"Nuns Weigh Response to Scathing Vatican Rebuke" By LAURIE GOODSTEIN/New York Times/ "Will Nuns Serve as Priests Soon?" by Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/29/us/us-nuns-weigh-response-to-scathing-vatican-critique.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

American nuns are preparing to assemble in St. Louis next week for a pivotal meeting at which they will try to decide how to respond to a scathing critique of their doctrinal loyalty issued this spring by the Vatican — a report that has prompted Roman Catholics across the country to rally to the nuns’ defense.

"Cardinal William J. Levada, shown in 2005, told nuns they should consider a church critique “an invitation to obedience.”

The nuns will be weighing whether to cooperate with the three bishops appointed by the Vatican to supervise the overhaul of their organization, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, which represents about 80 percent of women’s Catholic religious orders in the United States.

The Leadership Conference says it is considering at least six options that range from submitting graciously to the takeover to forming a new organization independent of Vatican control, as well other possible courses of action that lie between those poles.

What is in essence a power struggle between the nuns and the church’s hierarchy had been building for decades, church scholars say. At issue are questions of obedience and autonomy, what it means to be a faithful Catholic and different understandings of the Second Vatican Council.

Sister Pat Farrell, the president of the Leadership Conference, said in an interview that the Vatican seems to regard questioning as defiance, while the sisters see it as a form of faithfulness.

“We have a differing perspective on obedience,” Sister Farrell said. “Our understanding is that we need to continue to respond to the signs of the times, and the new questions and issues that arise in the complexities of modern life are not something we see as a threat.”

These same conflicts are gripping the Catholic Church at large. Nearly 50 years after the start of Vatican II, which was intended to open the church to the modern world and respond to the “signs of the times,” the church is gravely polarized between a progressive wing still eager for change and reform and a traditionalist flank focused on returning to what it sees as doctrinal fundamentals.

The sisters have been caught in the riptide. Most of them have spent their lives serving the sick, the poor, children and immigrants — and not engaged in battles over theology. But when some sisters after Vatican II began to question church prohibitions on women serving as priests, artificial birth control or the acceptance of same-sex relationships, their religious orders did not shut down such discussion or treat it as apostasy. In fact, they have continued to insist on their right to debate and challenge church teaching, which has resulted in the Vatican’s reproof.

The former head of the church’s doctrinal office, Cardinal William J. Levada, said after his last meeting with the nuns’ leaders in June, just before he retired, that they should regard his office’s harsh assessment as “an invitation to obedience.”

“I admire religious men and women,” Cardinal Levada said in an interview with The National Catholic Reporter. “But if they aren’t people who believe and express the faith of the church, the doctrines of the church, then I think they’re misrepresenting who they are and who they ought to be.”

The sisters say they see no contradiction in embracing the Catholic faith while also being open to questioning certain church teachings based on new information or new experiences. The Leadership Conference has not taken a stand in favor of the ordination of women or the acceptance of gay relationships, but it has discussed such topics at its meetings. Members insist that open discussion of church doctrine is not only their right but is also healthy for the church.

They say their approach is no different from that of many Catholic priests and laypeople, not just those in the United States. As evidence, they cite messages of support they have received from Catholic religious orders of men and women all over Europe, Asia and Latin America — as well as in the United States.

“We make our vows, but our obedience isn’t blind,” said one mother superior, who, like others, did not want to be identified while the future of the Leadership Conference is in limbo. “Obedience comes from listening...” 

Bridget Mary's Response:
Will Nuns Serve as Priests Soon? 

If the nuns declare independence from Vatican control, they can continue with their ministries and the Sisters called to priesthood by their local communities can proceed. If this happens, it will be a blessed day for the church as the people of God embrace nun priests! This act of prophetic obedience would  advance women's equality and spiritual empowerment in the church. Nun-Priests, an idea whose time as come! 

Bridget Mary Meehan, arcwp

www.arcwp.org

sofiabmm@aol.com

Mary Magdala Liturgy/ Celebration News on Spanish Blog

http://evangelizadorasdelosapostoles.wordpress.com/2012/07/27/fotos-de-la-celebracion-liturgica-en-homenaje-a-maria-de-magdala/

Seattle Group Plans "Flower March" in Support of Catholic Sisters by Alice Popovici on Jul. 26, 2012 Sisters Under Scrutiny

Prayerful Vigil in Louisville in support of Catholic Sisters

http://ncronline.org/blogs/sisters-under-scrutiny/seattle-group-plans-flower-march-support-catholic-sisters

..."Organizers of the Seattle-based grassroots movement I Stand with the Sisters have announced a march in solidarity with Catholic nuns on Aug. 12, and they’re encouraging attendees to bring flowers representing sisters who have inspired them. The group will head out from Seattle's Louisa Boren Outlook Park at 12:30 p.m. and arrive at St. James Cathedral by 2 p.m. Here is the announcement:

Bring your family and friends and join us for a fun, festive, and symbolic march to support U.S. Catholic sisters. The LCWR's annual assembly meets in St. Louis in early August and we want to stand in solidarity with the sisters as they discuss their response to the Vatican's mandate for reform.

