Living Gospel Inclusivity and Empowerment Now- https://bridgetmarys.blogspot.com/2025/10/rev-dr-bridget-mary-meehan-arcwp-chat.html
Sunday, June 26, 2016
"Women Priests March on Rome Asking Pope Francis to Consider Changing Church Rules ". New York Times
WITW STAFF
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MARCH 20: POPE FRANCIS WAVES TO THE FAITHFUL AS HE LEAVES ST. PETER'S SQUARE AT THE END OF THE PALM SUNDAY MASS ON MARCH 20, 2016 IN VATICAN CITY, VATICAN. (PHOTO BY FRANCO ORIGLIA/GETTY IMAGES)
During a celebration known as the Jubilee for Priests and Seminarians at the headquarters of the Catholic church this month, a group of women who say they have been rightly ordained as Catholic priests had their own celebration by way of a march near St. Peter’s Square.The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests, along with the advocacy group Women’s Ordination Conference, carried a pink cardboard telephone booth with the words “Door to Dialogue” on it, sending a message to Francis and church officials that they were there, willing to discuss the possibility of the church finally allowing and recognizing female priests. The women told The Daily Beast that it was a sign of progress that they were even given a permit to march near the Vatican, and that a petition they had signed was delivered to a senior Vatican official.
Still, the Church has a longstanding policy of barring women from serving as priests. Some women who have been ordained by Catholic bishops claim they already are priests, though women who claim that are excommunicated from the church, according to the report. Cristina Moreira, of Spain, and Janice Sevre-Duszynska, of the United States, both say that they are ordained priests, and marched in the event this week in Rome.
The Women’s Ordination Conference said it’s time for the church’s policy of sexism to change.
“Opening a commission to study the diaconate for women would be a great step for the Vatican in recognizing its own history,” Kate McElwee, co-executive director of the WOC, told The Daily Beast. “Discussion on ordained ministries for women is new for the Vatican, and something we celebrate.”
Read the full story at The Daily Beast.
ARCWP-COLOMBIA. PARTICIPA EN LA FORMACIÓN DE LAS VEEDURIAS DESDE LA MESA ECUMENICA POR LA PAZ. Olga Lucia Álvarez Benjumea ARCWP
https://evangelizadorasdelosapostoles.wordpress.com/2016/06/25/arcwp-colombia-participa-en-la-formacion-de-las-veedurias-desde-la-mesa-ecumenica-por-la-paz-olga-lucia-alvarez-benjumea-arcwp/
El pasado 23 de Junio sido un día muy importante para Colombia. Se han firmado los acuerdos de Paz entre el Gobierno y las FARC. Somos conscientes que nos “faltan muchas cosas para conseguir la Paz”, como dice la canción. A pesar de ello, no vamos a dejar de soñar, para construir realizarla y hacerla posible.
Es el momento de involucrarnos y participar activamente con entusiasmo, con alegría y pleno compromiso como cristianas/os en velar, vigilar y cuidar para que la semilla de la Paz, germine, crezca, y su Luz, irradie, no solo para nuestra región, sino que llegue a todo el país y al mundo entero.
Es así como nos hemos reunido, quienes participamos en la Mesa Ecuménica por la Paz: Iglesia Católica, Iglesia Vetero Católica, Fraternidad Sacerdotal, Comunión Sin Fronteras, Casa Biblica-Laureles, ARCWP, invitando a varios líderes –mujeres-hombres- de nuestros municipios y barrios, a fin de auto-capacitarnos, capacitar y ayudarnos mutuamente a protegernos y proteger nuestros derechos adquiridos, construyendo una Sociedad Incluyente.
Ha sido muy importante, recoger la historia de los Barrios, focalizar nuestros problemas, descubrir nuestros valores, encontrar nuestros líderes y la capacidad de sus dones al servicio de la Comunidad, para luego plantearnos el qué hacer y preguntarnos, si estuviéramos cada vez más unidos/as qué sucedería en nuestro país?
El compromiso es seguir informando, capacitando a los líderes hacia las Veedurías públicas, articuladas al cumplimiento de la Ley 850 del 2003.
Ancizar Cadavid, motivando, explicando el sentido ecuménico y el aporte para la PAZ desde la Mesa Ecuménica por la Paz.
Nos hemos presentado haciendo una telaraña sobre el mapa que representa los espacios donde estamos ubicados.
Aspecto del taller y sus participantes.
Recogiendo la historia y experiencia de cada participante por zonas.
Los aportes de los grupos fueron compartidos en el plenario y consignados en el tablero.
Recibiendo información, clarificando conceptos, escuchando propuestas y sugerencias.
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community 13th Week in Extraordinary Time June 25, 2016 Michael Rigdon and Sallly Borchu ARCWP Co-Presiding Mindy Lou Simmons, Music Minister
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| Presider Michael Rigdon welcomes the community, Sally Brochu, ARCWP co-presider on left |
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| Sally Brochu ARCWP, Co-Presider holds Gospel Book and proclaimss Gospel |
Welcome!
Moment of silence
Gathering Song: #513 Come, follow me, vs 1-3
All: In the name of God our creator, and of Jesus our brother, and of the Holy Spirit our wisdom. Amen.
Presider: God is with you. All: And also with you.
Opening Prayer. All: Let us pray. O God, make our hearts places of peace and our minds harbors of tranquility. Sow in our souls true love for you and for one another. And root deeply within us friendship and unity, and concord with reverence. So may we give peace to each other sincerely and receive it beautifully. Amen
General Absolution by Community. All, with hand extended in prayer: O God of all mercy, through his life Jesus revealed that nothing can separate us from your love. May God give us pardon and peace, and may we forgive each other our failures to care for one another and for our earth, in the name of Abba God, and of our brother Jesus, and of Spirit Sophia. Amen
All sing: Glory to God, glory. O praise God, alleluia. Glory to God, glory. O praise the name of our God. (x3)
1st reading from the first book of Kings
Response: #743 You are my inheritance, O God, my inheritance, O God.
