"Women to the fore as priest urges inclusion"/Irish Times/Women were priests for 1200 years

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0927/1224279760702.html

by ELAINE KEOGH and ANNE LUCEY

"They took part at the instigation of Fr Iggy O’Donovan who told the congregation he could not ignore “the elephant in the room” – that it was “women’s boycott Sunday” – and he was welcoming all genders “as we try to be as inclusive as possible”.

"He believed there is “nothing in our tradition that excludes women from the fullness of priestly ministry forever”. It was “appropriate that Senator White who is not only a strong advocate of the rights of our senior citizens but is moreover an avid supporter of the rights of women”, should speak, he said."

"Fr O’Donovan said he wanted “to give women as prominent a part in our liturgy as is possible” and the Communion reflection was written by Muireann McGinty (24) who works in independent media. She said the boycott of Mass yesterday was suggested to highlight inequality and injustice in the church but “I fail to see how an antiquated action such as a boycott can achieve a desired impact. It is regressive in terms of dialogue and adversely advocates a bitter debate as opposed to actively engaging in it . . .”

"Fr O’Donovan said the fact that the Catholic Church did not ordain women 2,000 years ago is still “a milestone round our necks”, and he acknowledged that “full recognition of the equality of women in our church will not come about anytime soon”.

Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Bravo to Fr. Iggy O'Donovan for his courageous invitation to women in the church. In August I met Fr. Iggy in Castlebar where both of us were on Humbert Summer School Panel on Church Reform. I commend your courage for publically naming the elephant in the living room of the Catholic Church's house and taking a step toward inclusion in your local church! I hope that many U.S. priests follow your example. and stand together for justice for women in the church, like the 300 priests who met in Portlaoise in Sept. I disagree on one point and that is your comment about exclusion of women in priestly ministry goes back 2000 years. It does not. According to recent scholarship, women were ordained deacons, priests and bishops during the first twelve hundred years of church history. See Gary Macy's book, The Hidden History of Women's Ordination and Ute Eisen's Women Officerholders in Early Christianity as two scholarly works and archaeological evidence of mosaics, frescos, and tomb inscriptions in Rome, Sicily, N.Africa, and Egypt. Dr. Dorothy Irvin has accumulated many depictions of women deacons, priests and bishops ministering in the early Christian community. One example if you visit St. Priscilla's catacomb in Rome.You will see a fresco dated about 350 A.D that depicts a woman deacon in the center vested in a dalmatic, her arms raised in the orans position for public worship. On the left side of the scene is a woman being ordained a priest by a bishop seated in a chair. She is vested in chasuble, amice and holding a gospel scroll.The woman on the right end of this fresco is wearing the same robe as the bishop on the left and is stting in the same type of chair. She is turned toward the figures in the center and left, watching the woman deacon and priest. "These attributes," comments Dr. Dorothy Irvin "indicate that she is thought of as bishop while the baby she is holding identifies her as Mary. In the early church, women's ordination was based on succession from the apostles including Mary, Mother of Jesus, Mary of Magdala, Phoebe, Petronella and others about whose status among the founders of the church could be no doubt. "
This is one of the reasons that I believe that Mary, Mother of Jesus is a strong supporter of women leaders, including women deacons, priests and bishops. In Sarasota, our people-empowered, egalitarian community, is named, Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community. Our Roman Catholic Womenpriest Movement is non-clerical and non-hierarchical. We promote a renewed priestly ministry in a community of equals. Our bishops are not on our leadership circle/and do not make administrative decisions. Our bishop's role is spiritual and pastoral. We have a leadership circle that make administrative decisions. For more information, visit
www.romancatholicwomenpriests.org
Contact: irvincalendar@hotmail.com
Contact: Bridget Mary at sofiabmm@aol.com