Why is this symbolic march important?
We hope to draw a large crowd to attest to the values the sisters stand for, which we stand for as well: Faithful witness to the message of Jesus for compassion, inclusion, and respect for all people; dialogue and collaboration between the bishops and the laity; the right to speak, follow our consciences, and continue to implement the values and teaching of Vatican II. This march is about the sisters--because Rome's action against them seems unfair and misguided. But, it's also about us-- ordinary Catholics--standing strong for the kind of church we want in the future..."

Listening to Bishop Leonard P. Blair on NPR "Fresh Air"/ A Demonstration that the Hierarchy is Clueless About Women's Ordination and "Dialogue" Means Blind Obedience and Submission to Church Teaching in Violation of Conscience

http://anothervoice-greenleaf.org/2012/07/27/i-heard-the-voice-of-catholic-fundamentalism/
Bridget Mary's Response:
I agree with John J.Greenleaf's response (below) to Bishop Leonard Blair. I think Catholic Fundamentalism today is a major threat to the people of God and the Vatican II vision of Church.
The hostile take-over of LCWR is the latest outrageous example. 
As Bishop Blair points out, the Vatican is demanding that the Leadership Conference of Women Religious submit and promote controversial official church teachings on birth control, gay marriage, and women's ordination. This is a power play that does not reflect the sense of the  faithful in the Catholic Church 
Now, Sisters, the ball is in your court! 
Will you comply with the Vatican's attempt to oppress you and bring you into line with their views? Or will you speak truth to power and  lead the way as you have, through the ages, in prophetic obedience to the Spirit toward a renewed, reformed, Christ-centered, women-empowered and empowering Catholic Church? The choice is yours. 
Millions of Catholics love and support nunjustice! We await your official response to the Vatican.
Bridget Mary Meehan, arcwp
www.arcwp.org
sofiabmm@aol.com
"Listening to Bishop Leonard P. Blair of Toledo, Ohio, on National Public Radio’s “Fresh Air” program on July 25th, I heard the voce of Catholic fundamentalism. It is a dangerously arrogant voice; and we hear it ever more frequently in episcopal rhetoric.
Bishop Blair believes firmly that the bishops have the truth and the LCWR sisters need to conform and adhere to it. No one in fact has all the truth; and we should all be in respectful dialogue. But dialogue for Bishop Blair is not genuine dialogue. For him it appears to be more like a monologue demanding loyal submission of intellect and will.
On the dialogue that the LCWR would like to have with the Vatican, Bishop Blair said in the NPR interview: “If by dialogue, they mean that the doctrines of the church are negotiable, and that the bishops represent one position and the LCWR represents another position and somehow we find a middle ground about basic church teaching on faith and morals, then no, I don’t think that’s the dialogue the Holy See would envision. But if it’s a dialogue about how to have the LCWR really educate and help the sisters appreciate and accept church teaching and to implement it in their discussions, and try to heal some of the questions or concerns they have about these issues, that would be the dialogue.”
When the subject of women’s ordination came up, the Toledo bishop made statements that are simply wrong. I will explain in a minute what I mean. First Bishop Blair’s statement: “The church doesn’t say that the ordination of women is not possible because somehow women are unfit to carry out functions of the priest, but because on the level of sacramental signs, it’s not the choice that our Lord made when it comes to those who act in his very person, as the church’s bridegroom. And you can say that sounds like a lot of poetry or you know, how do we know that’s true, but if you’re a Catholic, this is part of our sacraments and practice for two millennia, and it’s not just an arbitrary decision of male oppression over women...”
"Now why the bishop is dead wrong.
(1) Jesus did not ordain ANYONE! In the church’s first century, ordination, as we know it, did not exist.
(2) There is now ample and clear historic evidence that demonstrates beyond a doubt that women did in fact preside at Eucharist in early Christian communities; and women were called “apostles” by St. Paul and other early church leaders.
(3) And (as I indicated in an earlier post) there is also solid historic evidence that women were ORDAINED and functioned as deacons and priests even into the Middle Ages..."




"Here are some clear signs of contemporary Catholic fundamentalism:
(1) Nostalgia for a pre-Vatican II Golden Age, when it is assumed that the church never changed, was then a powerful force in the world, undivided by the post 1960s misguided devotees of the Vatican II values. In fact, we know for certain that the church and its teachings have often changed. Some church statements have been shown to be wrong and were repealed or allowed to lapse.
(2) A highly selective approach to what fundamentalists think pertains to church teaching and belief. Statements about sexual ethics, for instance, are obsessively affirmed. At the same time, papal, conciliar, or episcopal pronouncements on social justice are ignored or considered simply matters for debate.
(3) An exaggerated concern for accidentals, not for the substance of issues, e.g., the Cardinal Burkes stress Latin for the Eucharist, failing to see that this does not pertain at all to the church’s authentic tradition.
(4) Vehemence and intolerance in attacking people like LCWR who are striving to relate the Gospel to the world around them according to the insights and teachings of Vatican II.
(5) An elitist assumption that Catholic fundamentalists have a kind of supernatural authority and the right to pursue and condemn Catholics who disagree with them, especially “radical feminists” and theologians.
(6) A spirituality which overlooks the humanity, compassion, and mercy of Christ and stresses in its place an unbending and punishing taskmaster God.
Remember: Membership in Catholic fundamentalist groups is not a question of logic, but an often sincere, but misguided, search for meaning and belonging.
If we react to Catholic fundamentalists with heated expressions of anger we will only confirm them about the rightness of their beliefs.
Our best witness to the truths of our Catholic beliefs, as they continue to be explored and developed, is our own inner peace built on faith, charity, and concern for justice, especially among the most marginalized.
And a closing biblical reflection:
Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave-just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28; cf. Mark 10:42-45 and Luke 22:25-27)