2nd reading from Paul’s letter to the Galatians
Gospel Acclamation: #931 Celtic Alleluia
A reading from the Gospel of Luke.
Response. All: Glory & praise to Jesus the Christ!
All (sing): Celtic Alleluia
Shared Homily
Moment of silence
Profession of Faith. All: We believe in God, the creator of all, whose divinity infuses life with the sacred. We believe in Jesus the Christ who leads us to the fullness of humanity. Through Christ we become new people, lifted to the fullness of life. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the breath of God on earth, who keeps the Christ vision present and infuses energy into weary spirits. We believe in God who is life. Amen to courage, to hope, to the spirit of truth, to wholeness, to the partnership and equality of women and men in God’s plan. We believe in justice and peace for all. We surely believe in all this!
Community Petitions. Presider: Always mindful of God’s love and care for us, we bring the needs of the people to our loving God. Response: God of love, hear our prayer.
Presider: Energize us in our works for justice, equality, and peace. We pray this with Jesus our brother.
All: Amen
Collection and Procession of Gifts to the table.
All Sing: #361 Seed Scattered and Sown, 1&3
Eucharistic Prayer. We invite all to gather around the table for our community meal.
All Sing: We are holy holy holy (x3) We are whole. You are holy… I am holy… We are holy
All: As we do in this place what you did in an upstairs room, send down your Spirit Sophia on us and on these gifts of bread and wine that they may become for us your body, healing, forgiving, and making us whole. And that we may become for you, your body, loving and caring in the world until your kindom comes. Amen.
We remember Jesus. All, with hand extended in blessing: On the night before he died, while at supper with his friends, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread and gave it to them saying, “Take this, all of you, and eat. This is my body which will be broken for you.” (Pause) In the same way, Jesus took a cup of wine. He said the blessing, gave the cup to his friends and said, “Take this all of you and drink. This is the cup of my life-blood. Do this in memory of me.”
All: Remember, gracious God, your Church throughout the world. Make us open to receive all believers. In union with all people, may we strive to create a world where suffering is diminished, and where all people can live in health and wholeness.
Thru Christ, with Christ, in Christ, in union with the Holy Spirit, all glory is yours, gracious God. Amen (sing)
Prayer of Jesus (Sing “Our Father and Mother”)
Group Sign of Peace: #532 Let there be peace on earth.
Presider: Let us offer one another a sign of peace.
All: This is Jesus who liberates, heals and transforms us and our world. All are invited to partake of this banquet of love. We are the Body of Christ.
All Sing: Holy gifts for holy people; come, you hungry, and believe. Come and take Christ’s body offered, come and be what you receive. (Repeat x2)
Communion: Instrumental music (Mindy)
Prayer of Thanksgiving (Didache, Instruction, 100CE)
Men: For the thanksgiving, give thanks this way: First, for the cup: We thank you, Abba God, for the sacred vine of David your son, whose meaning you made clear to us through our brother Jesus, yours ever be the splendor.
Women: And for the bread fragment: We thank you, Abba God, for the life and wisdom whose meaning you made clear to us through Jesus, yours ever be the splendor.
All: As this fragment was scattered high on hills, but by gathering was united into one, so let your people from earth’s ends be united into your single reign, for yours are splendor and might through Jesus Christ down the ages.
Prayers of Thanksgiving. Introductions. Announcements.
All sing, hand extended in blessing: You are the face of God, I hold you in my heart, You are a part of me, You are the face of God. You are the face of God, I hold you in my heart, You are my family, You are the face of God.
Presider: Go in the peace of Christ, may our loving service to all continue! All: Thanks be to God. Alleluia!
Closing song: #504 Go make a difference, vs 1-3
Anointing of those in need
http://www.marymotherofjesus.org/liturgy/
After liturgy, members of MMOJ Inclusive Catholic Community continue their sharing at supper in a local restaurant in Sarasota, Florida. There is room for everyone at the table!
After liturgy, members of MMOJ Inclusive Catholic Community continue their sharing at supper in a local restaurant in Sarasota, Florida. There is room for everyone at the table!
My Response to the Vatican letter that asks Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet to Rome for 'prayerful conversation' by Dan Stockman/National Catholic Reporter:
Bridget Mary's Response: According to this National Catholic Reporter article, about 15 communities have been invited to a Vatican dialogue on areas of dissent: "from the Church's moral teaching or approved liturgical practice".
I thought the Vatican investigation of the U.S. religious orders was over! Didn't the Vatican learn its lesson: don't mess with the nuns? In city after city, hundreds of Catholics took to the streets to show their support for the Nuns on the Bus and the ministries of the courageous, dedicated Sisters who have educated and cared for millions of Catholics through the years. Is this another example of the Vatican as the gift that keeps on giving? I don't get it!
I thought the Vatican investigation of the U.S. religious orders was over! Didn't the Vatican learn its lesson: don't mess with the nuns? In city after city, hundreds of Catholics took to the streets to show their support for the Nuns on the Bus and the ministries of the courageous, dedicated Sisters who have educated and cared for millions of Catholics through the years. Is this another example of the Vatican as the gift that keeps on giving? I don't get it!
Seriously, what is the Vatican trying to do? Single out a "bad girls" list of Religious Orders that don't conform to church teaching on "hot button" issues such as birth control, abortion, gay marriage, women priests,etc. The church teaches that one must follow one's conscience in all moral decisions. Is this a last ditch effort on the Vatican's part to pressure the nuns to support teachings that violate their religious freedom?
Will the Vatican force religious congregations to relinquish their canonical status, the good housekeeping seal of approval by the institutional church unless they conform to official church teaching on these and other issues? Or will the religious congregations finally say "enough is enough" and liberate themselves from the yoke of Vatican patriarchal control in order to live Gospel freedom and integrity ?
