On March 12, 2000 Pope John Paul II asked God's forgiveness for the sins of Roman Catholics through the ages, including wrongs inflicted on Jews, women and minorities.
It is time for Pope Benedict to take fresh innitiatives to foster the full equality of women in the church, and to affirm the Roman Catholic Womenpriests Movement as a special gift to Catholics worldwide of a renewed priestly ministry in a inclusive Catholic Church where all are welcome.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Living Gospel Inclusivity and Empowerment Now
Bridget Mary,
ReplyDelete1) You know that all are welcome in the Catholic Church. (Roman Catholic Communion) The question of whether or not women should be admitted to the Sacrament of Holy Orders is not a question of welcoming or "full equality." The question of women's ordination is of a different kind, for it is one which directly involves the will of Christ.
2) You also know that the Church cannot give it's nod of approval to the women's ordinantion movement becasue it is not a movement that is in communion with the Church. (Roman Catholic Communion)
3) It continues to be impractical for such a movement to demand that the pope finally recognize that women can be admitted to Holy Orders. You know that the question of women's ordination as far as the Roman Catholic Communion is concerned is a closed question. The issue has been decided once for all. "I declare" says Pope JPII "That the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer Holy Orders upon women. This judgement is to be definitively held."
So Bridget Mary, perhaps in your Church, (or communion) women can function as what you believe are priests, or what you would call "Priests" but in the Roman Catholic Communion, a Communion of which your movement is not a part women cannot be admitted to the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
If I may ask you: Why does it bother you that the Roman Catholic Communion does not admit women to Holy Orders? You have founded your own communion which does admit women to Holy Orders- so what's the problem? As I see it Bridget Mary--- you practice whatever religion you want, and let us practice ours.
That is, after all the beauty of our country, is it not? Two religions can peacefully co-exist.