Join Sister City Vigil to Support the Leadership Conference of Women Religious as they Discern How to Respond to Vatican Mandate/Future Church

Dear Friends, From August 7 -11, St. Louis Catholics have dubbed their hometown a "Sister City" to support the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) meeting there. At their annual gathering, the sisters will contemplatively discern how to respond to a harsh Vatican mandate issued last April. Just as St. Louis has become a "Sister City," FutureChurch is working with the Nun Justice Project to raise up other Sister Cities. We are encouraging special solidarity vigils on August 7 (or another time that week). Already, the project has 15 Sister City vigils planned! We will sing the classic "We are Called" in a chorus of solidarity with all who work for justice. Inspiring new prayer resources are available for sidewalk vigils, vigils in churches, and private use. On August 7 please support the sisters in prayer, song and solidarity by organizing a public or private vigil in your city. Download new Sister City Vigil prayer resources and talking points See if there is already a vigil planned in your city and view photos of previous vigils If you haven't already please record your pledge to direct or redirect a financial contribution to support the sisters, and write to church officials about how US sisters are being treated. Catholic Response Throughout the month of May and June, vigils in support of U.S. Sisters were held across the country in over 50 cities. The Conference of Major Superiors of Men , six individual religious orders of priests and brothers , the new Association of U.S. Catholic Priests, and the international peace movement Pax Christi, have passed resolutions supporting LCWR. Currently, United States Congress has 176 cosponsors on a resolution honoring Catholic sisters. The outpouring of support has attracted extraordinary media attention. From Public Radio's Diane Rehm Show to Comedy Central's The Colbert Report to local TV footage and national Associated Press coverage, Catholics everywhere are expressing their dismay at how the Vatican was treating women religious. More Background On April 18, 2012 the Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) launched a crackdown on the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), an umbrella group that represents more than 80 percent of the 57,000 women religious in the United States. The Vatican harshly criticized LCWR for alleged doctrinal irregularities and organization was placed under the oversight of three bishops and ordered to revise its statutes, programs, speakers, liturgical practices and justice affiliations. On June 1, LCWR officials issued a statement saying the Vatican critique was based on unsubstantiated accusations that arose from a "flawed process" and had caused "scandal and pain throughout the church." On June 12, LCWR leadership travelled to Rome hoping for clarification, but the meeting was characterized as a "dialogue of the deaf" by the outgoing prefect of the CDF, Cardinal William Levada. LCWR has been consulting with regional groups and will consider its response at the organization's annual meeting August 7-11.

Donate and become a member FutureChurch 17307 Madison Lakewood, OH 44111 216-228-0869 info@futurechurch.org www.futurechurch.org

Olga Lucia Alvarez, ARCWP, Gives Radio Interview About Women Priests in Colombia/Hablemos Alguito - Mujeres Sacerdotes en Colombia y el Mundo

Lunes 23 de Julio de 2012 15:12

A lo largo de la historia las mujeres han estado presentes en el evangelio y han sido agentes hacedoras de grandes labores en lo que ha sido la transformación de la iglesia y para que esta se haya mantenido a través del tiempo. Desde tiempo atrás hasta la actualidad, las mujeres luchan por un trato igualitario y justo en la iglesia, siendo ahora algunas conocidas como mujeres sacerdotes, quienes profesan y llevan la palabra y los deseos de Jesús y de Dios a cada uno de los corazones y hogares de las personas que abren su corazón, alma, vida y casa a la posibilidad de ver a mujeres en el altar. Escuche en este programa a Olga Lucía Álvarez, mujer sacerdote, quien compartió su visión de la iglesia catolica, su historia de vida, las de otras mujeres sacerdotes, sus luchas y sus alegrías en el marco de su vida dedicada al servicio del señor.Además escuche las posiciones de Cristopher Ferguson, pastor de la Iglesia Unida de Canadá y teólogo además de Jenny Neme integrante de la Iglesia Menonita y directora de Justapaz.

Descargar

Miriam Picconi and Wanda Russell, Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests, Share August News Letter for Palm Coast, East Florida /All are Welcome!

Listed below is our calendar of ministries for August.  Call or e-mail us for additional information.
Wednesdays,  August 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29 from 3:00 to 4:30 P.M. 

THEOLOGY CLUB OF PALM COAST

You do not have to participate every week in order to enjoy the sharing.  The series does not depend on your being present the previous week.  Our first topic is “An Invitation to Journey.”  As we each are living our questions, we share that journey of questioning with others.  Come join us!  We will use the “Living the Questions” series.  (Google, “Living the Questions,” to see more about the series.)  The topics are questions all of us ask at some time.  You do not need to be a scholar to share in the discussion.  We will watch a DVD and then discuss the topic and respectfully share our insights and questions. 
“Living the Questions 2.0 is an open-minded alternative to studies that attempt to give participants all the answers and instead strives to create an environment where participants can interact with one another in exploring what's next for Progressive Christianity. It features thirty acclaimed scholars, theologians and other experts.