Will the Vatican force religious congregations to relinquish their canonical status, the good housekeeping seal of approval by the institutional church unless they conform to official church teaching on these and other issues? Or will the religious congregations finally say "enough is enough" and liberate themselves from the yoke of Vatican patriarchal control in order to live Gospel freedom and integrity ?
Pope Francis is full of wonderful surprises! So, I am hopeful that he can stop this train wreck from happening. In a respectful, prayerful conversation, perhaps, the Vatican officials involved in this dialogue will comprehend the legacy of love, compassion, faith and hope that the women in these Religious Orders bring to the table. Perhaps, this will be an opportunity for mutual growth and spiritual sharing versus ecclesiastical "nit-picking" over the nuns' perceived failures to follow
magisterial teaching? Just imagine Jesus, the rule breaker, at the Vatican participating in this dialogue!
magisterial teaching? Just imagine Jesus, the rule breaker, at the Vatican participating in this dialogue!
As baptized members of the church, the Sisters and their brothers in the Vatican hierarchy, are spiritual equals. The nuns, including the Orders on this recent "Vatican hit list", have spoken truth to power in their prophetic witness on many issues. They have not supported the hierarchy's policies of discrimination against LGBTI and have spoken out on environmental healing, poverty, economic justice and sexual exploitation etc.
I hope this upcoming Vatican dialogue will promote Gospel equality as the Sisters speak truth to power on the elephant in the church's living room- the full equality of women as priests and decison-makers in all ministries of the church. Pope Francis and the Vatican hierarchy need to listen to the voice of God, speaking through the the Sisters if the church is to be credible and to flourish in the 21st century.
Bridget Mary Meehan, sofiabmm@aol.com, www.arcwp.org
Bridget Mary Meehan, sofiabmm@aol.com, www.arcwp.org
"The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet are among the recipients of letters from the Vatican asking congregations to explain matters learned during the apostolic visitation.
About 15 communities of U.S. Catholic sisters are being asked to provide the Vatican with further clarification in the aftermath of the controversial, six-year investigation. The apostolic visitation was announced in 2009, and a final report of the six-year process was released in December 2014.
In addition to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Loretto Sisters also received letters from the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CICLSAL).
Both the Loretto Sisters and the Sisters of St. Joseph were invited to Rome to discuss the matters at meetings in October. The Loretto Sisters' meeting is scheduled Oct. 18. The timing of the Sisters of St. Joseph meeting in October is tentative, the letter said. The Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary were only asked to provide a written response.
The Sisters of St. Joseph said in a statement their letter invited them to Rome for a "prayerful conversation" about "a few points mentioned in the letter." The statement did not say what those points were, and congregational leaders declined to say anything beyond the issued statement.
A copy of the subsequent letter sent by leadership to Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet sisters was obtained by Global Sisters Report. It says that all CSJ Province Leadership Teams received the same letter from CICLSAL and quotes from it on five matters "voicing the following concerns":
• Your desire to help bring about an 'emerging new form of religious life';• Your evaluation of the way you promote the spiritual and community life of the congregation, in light of the Church's definition of apostolic religious life;• Your Congregation's policy regarding members of the community who are known to hold positions of dissent from the Church's moral teaching or approved liturgical practice;• The identity and role of lay associates/consociates, assuring the distinction between vowed religious life and laity.• We also urge you to evaluate your efforts to promote 'communion with creation', especially in light of Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato si, a comprehensive presentation on the responsible care of creation, in view of integrating its principles enunciated in the encyclical into your current efforts in this area.
The congregation's statement said the letter was presented as a follow-up to the on-site visit to the order in St. Paul, Minnesota, in late 2010. The congregation's leadership team discussed whether to accept or decline the summons, but decided the "benefits outweigh the challenges of expense and some inconvenience."
The statement said the way sisters conducted themselves during the apostolic visitation and an even more controversial investigation by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith showed the value of remaining engaged to resolve differences and misunderstandings between sisters and the church hierarchy.
"We want to 'stay at the table' and participate in respectful dialogue. We want to communicate by our behavior that we see ourselves as their partners in continuing Christ's mission," the statement said. "It is also potentially an opportunity for the staff of CICLSAL to deepen their understanding of women religious in our country."
The Loretto Sisters were asked to report on five so-called "areas of concern," including:
• Your way of promoting the spiritual and community life of the congregation, in light of the Church's definition of apostolic religious life;• A certain ambiguity regarding the congregation's adherence to some areas of Church doctrine and morality;• Your Congregation's policy regarding members of the community who are known to hold positions of dissent from the Church's moral teaching or approved liturgical practice.
The Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary were asked in a letter they described as "friendly" to respond to the office's continued concern over the order's "public dissent of Church teaching."
Sr. Teri Hadro, president of the order, said the Vatican interprets things as dissent that are actually just different ordering of priorities, citing the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' spending the last decade making abortion its primary cause, while many U.S. women religious congregations have focused on issues like food, water and shelter for marginalized populations.
[Dan Stockman is national correspondent for Global Sisters Report. Follow him on Twitter @DanStockman or on Facebook.]
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (ARCWP) - Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
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Janice
Sevre Duszynska, ARCWP (left), and Katie Zatsick, ARCWP (right) hold
banner: Association of Roman Catholic Women Priest - Reclaiming Our Ancient
Heritage!
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We are grateful for
Pope Francis’ work to protect mother earth, his care for the poor, and advocacy
for economic equality. However, he must make the connection between poverty and
gender justice. Two thirds of the world’s poor are women and their dependent
children. If the Catholic Church were to embrace women's gifts as equals in the
priesthood and in decision-making, just imagine the many blessings this
affirmation would bring to a world where women suffer injustice and
inequality every day. We hope that Pope
Francis will chart a new path toward human equality in our church by
opening all ministries to women. The commission on
women deacons could be a first step toward the full equality of women in the
church.
How did your Movement begin?
The Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement began with the ordination of seven women on the Danube River in 2002. An anonymous male bishop with apostolic succession ordained our first women bishops. Therefore, our ordinations are valid. We are disobeying an unjust man-made church law (canon 1024) that discriminates against women by prohibiting women's ordination. Right now, there are seven sacraments for men and six for women. The Catholic Church cannot continue to discriminate against women and blame God for it. Presently, the official teaching states that the Church has no authority whatsoever to ordain women because the priest acts in "persona Christi", and must bear a physical resemblance to Jesus. Thus, only men can be priests. Baptism makes us all spiritual equals, and opens the door to all the sacraments, including Holy Orders. Baptized into Christ, we are all spiritual equals (Galatians 3:27-28). We are following our consciences and leading the church toward justice and equality by ordaining women in apostolic succession in a new model of church that is inclusive, non-clerical and empowering for all.
In June 2016, Pope Francis has received our ongoing petition campaign from our international movement to lift our excommunications, stop all punishments against us and our supporters, and begin a dialogue with us. See our petition to Pope Francis:
SIGN PETITION :
CATHOLICS SUPPORT WOMEN PRIESTS. POPE FRANCIS SHOULD DO THE SAME., Groundswell
Campaign
What is your
vision/mission?
Roman Catholic Women
Priests are a renewal, justice movement, within the Catholic Church. We
are creating a bridge between our present institutional church and a new model
of church, rooted in Jesus’ vision of an open table, and beginning a healing
process of centuries-old misogyny.
We are changing the church, one
inclusive Catholic Community at a time. We offer hope that gender equality can
be a reality now by living as companions in a blessed, mutual partnership of
love, rooted in the teachings and example of Jesus. We are companions on
the journey, an egalitarian partnership with the community of the baptized,
facilitating inclusive liturgies and building loving communities of service in
our local areas. Our mission is to serve especially those whom the Vatican
marginalizes and to serve Catholics who are ready to embrace a more inclusive
church.
The real issue is the
full equality of women in a renewed church where all are equal and all are
welcome. The Church that treats women as second-class citizens violates God's will. Genesis 1:27: God created humanity in God's image, in the divine image, God created them, male and female God created them. Galatians 3:27. St. Paul reminds us that by our baptism there is neither male nor female, all are one in Christ.
Now is the time for a loving “holy shakeup”, an
explosion of grace, which will bring fresh hope for justice and equality for
women in the church and world. As a new ecclesial movement we are
blessing the church with new life in grassroots egalitarian communities
where all are equal and empowered.
Who is your target
group?
We are serving
inclusive Catholic communities where all are welcome to receive sacraments.
Thirty-three million Catholics in the U.S. have left the church and we are
welcoming them to our inclusive Eucharistic communities.
Are your orders
recognized in the Catholic Church?
Roman Catholic Women
Priests have valid orders. A male bishop in apostolic succession ordained our
first bishops. According to recent polls, a growing number of people in
many countries support women priests. Our international movement has ordained members
in thirteen countries and on five continents.
Why don't you get
ordained in another church, rather than face excommunication and rejection?
We are faith-filled members of our church dedicated to making our church more loving, open, inclusive, just and equal. The church is our spiritual family and home. Jesus stood on the margins with the least and the last. He treated women as disciples and equals. He proclaimed that we are all the beloved of God, who is love. As followers of Jesus, we live the beautiful mystical, prophetic and sacramental tradition of our church. Pope Benedict canonized two excommunicated nuns: Theodora Guerin and Mary MacKillop. Like these courageous women we spoke truth to power and suffered condemnation; we too are called to be prophets of gender justice for women in our church today. Like them, we are following primacy of conscience, which the church has taught for centuries.
How do you deal with
excommunication?
We reject
excommunication. No punishment can separate us from Christ or cancel our
baptism. No church authority can separate us from God. This is our church and
we are not leaving it no matter what the Vatican says or does (The Vatican's
official line is that our excommunicate is the automatic type, by your choice,
you have excommunicated yourself).
Were women ever
ordained in church history? The church teaches that Jesus had twelve apostles.
How can women be priests?
Jesus called women
and men to be disciples (Luke 8:1-3). Jesus did not ordain anyone. The Twelve
symbolized the twelve tribes of Israel. Women were apostles: Mary of Magdala
and Junia in Romans 16:7. Paul
calls Junia an outstanding apostle! So there were more than 12 apostles. Paul
was an apostle, and Mary of Magdala and Junia were two women apostles. The
early Church Fathers referred to Mary of Magdala as the apostle to the
apostles!
The Risen Christ
called Mary Magdala to be the apostle to the apostles. She was the first
to proclaim the central message of Christianity, the Resurrection. Vatican
hierarchy should follow Jesus’ example of Gospel equality and the early
church’s tradition of women in liturgical leadership as deacons, priests and
bishops.
What is the History of Women's Ordination?
For 1200 years women
were ordained (Gary Macy, The Hidden History of Women’s Ordination,
Dorothy Irvin’s archaeological evidence etc., and see major scholarship
"women can be priests" in many languages: http://www.womenpriests.org/).
“In the early
centuries of Christianity, ordination was the process and the ceremony by which
one moved to any new ministry (ordo) in the community. By this definition,
women were in fact ordained into several ministries. A radical change in the
definition of ordination during the eleventh and twelfth centuries not only
removed women from the ordained ministry, but also attempted to eradicate any
memory of women's ordination in the past. …However, the triumph of a new
definition of ordination as the bestowal of power, particularly the power
to confect the Eucharist, so thoroughly dominated western thought and
practice by the thirteenth century that the earlier concept of ordination was
almost completely erased.. References to the ordination of women exist in
papal, episcopal and theological documents of the time, and the rites for these
ordinations have survived” (Gary Macy, The Hidden History of Women’s
Ordination).
The Vatican and
Google have created a virtual tour of catacombs including two frescoes in St.
