sexual-abuse review board, and to take as gospel the evaluation of one psychiatrist even though his closest advisers were urging him to send Ratigan to another shrink. And when Finn learned Ratigan was not abiding even the light restrictions the bishop had placed on him, what did he do? He gave him a stern talking-to. What would have happened if Msgr. Murphy hadn’t made the decision to tell Capt. Smith the whole truth? We know what Ratigan did in the meantime. He kept looking at God-knows-what online. He heard kids’ confessions. He had parties for kids and their parents, where he apparently continued his work as an amateur pornographer. Because the bishop failed.
Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised that a man who responds to perceived anti-Catholic humor with ethnic slurs, or whose initial response to news that a friend was charged with sexual harassment is to joke about the accuser as “a drunken girl,” or who has publicly wondered what’s wrong with teenagers who “allow themselves to be molested,” wouldn’t be able to discern the seriousness of Finn’s failures. Still, the fact that the president of the Catholic League does not grasp the gravity of these matters remains as mysterious to me as the support he receives from several bishops."
..."But what is he thinking when he calls the “condemnations targeting Finn…as unfair as they are contrived”? The man is guilty of not reporting suspected child abuse. He was informed of Ratigan’s disturbing photos of children (children, not teenagers) on December 16, 2010. There is nothing contrived or unfair about condemning his failure to respond adequately to the threat posed by Ratigan. He chose not to forward the case to his own sexual-abuse review board, and to take as gospel the evaluation of one psychiatrist even though his closest advisers were urging him to send Ratigan to another shrink. And when Finn learned Ratigan was not abiding even the light restrictions the bishop had placed on him, what did he do? He gave him a stern talking-to. What would have happened if Msgr. Murphy hadn’t made the decision to tell Capt. Smith the whole truth? We know what Ratigan did in the meantime. He kept looking at God-knows-what online. He heard kids’ confessions. He had parties for kids and their parents, where he apparently continued his work as an amateur pornographer. Because the bishop failed.
Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised that a man who responds to perceived anti-Catholic humor with ethnic slurs, or whose initial response to news that a friend was charged with sexual harassment is to joke about the accuser as “a drunken girl,” or who has publicly wondered what’s wrong with teenagers who “allow themselves to be molested,” wouldn’t be able to discern the seriousness of Finn’s failures. Still, the fact that the president of the Catholic League does not grasp the gravity of these matters remains as mysterious to me as the support he receives from several bishops."
Austrian Priest: Dissent Aids Healthy Church/Another Example of Spiritual Uprising Shaking Catholic Church
http://www.catholic-sf.org/ns.php?newsid=2&id=60250
Msgr. Helmut Schuller told Catholic News Service that reform and substantive structural change are “essential for the future of the church” in Europe and the wider world.
The Priests’ Initiative, which now represents 500 clergy in Austria, wants the Vatican to revive the “Lex Ecclesiae Fundamentalis” project initiated by Pope Paul VI following the Second Vatican Council. The project, which sought to establish a common fundamental code or church constitution similar to the U.S. Bill of Rights for church members, was shelved by Pope John Paul II in 1981.
“We are talking about providing basic rights for the people of God and a structure of participation in decision-making and feedback between the top, center and base of the church. We also want to establish a system of control for those who hold power and authority in the church,” said Msgr. Schuller, former vicar general of the Archdiocese of Vienna and former director of Caritas Austria.
The Priests’ Initiative was founded in 2006 and made international headlines in June 2011 when it issued its “Appeal to Disobedience” over its agenda, which includes making clerical celibacy optional, allowing divorced and remarried Catholics who did not receive an annulment to receive Communion, and advocating a softer line on homosexual partnerships.
Msgr. Schuller, 60, told CNS that the group is engaged with the question of celibacy because of the lack of priests and concern over its future implications.
“The No. 1 issue for the church in Austria is the future of parish communities. They need a new model of leadership,” he said.
The second central issue for the group is the church’s structures, which “must respect the rights of its members” and the operation of the institutional church’s offices of authority. On the position of women, he suggested there is “a contradiction in respect of the church’s message that men and women are equal before God but not in church.”
Calling on the Austrian hierarchy to engage in dialogue with the Priests’ Initiative, he rejected suggestions that the group is intent on schism. Though earlier this year Vienna Cardinal Christoph Schonborn publicly urged the group to recant its call to disobedience, Msgr. Schuller said the group is standing firm on the matter.
He said the real danger to the unity of the church is in the way the bishops and the pope continue to separate themselves from the views of the majority of the laity.
“It is no longer enough to say ‘no’ or to tell people that they have to be obedient or say something is not allowed,” he said.
Msgr. Schuller said he would like the Vatican to give the group a chance to respond to the questions Pope Benedict XVI raised in his homily at this year’s chrism Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, when the pope suggested that renewal will emerge through obedience and a focus on Jesus.
“He asked questions such as can disobedience be a way of reforming the church; is it the right thing? We want to answer these questions,” Msgr. Schuller said.
In May the leadership of the Priests’ Initiative wrote to the pope, requesting an opportunity to meet and discuss these issues, but so far there has been no response from Rome.
“We are waiting,” he said.
The group’s membership is growing, and its Austrian members network with other groups internationally. Cardinal Schonborn has been credited with circumventing an escalation of the standoff in Austria, and so far there has been no censure of members, though the cardinal has said Priests’ Initiative members can no longer be appointed as deans in his diocese, and the Congregation for Clergy has warned the Austrian hierarchy that no member can hold diocesan leadership roles.