Place:  St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 5400 Belle Terre Pkwy, Palm Coast

Thursday, August 9, 2:00 P.M.    CUP CAKE MINISTRY

Volunteer to make cupcakes and/or help deliver them with us to our policemen, firemen and EMTs.  We want to thank them for all that they do for our community and offer our ministry to them or to those with whom they meet who may need our ministry.  We hope to do this more than once a month.  Perhaps you know someone else who needs a thank you?  Contact: Wanda or Miriam

Saturday, August 11 at 2:00 PM, Showing “Pink Smoke Over the Vatican”

This is a documentary about women in priestly ministry in the Roman Catholic Church since the early founding days of Christianity to our current time.  Speaking truth to power is a necessity if ministry is to change in all of our churches. 

Place:  2 Westmill Ln., Palm Coast, 32164

Saturday, August 18, 4:00 P.M.  MONTHLY MASS in Palm Coast –(THIRD SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH thereafter )

Come join our community as we celebrate Eucharist.   God's transformative power works through an invitation to the table, not exclusion from it. It is our firm desire to offer a welcoming place of worship to all those seeking to be fed, all those desiring communion and community, all those desiring healing in mind, body and spirit, all who have been alienated and or ostracized by the institutional church or other denominations for whatever cause or reason.  All are welcome to the table in a community of equal discipleship.  If you like, bring your favorite appetizer or desert to share afterwards as we get to know each other.  We will provide the drinks. 

Place:  2 Westmill Ln., Palm Coast, 32164. 

(This is our home and we will work with our neighbors to offer their driveways for parking.)

ADDITIONAL MINISTRIES: 

We would like to show the documentary, “Pink Smoke Over the Vatican” in your area.  If you would host us we will be glad to come to you.  Invite friends into your home and show the documentary?  We will be glad to come and answer questions about our movement.  This DVD helps people understand the history of discrimination of women in the churches over the centuries and we can discuss what we can do about it.

Call to Action is a movement of Roman Catholics who are working together to overcome injustices in the Church and in the communities.  If you are interested in becoming a part of the solution, let us know and we can work on getting a chapter formed in this area.  www.cta-usa.org

Additional Faith Communities may be formed in other areas.  If a few people in different areas want a Mass, let us know and we will come to you.  Just get a few folks together and let us know when you would like to gather and we will work it out.  Some interest has been expressed in Ormond Beach and Jacksonville areas.  New Smyrna Beach area?

YOU CAN HELP:

Gather people together and invite us to come…… Work on publicity for our movement…..Make phone calls…..  Bring a friend with you……  Talk about what is happening in the Church today and how others can help……  Help us create a web site….. Make cup cakes……  PLEASE PRAY 

  

 First Public Mass, July 21, 2012,Palm Coast, Florida

In the morning I noticed our “thought for the day” was, “May God give you fresh dreams, new victories, and endless joys… in surprising ways, unexpected blessings and overflowing measure!”  What a confirmation as we spent the day preparing for Eucharist with hospitality following. 

There were eighteen who shared an intimate home Mass.  Some came from Ormond Beach, Port Orange and Palm Coast.    Some had been to our ordinations.  We were a mix of various religious backgrounds including Roman Catholics, former Catholics, Episcopalians, former Presbyterians, Independent Catholic Church of North America, and our dear friend, Rabbi Howard Schwartz and his wife.  Coming from so many backgrounds would suggest that there might not be much unity among us but it was exciting to see how like-minded we were.                                                                                               

The scriptures spoke volumes to us as we shared our first public liturgy.  Miriam led a dialogue homily starting with sharing on Jeremiah 23:1-6.  A theme flowing through was how the shepherds of that era were not leading as they should.  The same has happened in many generations and is happening in our churches now.  Not just the Roman Catholic Church.  Our Catholic Church wants us to return to pre-Vatican II theology and liturgy and all of us agreed that the backward thrust is not of the Holy Spirit.  We all want to have a Church that preaches and lives social justice; that preaches and lives loving others and accepting others where they are with their various religious beliefs; that teaches freedom of conscience and allows those who disagree to follow their conscience; that calls us to prayer and helps us learn to be still before God and to listen for guidance; that recognizes that God is working within all churches, temples and mosques and seeks unity, not uniformity among all of us; and that our shepherds need to preach and live forgiveness, hope and love for all people and let all know that our loving God just wants to love us and wants each of us to love one another.  

The gospel message is so simple, yet hard to live.

The Gospel was from Mark 6:30-34 and called the disciples to go aside and spend some quiet time with God.  But as Jesus was trying to go to a quiet place the people followed and found him.  When Jesus saw them he was filled with compassion for them and He ministered to their needs even though he had not yet had time to rest.  Some shared that this sometimes happens to them and they are happy to minister; but we also agreed we must make time to rest and allow God to feed and refresh us.

After sharing Eucharist, we shared our appetizers and desserts.  Everyone was eager to get to know more about us and our ministries and to get to know each other.  We shared that we really want to minister to those who have been rejected and hurt by their church and asked for help inviting those hurting and rejected people to come in the future.  Some have friends in that situation but they were not sure they would come to Mass.  The consensus was that we should show “Pink Smoke Over the Vatican” and they would try to get their friends to come.  The documentary would help them understand better what is happening in the church and provide understanding about what our focus is to be in our ministries.  We also offered to have a home Mass or showing of “Pink Smoke…” at anyone’s home if they want to host and invite others.

