Like Pope Francis who says no to an
economy of exclusion, women priests say no to a church of exclusion.
Like Pope Francis who promotes an
economy of inclusion, women priests promote a church of inclusion.
Like Pope Francis who challenges global
economic inequality, women priests challenge the church’s gender inequality.
Global economic equality is related to
women’s empowerment and equality in church and society.
Roman Catholic Women Priests are a
renewal, justice movement within the Catholic Church.
We are serving inclusive Catholic
communities where all are welcome to receive sacraments.
We are a non-clerical movement that
offers the church an egalitarian, partnership with the community of the
baptized.
Our mission is to serve especially
those whom the Vatican marginalizes. (33 million Catholics have left the church
that is quite a "target group" that has been abandoned by
institution. )
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)
The Church that treat women as
second-class citizens violate 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.
Galations 3:27 St. Paul reminds us that by our
baptism there is neither male nor female, all are one in Christ.
Roman Catholic Women Priests have valid
orders. Our first bishops were ordained by a male bishop in apostolic
succession.
Pope Benedict canonized two
excommunicated two nuns (Theodore Guerin and Mary McKillop)
We hope that Pope Francis will chart a new path
toward human equality in our church by opening all ministries to women. If
women were priests, we would see an end to the church's policy on
contraception. Primacy of conscience is an important church teaching that
all must follow in moral decisions.
The hierarchy must make the connection
between discrimination against women in the church and violence ,
abuse and inequality toward women in the world.
Like these courageous women we are faithful Catholics
leading the church to become more just and live Jesus example of Gospel
equality.
Jesus called women and men to be
disciples. (Luke 8:1-3) Jesus did not ordain anyone.
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.
Background For 1200 years women were ordained.
(Gary Macy, The Hidden History of Women’s Ordination,
Dorothy Irvin’s archaeological evidence etc.) “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 I 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.
The real issue is that Roman Catholic
Women Priests are visible reminders that women are equal images of God. We are
healing centuries of misogyny.
The Vatican (hierarchy) cannot continue
to discriminate against women and blame God for it.
Roman Catholic Women Priests are a
“holy shakeup” which millions of Catholics support.
Roman Catholic Women Priests lead
inclusive, enthusiastic, egalitarian communities where all are welcome to
receive sacraments.
Our website is www.arcwp.org
There are two RCWP groups in the United States,
each has its own
administrative structure. They are not administratively connected.
administrative structure. They are not administratively connected.
ARCWP’s vision is a renewed priestly ministry
within a Roman Catholic Community of equals.
ARCWP is an
international group without regional territories. Presently, ARCWP is in the United States, South America, and Canada.
international group without regional territories. Presently, ARCWP is in the United States, South America, and Canada.
Our common mission with RCWP-USA is a
renewed priestly ministry in an
inclusive church. Both ARCWP and RCWP-USA collaborate, communicate and share
resources on a regular basis.
inclusive church. Both ARCWP and RCWP-USA collaborate, communicate and share
resources on a regular basis.
We have a common chat listserve.
We collaborate on major reform movement events such as the celebration of liturgy at Call to Action National Conference.
We collaborate on major reform movement events such as the celebration of liturgy at Call to Action National Conference.
