"Make Room for Women Priests", Activist Urges

Fr. Roy co-celebrated Ordination Liturgy
of Roman Catholic Womanpriest Janice
Sevre-Duszynska in Lexington, Kentucky,
Aug. 9, 2008
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Religion/1209393.html

Nobel nominee campaigns for Catholics to speak up, support ordination of women
By Leslie Scrivener,
The Canadian Press
Sat, Oct 30 - 4:54 AM

TORONTO — "Roy Bourgeois knows it’s not easy to change deeply held beliefs or to cast off church teaching — but he’s living proof it can be done. He grew up in a small town in Louisiana in a family of traditional Catholics."

...."Some of this momentum may be of the church’s own making. Last July, Catholics were appalled when the Vatican, in announcing revisions to its laws on abuser priests, stated that attempts to ordain women were sins as grave as pedophilia and heresy. This was interpreted as an attempt to curb any thoughts that a married clergy or women priests might be a way of reducing abuse in the clergy."

"Surveys in the U.S. and Britain show that support for women priests is about 60 per cent or higher. "These are not voices crying in the wilderness," Bourgeois says, "This is a movement whose time has come."

"He is currently on a speaking tour across the United States, and during a stop in Toronto was joined by Marie Bouclin, a 69-year-old Sudbury, Ont., mother of three who was ordained in 2007. She’s one of about 100 women around the world ordained by a group known as Roman Catholic Womenpriests."

"A former nun, she left the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa in her 20s. "I didn’t feel called to celibacy," she says. "I wanted to marry and have a family." "...Think of all the theologians who are silent. . . . Roy Bourgeois was excommunicated for supporting us. He’s a hero among Catholics and among social activists."

..." What I see is not very complicated. As a priest for 38 years, at the very core of the issue is sexism, discrimination against women. The church’s teaching excluding women doesn’t stand up to close scrutiny."

"It’s the result of centuries of patriarchy, he adds. "It’s kind of crept into our DNA."

"When the moment came for him to speak publicly, the venue was Vatican Radio, with offices across from the Pope’s residence in St. Peter’s. It was 2008 and he’d been invited to talk about what he saw as injustices in U.S. foreign policy. He had about two minutes left in a 15-minute interview. "I put it out there: There is no justice in the Catholic Church until women can be ordained. Then the station manager came in, very upset. He told the interviewer, ‘no more.’ Then a little Gregorian chant kicked in."

Bridget Mary's Reflection:

Bravo, Fr. Roy Bourgeois! You are probably the first one in Vatican history that caused a crisis for Vatican Radio. I bet some sparks flew when you stood up for justice for women in our church! When you announced that "there is no justice in the Catholic Church until women can be ordained." No wonder, they pulled the plug on you. You had crossed the line for Gospel equality! The Risen Christ who appeared first to Mary of Magdala, apostle to the apostles , would be proud!

You stood then and you stand now in solidarity with Roman Catholic Womenpriests. One day, the Vatican will recant and repent. Then, you will be one of the heroes in the story of the institutional church's affirmation of women priests! Amen! As Pope Benedict has demonstrated in his canonization of an excommunicated nun, Mother Mary McKillop, excommunication is not a barrier to canonization any more! (Contact Bridget Mary at sofiabmm@aol.com)