It was an honor and a joy to share God’s love and Eucharistic feast with those wonderful people!  Thank you God for such wonderful people.

Photographs during first public Mass taken by Daniel Schafer.

 LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION:

www.arcwp.org

http://bridgetmarys.blogspot.com/

http://dianedoughertysblog.blogspot.com/     

www.cta-usa.org

Judy Beaumont, ARCWP, Presides at St. Mary Magdala Liturgy in Ft. Myers, Florida/ Interactive Homily/Tribute to Women Religious

Co-Pastor of Good Shepherd Catholic Community,

Judy Beaumont, ARCWP, 

presides at inclusive Catholic liturgy sponsored by Call to Action of 

Southwest Florida. 

There was an interactive homily included reflections on the courage of 

women religious. Indeed Judy Beaumont is such a woman herself as a 

Benedictine of 35 years who made special sacrifices for peace and

 justice, including Trident Nein, a plowshares action.  

Philadelphia Church Official, Monsignor Lynn Sentenced to 3 -6 years in Prison in Sexual Abuse Case

http://apnews.myway.com//article/20120724/DA07F38O0.html

By MARYCLAIRE DALE

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The first U.S. church official convicted of covering up sex-abuse claims against Roman Catholic priests was sentenced Tuesday to three to six years in prison by a judge who said he "enabled monsters in clerical garb ... to destroy the souls of children." 

Monsignor William Lynn, the former secretary for clergy at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, "helped many but also failed many" in his 36-year church career, Common Pleas Judge M. Teresa Sarmina said.
Lynn, who handled priest assignments and child sexual assault complaints from 1992 to 2004, was convicted last month of felony child endangerment for his oversight of now-defrocked priest Edward Avery. Avery is serving a 2 1/2- to five-year sentence for sexually assaulting an altar boy in church in 1999.
"I did not intend any harm to come to (Avery's victim). The fact is, my best was not good enough to stop that harm," Lynn said. "I am a parish priest. I should have stayed (one)."
Lynn's lawyers had sought probation, arguing that few Pennsylvanians serve long prison terms for child endangerment and that their client shouldn't serve more time than abusers like Avery. They plan to appeal the landmark conviction and seek bail while the lengthy appeals process unfolds.
The judge said Lynn enabled "monsters in clerical garb ... to destroy the souls of children, to whom you turned a hard heart."
She believed he initially hoped to address the sex abuse problem and perhaps drafted a 1994 list of accused priests for that reason. But when Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua instead had the list destroyed, Lynn chose to remain in the job and obey his bishop - by keeping quiet - as children suffered, she said.
"You knew full well what was right, Monsignor Lynn, but you chose wrong," Sarmina said.
The 61-year-old Lynn was acquitted last month of conspiracy and a second endangerment count involving a co-defendant, the Rev. James Brennan. The jury deadlocked on a 1996 abuse charge against Brennan, and prosecutors said Monday that they would retry him.
In 1992, a doctor told Lynn's office that Avery had abused him years earlier. Lynn met with the doctor and sent Avery for treatment - but the church-run facility diagnosed an alcohol problem, not a sexual disorder. Avery was returned to ministry and sent to live at the northeast Philadelphia parish where the altar boy was assaulted in 1999.
Prosecutors who spent a decade investigating sex abuse complaints kept in secret files at the archdiocese and issued two damning grand jury reports argue that Lynn and unindicted co-conspirators in the church hierarchy kept children in danger and the public in the dark.
"He locked away in a vault the names of pedophile priests. He locked in a vault the names of men that he knew had abused children. He now will be locked away for a fraction of the time he kept that secret vault," District Attorney Seth Williams said of Lynn.
Defense lawyers have long argued that the state's child endangerment statute, revised in 2007 to include those who supervise abusers, should not apply to Lynn since he left office in 2004. They also insist he did more than anyone at the archdiocese to meet with victims, get pedophile priests into treatment and send recommendations to the cardinal.
"He did the best he could under absolute awful circumstances," lawyer Thomas Bergstrom said after the hearing. "If he wanted to play the game, he wouldn't have met with them at all."
Lynn was the first U.S. church official convicted for his handling of abuse claims in the sex scandal that's rocked the Catholic church for more than a decade. But he might not be the last.
Bishop Robert Finn and the Kansas City diocese face a misdemeanor charge of failing to report suspected child sexual abuse. Both Finn and the diocese have pleaded not guilty and are set to go on trial next month.
"Protecting children has to be first and foremost," said Barbara Blaine, founder of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. "We're extremely grateful that the judge and the prosecutors did not give Monsignor Lynn special treatment because of his priestly status."
Associated Press writer JoAnn Loviglio in Philadelphia contributed to this report. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/25/us/philadelphia-church-official-to-be-sentenced-in-abuse-case.html?hp

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-18973996
PHILADELPHIA — Msgr. William J. Lynn, the first Roman Catholic official in the United States to be convicted of covering up sexual abuses by priests under his supervision, was sentenced to three to six years in prison on Tuesday.

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

Monsignor William J. Lynn.

“You knew full well what was right, Monsignor Lynn, but you chose wrong,” said Judge M. Teresa Sarmina of Common Pleas Court as she imposed the sentence, which was just short of the maximum of three and a half to seven years. Monsignor Lynn must serve at least three years before he is eligible for parole.