Priscilla’s catacomb that provide evidence of ancient women deacons and priests
in first centuries of church’s history. One fresco depicts a woman deacon
in the center vested in a dalmatic, her arms raised in the orans position for
public worship. In the same scene there is a bishop being ordained a priest
by a bishop seated in a chair. She is vested in an alb, chasuble, and amice,
and holding a gospel scroll. The third woman in the painting is wearing
the same robe as the bishop on the left and is sitting in the same type of
chair. In another fresco in the Catacombs of Priscilla, women are conducting a
Eucharistic banquet. This evidence portrays women in liturgical roles and
vestments.
Why are you being
ordained as deacons, priests and bishops? Do you support clericalism, a top
down pyramid model in which the people are basically shut out of
decision-making?
We are called by God
to minister in a renewed priestly ministry that celebrates our baptismal
equality in Christ. We live a non-clerical, circular model of decision-making
in our governance and in our independent, inclusive communities. In our
liturgies, all are welcome to receive sacraments and fully participate as
baptismal equals in celebrating liturgies. In many of our communities
there are dialogue homilies, everyone recites the words of consecration and
offers mutual blessing. Until women are affirmed as equals at the altar and in decision-making,
women will be second-class citizens in our church.
What is your response
to sexism in the church today?
All the baptized are
in "Persona Christi” who celebrate Eucharist as the Body of Christ.
In our present Roman Catholic structure, only male priests are officially
recognized as in Persona Christi, and therefore, only male priests are
called to preside at Eucharist. Roman Catholic Women Priests are visible
reminders that women are equal images of God and therefore, are called to
preside at and celebrate Eucharist as the Body of Christ. The Vatican hierarchy
cannot continue to discriminate against women in sacramental ministry and in
decision-making by insisting only ordained males are in Persona
Christi. Our movement follows Jesus’ example of an open table where
everyone is the Christ-Presence and all are welcome at the banquet table of
God's love.
How many are in your international movement and where are you?
The total number is approximately 225 for the entire Roman Catholic Women Priests international Movement which includes branches in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Canada, U.S., South America and South Africa
Why are there two branches of this movement in the United States?
In the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement, there are two RCWP groups in the United States, the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (ARCWP) and Roman Catholic Women Priests – USA (RCWP-USA). Like two religious orders RCWP and ARCWP offer different approaches to governance and program preparation. Our common mission is a renewed priestly ministry in an inclusive church.
Both ARCWP and RCWP-USA offer a new model of priestly ministry in a renewed church that lives prophetic obedience and Gospel equality in the Roman Catholic Church now. Both ARCWP and RCWP-USA communicate and share resources on a regular basis. We have a common listserv and national retreats. We collaborate on major reform movement events such as the celebration of liturgy at Call to Action National Conference..
The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priest's (ARCWP) vision is a renewed priestly ministry within a community of equals. ARCWP makes decisions by a consensus process that involves all members.
ARCWP is an international group without regional territories. Presently, ARCWP is in the United States, South America, and Canada.
Our website is www.arcwp.org
Media Contacts:
Bridget Mary Meehan sofiabmm@aol.com, Janice Sevre Duszynska
rhythmsofthedance1@gmail.com,
Friday, June 24, 2016
Homily at Holy Spirit Catholic Community, 13th Sunday OT, June 26, 2016, Beverly Bingle RCWP
Today begins the most important section of Luke's Gospel,
referred to by scripture scholars as the “journey narrative.”
Fr. Raymond Brown calls Luke's story
of the long journey to Jerusalem
“an artificial framework.”
It's a literary device created by Luke
so he can tell about Jesus in an organized way.
________________________________________
Jesus actually did travel from Galilee to Jerusalem.
For later followers, his journey takes on symbolic meaning:
it's the way by which Jesus went from death to new life,
and the way that we, as his disciples,
are called to do the same.
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Luke's story of the beginning of Jesus' long journey
begins with a lesson that we still need today.
At the very beginning of the trip,
Jesus' disciples are not welcome in a Samaritan village,
but Jesus will not let them call down fire from heaven
to destroy the villagers.
________________________________________
In the 18th century, Jonathan Swift, Irish Anglican priest,
criticized Christians for having
just enough religion to hate
but not enough to love.
History continues to give us examples of people who,
like the first disciples,
want to do violence to people who don't agree with them.
We don't have to look any farther
than the front pages of our newspapers to see it.
People killing other people when they disagree.
People killing other people because they are different.
And people doing murder in the name of God.
It happened in the Crusades.
In Nazi Germany.
In the Middle East.
In Orlando.
It's still happening.
________________________________________
What motivates people to hate so viciously in the name of God?
Maybe their religion is just a veneer on the surface of their lives.
Maybe they just can't grasp the message of love
that's at the heart of all real religions.
Maybe they never really learned what their own religion is about.
Or maybe it's the failure of religious leaders
to keep their own hatred out of their beliefs.
Whatever it is, Fr. Joseph Pollard rightly calls it blasphemy.
________________________________________
But for us Christians, we should know the way.
Jesus' response to his disciples call for vengeance
is to go on to another village.
He teaches us that our way to new life
is not through violence and retribution
but through peaceful avoidance of conflict.
________________________________________
So Jesus and his disciples continue on the journey,
and Luke has Jesus give us more advice.
Three people come up to him, one by one,
and each one hears radical requirements for discipleship.
The first person, wanting to follow Jesus wherever he goes,
hears that there will be no place to rest
for the one who joins Jesus on the Way.
We have to ask ourselves if we are ready to follow,
even if we have to walk away
from the comfort and security of our homes and friends.
Are we ready to speak up for what is right and just,
even if we know our family members and best friends
will disagree with us?
________________________________________
The second person, invited by Jesus to join the group,
wants to go bury his father,
and Jesus responds with “let the dead bury their dead.”
If the man goes home to wait for his father's death
so he can fulfill the law of honoring his parents,
he himself will become dead
to the new life that comes with the journey to Jerusalem.
We have to ask ourselves what we're waiting for
that keeps us from following Jesus along the Way.
Maybe it's job security—
I won't object to my boss' racist remarks
until I have another job lined up.