Msgr. Schuller said the group is angered by the amount of time and effort the Vatican has dedicated to accommodating the demands of the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X, a group he said represents a “tiny minority.”
“It is ridiculous. We are conveying the views and desires of the vast majority of Catholics, but the way Rome is acting you would think the SSPX speak for the majority. It is an inversion of reality,” he told CNS.
The lack of will to give the group space to dialogue with the Austrian hierarchy or Vatican officials means the group believes it must continue to “move forward without such discussions,” Msgr. Schuller said.
“We are calling on parish communities to make their own decisions as they face the possibility of running out of priests,” he said. “We are suggesting that they shouldn’t ask what will happen, but should decide for themselves what they want to be in the future. Then they can ask the bishops how they can help them.
“At the moment there is a very strong dependency on the bishops and their decisions,” he said. “But there is no decision-making happening in the center of the church, and time is running out.”
800 Irish priests, 200+ German theologians, and 500 Austrian priests are dissenting from Vatican teaching on women's ordination, priestly celibacy, divorce and remarriage, homosexual partnerships. Now even Catholic newspapers are covering the story. See article below about the spiritual uprising that is shaking the Catholic Church in Austria. Bridget Mary Meehan, arcwp, www.arcwp.org
September 5th, 2012
By Sarah MacDonald
By Sarah MacDonald
DUBLIN – "The leader of the Austrian Priests’ Initiative said the dissident group’s call to disobedience reflects the lack of accountability among those who exercise power and authority in the Catholic Church.
Msgr. Helmut Schuller told Catholic News Service that reform and substantive structural change are “essential for the future of the church” in Europe and the wider world.
The Priests’ Initiative, which now represents 500 clergy in Austria, wants the Vatican to revive the “Lex Ecclesiae Fundamentalis” project initiated by Pope Paul VI following the Second Vatican Council. The project, which sought to establish a common fundamental code or church constitution similar to the U.S. Bill of Rights for church members, was shelved by Pope John Paul II in 1981.
“We are talking about providing basic rights for the people of God and a structure of participation in decision-making and feedback between the top, center and base of the church. We also want to establish a system of control for those who hold power and authority in the church,” said Msgr. Schuller, former vicar general of the Archdiocese of Vienna and former director of Caritas Austria.
The Priests’ Initiative was founded in 2006 and made international headlines in June 2011 when it issued its “Appeal to Disobedience” over its agenda, which includes making clerical celibacy optional, allowing divorced and remarried Catholics who did not receive an annulment to receive Communion, and advocating a softer line on homosexual partnerships.
Msgr. Schuller, 60, told CNS that the group is engaged with the question of celibacy because of the lack of priests and concern over its future implications.
“The No. 1 issue for the church in Austria is the future of parish communities. They need a new model of leadership,” he said.
The second central issue for the group is the church’s structures, which “must respect the rights of its members” and the operation of the institutional church’s offices of authority. On the position of women, he suggested there is “a contradiction in respect of the church’s message that men and women are equal before God but not in church.”
Calling on the Austrian hierarchy to engage in dialogue with the Priests’ Initiative, he rejected suggestions that the group is intent on schism. Though earlier this year Vienna Cardinal Christoph Schonborn publicly urged the group to recant its call to disobedience, Msgr. Schuller said the group is standing firm on the matter.
He said the real danger to the unity of the church is in the way the bishops and the pope continue to separate themselves from the views of the majority of the laity.
“It is no longer enough to say ‘no’ or to tell people that they have to be obedient or say something is not allowed,” he said.
Msgr. Schuller said he would like the Vatican to give the group a chance to respond to the questions Pope Benedict XVI raised in his homily at this year’s chrism Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, when the pope suggested that renewal will emerge through obedience and a focus on Jesus.
“He asked questions such as can disobedience be a way of reforming the church; is it the right thing? We want to answer these questions,” Msgr. Schuller said.
In May the leadership of the Priests’ Initiative wrote to the pope, requesting an opportunity to meet and discuss these issues, but so far there has been no response from Rome.
“We are waiting,” he said.
The group’s membership is growing, and its Austrian members network with other groups internationally. Cardinal Schonborn has been credited with circumventing an escalation of the standoff in Austria, and so far there has been no censure of members, though the cardinal has said Priests’ Initiative members can no longer be appointed as deans in his diocese, and the Congregation for Clergy has warned the Austrian hierarchy that no member can hold diocesan leadership roles.
Msgr. Schuller said the group is angered by the amount of time and effort the Vatican has dedicated to accommodating the demands of the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X, a group he said represents a “tiny minority.”
“It is ridiculous. We are conveying the views and desires of the vast majority of Catholics, but the way Rome is acting you would think the SSPX speak for the majority. It is an inversion of reality,” he told CNS.
The lack of will to give the group space to dialogue with the Austrian hierarchy or Vatican officials means the group believes it must continue to “move forward without such discussions,” Msgr. Schuller said.
“We are calling on parish communities to make their own decisions as they face the possibility of running out of priests,” he said. “We are suggesting that they shouldn’t ask what will happen, but should decide for themselves what they want to be in the future. Then they can ask the bishops how they can help them.
“At the moment there is a very strong dependency on the bishops and their decisions,” he said. “But there is no decision-making happening in the center of the church, and time is running out.”
From September 7, 2012 issue of Catholic San Francisco.
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