A former cardinal’s aide, Monsignor Lynn, 61, was found guilty on June 22 of child endangerment, after a three-month trial that revealed efforts over decades by the Philadelphia archdiocese to play down accusations of child sexual abuse and avoid scandal. He was acquitted of conspiracy and of a child endangerment charge involving another priest.

Monsignor Lynn served as secretary for clergy for the 1.5 million-member archdiocese from 1992 to 2004, recommending priest assignments and investigating abuse complaints. During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that he had shielded predatory priests, sometimes transferring them to unwary parishes, and lied to the public to avoid bad publicity and lawsuits.

The conviction of a senior official, followed by a prison sentence, has reverberated among Catholic officials around the country, church experts said.

“I think this is going to send a very strong signal to every bishop and everybody who worked for a bishop that if they don’t do the right thing, they may go to jail,” said the Rev. Thomas J. Reese, a senior fellow of the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University. “They can’t just say ‘the bishop made me do it.’ That’s not going to be an excuse that holds up in court.”

Cardinal Burke boosts lavish, Latin liturgy in "The Call to Beauty"- About Return of Catholic Liturgy to Pomp and Middle Ages

http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/cardinal-burke-boosts-lavish-latin-liturgy
"It reveals in vivid color an ideal form of the Mass, as explained by Cardinal Raymond Burke, outgoing prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura. In my opinion, it reveals more clearly where the institutional church is heading and what can be expected from Rome in the forseeable future as "abuses" of the liturgy are corrected, Burke says.
The pomp, the color, the splendor, the lavishness, the gold -- especially the impossibly gold vestments, the gold candlesticks, the gold statues -- is just overwhelming. This, Burke explains, is the sort of worship Jesus wants. The video is titled "The Call of Beauty." I wonder what the reaction of thoughtful Catholics might be..."
Bridget Mary's Response:
What's next in the return to the Medieval Church? Another reason, we need women priests and a return to the simplicity of the early church hospitality and inclusive liturgies where all are welcome and all are included!

"Happy Day For Our Movement"

http://godisnot3guyscom-jeanette.blogspot.com/2012/07/happy-day-for-our-movement.html

. . .  The young man’s statement sobered us by showing the need for deep reflection and more work to spread our message...."  by Jeanette

"Penn State and the Roman Catholic Church: Why Does the Press Give the Church a Pass?" by Jack Duffy

"Penn State removes the offenders in effigy, quickly, expeditiously.
The RC 'governing body' rewards the likes of Cardinals Law and Levada with promotions, prestigious basilicas, and CEOs of big important Vatican branches.
My question: How come the press has given the RC's a pass??? The story is the same at Penn State and the RC Church. Except: 1. Penn State had a dozen + or - victims;
2. the RCC, thousands. And Penn State has some accountability; the US Catholic Bishops---- not much, that I have noticed."
Dr. Jack Duffy, Mary Mother of Jesus Catholic Community

http://articles.philly.com/2012-07-23/news/32805687_1_joe-paterno-statue-university-president-rodney-erickson

"Female Bishop Speaks Up For Views, Talks about 'Womenpriest Movement'"

http://www.sctimes.com/article/20120723/NEWS01/307230009?source=nletter-top5&nclick_check=1

Bishop Patricia Fresen, a leader of the Roman Catholic Womenpriest Movement, spoke Sunday to members of the Mary Magdalene First Apostle Church about the need for an all-inclusive church after Mass at St. John’s Episcopal Church.

Pastor Phil Garrison, Pastor of UCC in Sarasota, Fl. Writes Inspirational Story About Encounter with Jack Meehan, "A Change of Wind, and A Change of Heart"

Jack Meehan, on the sax

Did you ever notice how some people smile with their whole face and especially their eyes?

Some time ago I visited Jack Meehan. He was born in a “t’ached cot’age” in Ireland more than 80 years ago. He is, among other things, a saxophonist and trumpeter. I visited him on the 10th floor of Sarasota Memorial Hospital where he was “rehabbing” from a medical issue. He is the father of Bridget Mary Meehan (Bishop within the Roman Catholic Women Priests movement) who celebrates Mass at St. Andrew UCC. It is a privilege to know this father/daughter!
You can see Jack Meehan, and listen to him play . . . if you google YouTube and then in their search window type in “Jack Meehan with Ballyroan, 2010.” It’ is fun.
Jack has told me in earlier conversations that if I’m going to Ireland with Patricia I need to know how to dance. ”All the men in Ireland dance when they go the pubs, Phil! You need ta’ too!” I have Jack on video (as recently as a couple months ago) trying to teach me Irish rhythms. It is beautiful to watch him . . . and . . .well . . . less so to imagine me.
I introduced myself to him tonight at the hospital as, “your dance student.”
That’s when he smiled.
It was an ebullient look of love and mirth I saw in the gleam of his eyes and the radiance of his face.
That smile of love and mirth is one I hope to encounter often among the Irish when we are there.
John O’Donohue has that sort of smile in his “Sounds True” DVD: ”A Celtic Pilgrimage with John O’Donohue,” when he tells us:
“Always in a pilgrimage, there is a change of mind and a change of heart.”
Lovely. Inviting.
He also tells us: ”faith is a helpless attraction to the divine.”
Brilliant!
You are a cherished loved one of God.
Don’t take yourself too seriously.
Such is the wisdom for growing older that I take from the look I saw on the face of Jack Meehan tonight at SMH.
One Sunday, Linn Possell and I offered this Ray Simpson Celtic Blessing. It was first given to me by Ann Dumphy of Eagle River, WI. I am honored to encounter it again as Patricia and I continue our journey toward Ireland made possible from a grant award to St. Andrew UCC from the Lilly Endowment and begun more than a year ago:

In the blessing of our foreheads . . . we reclaim the power of reason.