________________________________________
And the third person
wants to say goodbye to family before he follows,
but Jesus warns that anyone
who expects to live in the reign of God
can't live in the past.
As followers along the way, we look ahead.
We don't regret the past and we're not obsessed with it,
either by focusing on its mistakes
or by imagining it as a golden age.
________________________________________
We know from other scriptures
that Jesus does not mean these sayings to be absolutes.
What Jesus is doing is making clear
the mindsets that undermine living in the reign of God.
He is reminding us of the greater goal,
and that everything else falls by the wayside
in our choice to follow him.
________________________________________
Rarely are we called to burn all our bridges,
like Elisha in the first reading.
These sayings remind us that, at rare, particular moments,
we are called to be heroic.
But most of the time
we are called to reflect, adapt, and take action.
As Paul puts it in that second reading,
we have to live by the Spirit, not by the law.
We are required to serve one another through love.
________________________________________
I recall times in my own life
when I lacked the courage to follow Jesus' way,
and a few times when I had the courage to burn bridges,
to walk away from security for the sake of a vision.
Out of Africa author Karen Blixen once said that
“There is probably always one moment in life
when there is still the possibility of two courses,
and another when only one is possible.
At the latter point I have burnt my boats,
and afterwards there can be no retreat.”
Elisha reached that point.
Paul reached that point.
Jesus reached that point.
________________________________________
We reach that point, too,
faced with the question of what it means
for us
to follow Christ today.
It means to act with love where we are,
in our chosen career,
on our chosen life path,
true to the commitments we have made.
It's not only what we do that's important.
It's how we do it.
There's more than one way to follow Jesus,
but each path has this in common:
we are called to follow with our whole heart,
and our heart must be full of love,
no matter what.
Amen!
--
Holy Spirit Catholic Community
Saturdays at 4:30 p.m./Sundays at 5:30 p.m.
at 3925 West Central Avenue (Washington Church)
www.holyspirittoledo.org
Rev. Dr. Bev Bingle, Pastor
Mailing address: 3156 Doyle Street, Toledo, OH 43608-2006
Fr. Raymond Brown calls Luke's story
of the long journey to Jerusalem
“an artificial framework.”
It's a literary device created by Luke
so he can tell about Jesus in an organized way.
________________________________________
Jesus actually did travel from Galilee to Jerusalem.
For later followers, his journey takes on symbolic meaning:
it's the way by which Jesus went from death to new life,
and the way that we, as his disciples,
are called to do the same.
________________________________________
Luke's story of the beginning of Jesus' long journey
begins with a lesson that we still need today.
At the very beginning of the trip,
Jesus' disciples are not welcome in a Samaritan village,
but Jesus will not let them call down fire from heaven
to destroy the villagers.
________________________________________
In the 18th century, Jonathan Swift, Irish Anglican priest,
criticized Christians for having
just enough religion to hate
but not enough to love.
History continues to give us examples of people who,
like the first disciples,
want to do violence to people who don't agree with them.
We don't have to look any farther
than the front pages of our newspapers to see it.
People killing other people when they disagree.
People killing other people because they are different.
And people doing murder in the name of God.
It happened in the Crusades.
In Nazi Germany.
In the Middle East.
In Orlando.
It's still happening.
________________________________________
What motivates people to hate so viciously in the name of God?
Maybe their religion is just a veneer on the surface of their lives.
Maybe they just can't grasp the message of love
that's at the heart of all real religions.
Maybe they never really learned what their own religion is about.
Or maybe it's the failure of religious leaders
to keep their own hatred out of their beliefs.
Whatever it is, Fr. Joseph Pollard rightly calls it blasphemy.
________________________________________
But for us Christians, we should know the way.
Jesus' response to his disciples call for vengeance
is to go on to another village.
He teaches us that our way to new life
is not through violence and retribution
but through peaceful avoidance of conflict.
________________________________________
So Jesus and his disciples continue on the journey,
and Luke has Jesus give us more advice.
Three people come up to him, one by one,
and each one hears radical requirements for discipleship.
The first person, wanting to follow Jesus wherever he goes,
hears that there will be no place to rest
for the one who joins Jesus on the Way.
We have to ask ourselves if we are ready to follow,
even if we have to walk away
from the comfort and security of our homes and friends.
Are we ready to speak up for what is right and just,
even if we know our family members and best friends
will disagree with us?
________________________________________
The second person, invited by Jesus to join the group,
wants to go bury his father,
and Jesus responds with “let the dead bury their dead.”
If the man goes home to wait for his father's death
so he can fulfill the law of honoring his parents,
he himself will become dead
to the new life that comes with the journey to Jerusalem.
We have to ask ourselves what we're waiting for
that keeps us from following Jesus along the Way.
Maybe it's job security—
I won't object to my boss' racist remarks
until I have another job lined up.
________________________________________
And the third person
wants to say goodbye to family before he follows,
but Jesus warns that anyone
who expects to live in the reign of God
can't live in the past.
As followers along the way, we look ahead.
We don't regret the past and we're not obsessed with it,
either by focusing on its mistakes
or by imagining it as a golden age.
________________________________________
We know from other scriptures
that Jesus does not mean these sayings to be absolutes.
What Jesus is doing is making clear
the mindsets that undermine living in the reign of God.
He is reminding us of the greater goal,
and that everything else falls by the wayside
in our choice to follow him.
________________________________________
Rarely are we called to burn all our bridges,
like Elisha in the first reading.
These sayings remind us that, at rare, particular moments,
we are called to be heroic.
But most of the time
we are called to reflect, adapt, and take action.
As Paul puts it in that second reading,
we have to live by the Spirit, not by the law.
We are required to serve one another through love.
________________________________________
I recall times in my own life
when I lacked the courage to follow Jesus' way,
and a few times when I had the courage to burn bridges,
to walk away from security for the sake of a vision.
Out of Africa author Karen Blixen once said that
“There is probably always one moment in life
when there is still the possibility of two courses,
and another when only one is possible.
At the latter point I have burnt my boats,
and afterwards there can be no retreat.”