In the blessing our our eyes . . . we reclaim the power of vision.

In the blessing of our lips . . . we reclaim the power to speak.

in the blessing got our hands . . . we reclaim the power of creativity.

In the blessing of our feet . . . we reclaim the power of movement.

Ahh, love and mirth . . .
May we we see it often.
May we dance it.
And may we drink it in!
Ohhhhh yes."

(Pastor Phil Garrison's Blog. He, accompanied by Patricia, his wife are going to Ireland in Aug. for a Sabbatical. Follow his reflections at blog http://wellsofwellness.org/)

61 Photos of St. Mary of Magdala Liturgy on July 22nd, 2012 at First Christian Church, Falls Church, VA.

http://bit.ly/SPVDTF
See slideshow by clicking on link all 67 pictures!
Special thanks to Ken Chaison, the photographer

Peg Bowen, MC of Liturgy

Choir led by Tim White and Gloria Mog

Jolene Presley, Bridget Mary, Peg Bowen

Roman Catholic Woman Priest Olga Lucia Alvarez, ARCWP presides at joyful House Mass in Soacha, Bogota, Colombia.

Toribio: War in the Cauca Region, Colombia /Indigenous People Struggle for Justice

Latin Pulse brings you this episode of the Colombian TV show Contravía, where journalist Hollman Morris and his team travel to a remote community in Southern Colombia to eat, sleep and live with the Nasa Indians through a period of fear, displacement and anguish. With their homes turned into battlegrounds, the indigenous community around Toribío continue their peaceful resistance to the invasion of free trade, armies and guerrillas. Morris combines this inside experience with personal testimonies from all sides, for a transparent exploration of Colombia's drawn-out conflict. Gabriel Garcia Marquez's organization, The Foundation for a New Iberian-American Journalism, awarded Contravía's episode Toribío its highest prize in 2007, for their efforts to raise visibility for the victims of war in a censored and bellicose media environment. For more information on the Colombian journalistic TV show Contravia, you can visit: www.contravia.tv ... más

"A Church Celebrates With Women As Priests"/By Darran Simon/ Philadelphia Inquirer

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20120723_A_church_celebrates_with_women_as_priests.html

"...Kathy Schuck, 56, of Blue Bell, said she had long felt women were confined to secondary roles in the Roman Catholic Church, where she did not hear a message of inclusion. The hierarchy and exclusion of the voices of the lay members troubled her, she said. So, after 15 years, she left her parish.
"It disturbed me that the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church uses a term like 'radical feminism' to . . . categorize any woman who wants to have a voice in the church when that voice is not in total compliance with doctrine and orthodoxy," Schuck said. "It was clear to me that my lack of action reinforced that that behavior was acceptable – and it isn't."
On Sunday, she joined more than 50 others belonging to the St. Mary Magdalene Community in celebration of its fifth anniversary. The group is led by two Roman Catholic female priests not recognized by the Vatican. Sunday's celebratory service was held in rented space at the Drexel Hill United Methodist Church.
St. Mary Magdalene is one of several worship communities being led by women in 28 states, said Suzanne Thiel, president of Roman Catholic Womenpriests USA, a nonprofit group that prepares women for ordination and carries out the ceremonies.
"We provide spiritual comfort and solace for people who no longer find it in the Roman Catholic Church," said Eileen McCafferty DiFranco, who was ordained in 2006 and who, along with her St. Mary's co-pastor, is one of 113 female Roman Catholic priests, bishops, and deacons worldwide, according to Thiel.
At least eight more ordinations, which the organization maintains are valid, are planned worldwide by Christmas, Thiel said..."
"We know the Vatican and the hierarchy are not happy with us," Thiel acknowledged. "What's important is the Catholic people have accepted us."

St. Mary Magdala Celebration in Falls Church, VA./ Homily by Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP

On July 22nd 2012, a community gathered for an inclusive, joyful celebration of the apostle to the apostles.

We created a new Eucharistic Prayer in honor of St. Mary of Magdala. All participated in a dialogue homily and prayed the Prayers of Consecration. We welcomed all to feast at the Banquet of God's Love. 

In a recent article in the National Catholic Reporter, Phyllis Zagano, author of Women and Catholicism, writes: “Once a pope trashes you, it's pretty much downhill from there. So once Pope Gregory the Great in 591 declared that the "sinful" woman in Luke's Gospel who anointed Jesus' feet was Mary Magdalene, a whole industry developed to discredit her. That's big stuff. I mean, she is the one who announced the Resurrection. There's a zinger for everyone: sisters, nuns, married women, working women. OK, not quite everyone, just the female everyones. You know the litany: the LCWR thing, the birth control thing, the "radical feminist" thing. From here, it looks like half the church has been labeled reborn Magdalenes, locked out of papal offices with no way to respond, no way to react, no way out… “

http://ncronline.org/blogs/just-catholic/what-would-mary-magdalene-do

Oh yes, there is! 