Elisha reached that point.
Paul reached that point.
Jesus reached that point.
________________________________________
We reach that point, too,
faced with the question of what it means
for us
to follow Christ today.
It means to act with love where we are,
in our chosen career,
on our chosen life path,
true to the commitments we have made.
It's not only what we do that's important.
It's how we do it.
There's more than one way to follow Jesus,
but each path has this in common:
we are called to follow with our whole heart,
and our heart must be full of love,
no matter what.
Amen!
--
Holy Spirit Catholic Community
Saturdays at 4:30 p.m./Sundays at 5:30 p.m.
at 3925 West Central Avenue (Washington Church)
www.holyspirittoledo.org
Rev. Dr. Bev Bingle, Pastor
Mailing address: 3156 Doyle Street, Toledo, OH 43608-2006
Thursday, June 23, 2016
"No More, No More, No More" Response to Orlando Massacre by Pastor Greg Russell, St. Andrew UCC, Sarasota, Florida, June 19, 2016
“WHAT,
THEN, SHALL WE SAY . . .?”
Romans 8:31-35, 37-39
Matthew
5:43-48
 |
| Pastor Greg Russell on Holy Thursday at our Ecumenical Eucharist |
So, last Sunday when Lucy Painter and I
gathered at the back of the sanctuary to come down the aisle, she said, “Real
shame about Orlando.” And I said, “What
happened in Orlando?” And that’s how I
found out about what has turned out to be the worst mass shooting on U.S. soil. A madman with a grudge against gay people
and using ISIL as a quasi-religious cover, armed with a military grade rifle,
began his cowardly work with devastating results at Pulse nightclub – 49 dead
and 53 wounded with several more expected to die from their wounds.
And a week later as we bury and mourn our
dead and try to help those who have been wounded to heal, I have to
preach. Preachers preach, so I have to
say something. What can I possibly say
to you? As I told Lucy last Sunday as
we stood in front of the communion table, and you watched me try to absorb what
she had just told me, “I’m out of words; I just don’t know what to say…”
One of the things I can say to you with
confidence is that “Terrorist Attack” is not a heading you’ll find in the
concordance at the back of your study Bible.
I know. I looked.
But I didn’t stop looking there; in
addition, I looked under the heading, “enemies,” and this is the very first
listing I found. In his ‘Sermon on the
Mount’ (Matthew, chapters 5-7), Jesus is recorded as saying this:
You
have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love
your
neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I
say to
you,
‘Love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute
you.’ . . . If you love only those who
love you,
do not even the tax-collectors and the
gentiles
do the same? . . . No, you must be perfect,
even as
your heavenly father is perfect.”
(Matthew 5:43-48)
And my first reaction is: “Please,
Jesus! Don’t ask this of me – not right
now! I just can’t do this! I hope we track down all the people who have
inspired and carried out this awful thing, and grind them into a powder so fine
that the wind can’t find enough of them to blow away!” I feel like Peter, who, after his initial
encounter with Jesus, cries out, “Lord, get away from me, for I am a sinful
man!” (Luke 5:1-11)
“You expect too much, Jesus! I can’t be like you --- I just can’t do
it! Now I know why so many of those who
initially followed you fell away! Your
sayings are too hard! They require too
much! There is an extravagance of
goodness here that I simply cannot approach!
“An
eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, that’s what I want! Give me that old time religion!!
Right now, that’s what I want.”
Except, as Gandhi once observed, . . . when
everyone operates out of ‘eye for eye and
tooth for tooth,’ the world winds up blind and toothless. If we descend to that level, then they have
won already.
You may think this is excessively
confessional, but surely I am not the only one on the horns of this particular dilemma
here this morning. I confess this
barbarous act is a hard test of my faith in a just and loving God. And over the course of the next days and
weeks, I will find out whether my faith is of a kind that is fitted out for
foul weather as well as fair. For, you
see, the true test of any people comes, not when things are easy and going our
way. It comes when the bottom falls out
of our lives, and things are hard. When
that happens – personally or nationally -- can we muster a faith that gets us
through?
You see, friends, there are two kinds of
faith in God. One says “if” . . .
then.
“If all goes well, if
life is hopeful, prosperous and happy, then I will believe in God.” The other says, “though . . .” Though everything goes wrong, though
the forces of evil triumph and the cross looms, nevertheless will I believe in God.
The Bible is full of this contrast – on
the one side Jacob saying: “If God will be with me, and will keep me in
this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so
that I shall come again to my father’s house in peace, then shall the
Lord be my God . . .” [Genesis
28:20ff] That is fair weather faith – bargaining with
God for our trust if all goes well -- and when things fall apart, of course, it
collapses.
But there is another kind of faith
recorded in scripture – a faith that begins, not with the word “if” but with the word “though:”
Yea,
though he slay me, yet will I trust him . . . [Job 13:15]
Though I walk through the valley of
the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with
me . . . [Psalm 23:4]
Though the waters roar and foam, though the
mountains
be shaken in the heart of the sea, yea
the Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob
is
our refuge . . . [Psalm 46:2-3]
Well, friends, I call on you to testify
with me that this is one of those “though” moments.
Though
the hosts of evil round us
Scorn
our Christ, assail his ways,
From the
fears that long have bound us
Free our
hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us
wisdom; grant us courage
For the living of these days. (Harry Emerson
Fosdick: “God of Grace and God of Glory”)
I
don’t know about you, but right now I need plenty of both wisdom and courage to quell my rage. I candidly admit that by myself I am not
equal to the task.
The simple fact of the matter is that we
need each other. As we pray for the
needs of those who are hurt and hurting, as we pray for our own needs, you make
me stronger by your presence here. And
God who hears our prayers will hold close those who are dead and those who
mourn, just as God holds us close.
God must be very sad at the way we treat
one another. I cannot help but believe
that when this horrible thing happened last Sunday morning, God’s tears were
the first tears that were shed.