My Sisters and brothers, like Mary of Magdala, the Risen Christ is calling us to be apostles to the apostles. As we live Gospel equality and partnership in inclusive, vibrant faith communities, our church is being reformed and renewed! We don’t have to wait for the Vatican to act. Mary of Magdala did not wait for Peter’s approval. The good news is: justice, like a river is rising up in the Catholic Church today!

In Luke 8:1-3, we learn that Jesus had male and female disciples including Mary of Magdala, 

Joanna , Suzanna, and many more who contributed to the support of Jesus with their own funds. Now how many sermons have you heard about the many women who bankrolled Jesus’ ministry?   Imagine a church today that honored the gifts of women as spiritual equals! This is the church of our dreams that we are birthing today.

The Gospel of John portrays a close relationship between Mary of Magdala and Jesus. When the other disciples come and go, Mary stays nearby, weeping, searching for clues of Jesus whereabouts.   Her grief is real. She has listened to his teaching and experienced his healing love.  This type of deep friendship suggests a break with the social conventions of the time.   Jesus treats Mary of Magdala as an equal among the male disciples. In an age where a woman’s word was suspect, the Risen Christ calls her to be the apostle to the apostles to proclaim the good news of the Resurrection, the central belief of Christianity.  Now is the time for the institutional church to follow Christ’s example.

 In an ancient Coptic Christian Scripture, “Pistis Sophia”, written in the Second Century, Jesus chooses Mary of Magdala and John to “be on my right and on my left.” Mary’s prominence is reflected throughout the document. She asks 39 out of 46 questions and participates in providing interpretation of this document. Peter expresses resentment toward her throughout the work: “My Lord we shall not be able to endure this woman, for she takes our opportunity and she has not let any of us speak and takes all the time herself.” Mary objects to Peter’s efforts to intimidate her and charges that “he hates the female race.”  

History is repeating itself today in the present spiritual revolution,  that is taking place in our church over the role of women.  I call it a “welcome holy shakeup!”

One example is the 400 Austrian priests, 300 German theologians  and 800 Irish priests who have endorsed women priests. This clerical rebellion really got the pope’s attention! 

On Holy Thursday, April 5^th, 2012, Pope Benedict chastised the male priests for their support of women’s ordination:  “Recently a group of priests from a European country issued a summons to disobedience, and at the same time gave concrete examples of the forms this disobedience might take, even to the point of disregarding definitive decisions of the Church’s Magisterium, such as the question of women’s ordination, for which Blessed Pope John Paul II stated irrevocably that the Church has received no authority from the Lord. Is disobedience a path of renewal for the Church?”

http://www.romereports.com/palio/pope-talks-about-the-role-of-priests-during-chrism-mass-also-addresses-rebellion-of-austrian-priest-english-6474.html

Yes,  Holy Father, it is the path of prophetic obedience to the Spirit.

The Irish Independent reported that The Association of Irish Priests called the pope’s reproof on Holy Thursday: “unfair, unwarranted and unwise.”

In spite of papal disapproval, the European priests, including Bishop Markus Buchel from the Diocese of St. Gall, Switzerland and Americans led by Fr. Roy Bourgeous, remain steadfast in their support of women’s ordination.

In the Gospel of Mary, written early in the Second Century, Jesus warns the disciples against following a “set of rules and laws not given by him.” Mary tells the disciples to proclaim the Gospel without fear. She assures them of the Savior’s presence. In the second part, she shares a vision she has received. Andrew and Peter react with scorn to her revelations but Levi defends her: “Peter , thou has ever been of hasty temper. Now I see that thou dost exercise thyself against the woman like the adversaries. But if the Savior has made her worthy, who then art thou to reject her?”

Amen, Levi, and amen to all our contemporary male priests and supporters who challenge sexism in the church. No more “tippy- toeing” around the elephant in our own living room!  

The early Church Fathers recognized Mary of Magdala’s leadership among the apostles. Pope Hippolytus who lived from 170 to 236 AD, addressed the role of women in early Christianity: “Lest the female apostles doubt the angels, Christ himself came to them so that the women would be apostles of Christ… Christ showed himself to the male apostles and said to them…’It is I who appeared to the women and I who wanted to send them to you as apostles.’” (Brock, Ann Graham, Mary Magdalene, the First Apostle The Struggle for Authority, 2003 (quotes Hippolytus (DeCantico 24-26, CSCO 264) pp. 43-49)

 Gregory of Antioch (d. 593) portrays Jesus as appearing to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary at the tomb and saying to them: “Be the first teachers to the teachers. So that Peter who denied me learns that I can also choose women as apostles.”   (Brock, p. 15)

 In Romans 16, St. Paul praises Junia and Andronicus, as “outstanding apostles” who were in Christ before he was. Since Paul, Junia and Andronicus were apostles, there were more than 12 apostles.  The “twelve” was a symbolic number referring to the twelve tribes of Israel. And, of course, in spite of what the hierarchy in the Roman Catholic church states, Jesus did not ordain anyone at the last supper

So let’s be clear, women were apostles- according to the Risen Christ, St. Paul, Church Fathers and a pope. Women apostles are affirmed in the bible and in our church’s tradition! Therefore, the church should follow the example of  Jesus and treat women as equals.

Why does the Vatican today not “get” this?

It is time to push the reset button here!