As predictably as Sarasota heat in July,
we heard calls for “a moment of silence” this past week. SILENCE IS NOT WHAT WE NEED!!! WE NEED TO BE SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF OUR
LUNGS!!! NO MORE!! NO MORE!!!
NO MORE!!!
Some of us may think that the LGBTQ battle
is over, that it ended with the legalization of same-gender marriage last
year. Some of us may even think that
the LGBTQ community has been greedy and overreaching by “infringing” on the
“rights of the majority” – rights LGBTQ folk continue to be denied. And to an extent, I can understand why you
might think that.
As a whole, we like to distance ourselves
from the past when it is ugly. We love
fairy-tale endings, particularly ones in which no one has to deal with feelings
of guilt or accountability. This kind
of thinking is not new – just look at pretty much EVERY conversation
surrounding our rape culture or conversation about race.
We do this so we can wash our hands of the
atrocities committed in our country on a daily basis. We do it so we can chalk up this horrific
shooting as the act of a single extreme madman rather than acknowledging our
complicity in shaping the culture which makes this kind of crime not only
possible but inevitable. That approach
keeps it easy and comfortable and distant for us. It is also deadly. It does not fix the situation, but merely
perpetuates the cycle of violence in place.
It would be comforting to think that the
LGBTQ battle is over, but that is far from true. We dare not forget the struggles and
injustices that have shaped and continue to shape this community. We dare not forget that our own President
Ronald Reagan refused to acknowledge the AIDS crisis until a million people had
died from it. We dare not forget that
Matthew Shepard was beaten, tortured, and died because of his sexual
orientation, or that Brandon Teena was raped and murdered for being a
transgender man.
We dare not forget the LGBTQ youth who
took their lives because of bullying, harassment and rejection. We dare not forget that over 20 transgender
women – many of them women of color – were murdered in the last year (2015)
alone. We dare not forget that 52% of
the LGBTQ population lives in a state that does not prohibit employment
discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
LGBTQ people are still discriminated
against and victimized daily. This
shooting was not an isolated event, or remnants of antiquated homophobia, or
just religious extremism. It stems from
a very real homophobic culture that exists in our country – the cul-ture many
of us contribute to, whether we want to admit it or not.
If we believe that “tolerance” is enough,
we are part of the problem. We don’t
have to beat up an LGBTQ person to commit a hate crime or encourage another
person to do so. If we misgender
Caitlyn Jenner, cringe at the thought of gay affection or use phrases like “no
homo” or “Oh, that’s so gay,” we contribute to the culture that fostered this
crime.
You see, tolerance isn’t a real thing;
anything less than accep-tance is just gross indifference or suppressed hatred. Loving Neil Patrick Harris, but finding the
thought of “gay sex” gross is not acceptance; embracing white, gay men while
rejecting trans people is not acceptance.
Every time we do that, we tell criminals like the Pulse shooter that
they are not alone in their thinking.
We send the implicit message that LGBTQ folk are a nuisance and an
intrusion only meant to be tolerated for social appearances. In doing these things, we not only
dehumanize an entire group of people; we provide the social ammunition needed for
someone to commit these kinds of atrocities.
If we would be allies, we have to be
active allies and truly combat homophobia and transphobia when we see it. That means calling someone out when they say
something hurtful or ugly. It means
caring more about what is right than what others think of us. It means not tokenizing LGBTQ folk, or
dismissing their struggles, or spouting some “liberal” thoughts just to score
social brownie points. The LGBTQ
community doesn’t need for us to patronize them; THEY NEED US TO STAND UP FOR
WHAT IS RIGHT!!
This community
is one of the most resilient groups in the world, but just because they can withstand the worst of storms does
not mean they should be subjected to them.
They should not have to live in a world
where their love is questioned and dismissed.
They should not have to live knowing that many of their members are on
the streets or in the cemeteries. And
they shouldn’t have to live in a world where they mourn the deaths of fifty of
their sisters and brothers. They
deserve better; they deserve better from our government, they deserve better
from our society, and they damn sure deserve better from the Church at large! We shouldn’t have to tell them, “It gets
better;” it’s time for us to be able to tell them, “It is better.” In fact, it’s
past time.
So, this morning, I want us to covenant with
one other that we will do three things:
First:
We need to stop being bystanders. We need to
speak up for our gay friends and
neighbors. They cannot
afford for us to laugh at the gay jokes.
But more important:
They cannot afford for us to be
silent! They need for us to
help them advocate for same-gender
partners to be able to
make medical decisions. (Thank God Pres.
Obama relaxed
HIPPAA rules following the Orlando shooting
for that very
reason!) Just last Sunday in this very space we sang God of
Grace and God of Glory, and in particular the line: Save us
from
weak resignation to the evils we deplore . . . I heard
us.
We
sang it well; we sang with gusto; I even thought we meant
it!
Second:
We need to remember that the shooter and ISIL
are part of a political movement that is
using Islam as a
pretense. They represent just a tiny minority of
fanatics
who no more accurately represent the
basic tenets of Islam
than
Jim Jones (of Jonestown), or David Koresh (of Waco)
accurately represent the basic tenets of
Christianity. For the
safety of our Muslim sisters and
brothers, we must not fail
to remember this and to get that word
out to the larger
community.
Third,
and finally: We need to remember who we are and,
more importantly, whose we are. For we belong
to Jesus
Christ, through whom the Lord of history
has revealed an
uncanny knack for bringing forth good
out of evil. If you’re
ever in doubt of that, please refer to
the cross for exhibit A.
What, then, shall we say about all
this? The last word I shall give over
to the Apostle Paul, who, in his letter to the church at Rome, writes (8:31-39):
Who
shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall
tribulation,or
distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness,
or sword? .
. . No! In all these things we are more than con-
querors
through him who loves us. For I am
utterly certain
that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor
things
present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor
depth, nor
anything else in all creation, will be able to separate
us from the
love of God made known in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 8:31-39)
Nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God!
This is the
word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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