"Cardinal José da Cruz Policarpo of Lisbon, Portugal, a veteran European prelate at one point considered a contender for the papacy, reportedly has said there’s “no fundamental theological obstacle” to the ordination of women as priests in the Catholic church.According to the text of an interview with a legal publication in Portugal called Oa, Policarpo said that women’s ordination will happen only “when God wants it,” ...
“There’s a fundamental equality among all the members of the church,” the cardinal said. “The problem lies in a strong tradition, which comes from Jesus and from the fact that the churches of the Reformation conceded the priesthood to women.”
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Wow! Who is this Cardinal who breaks ranks with the Vatican on women priests? What a blessing it is to hear a prominent theologian and leader of the church speak out for justice and equality for women in our church!
Imagine the panic in the CDF (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, formerly the Office of the Holy Inquistion)! What can the Vatican do to punish Cardinal Policarpo -- take his red hat away and throw it in the Tiber?
In the past several years anyone who supports women priests - like religious orders, for example --find themselves under investigation and in big trouble with the Vatican. Even bishops lose their jobs if they even think about women priests as a solution to the priest shortage. Bishop Morris wrote a pastoral letter that raised the possibility of women's ordination and several years later, he was "sacked" by the Pope. The Vatican is pushing the Maryknoll Order to dismiss Fr. Roy Bourgeois for his attendance at Janice Sevre-Duszynska's ordination and for his ongoing support for women's ordination. Apparently excommunicating Fr. Roy was not enough!
(Remember no pedophile has been excommunciated, no bishop who covered-up these crimes has been excommunicated. But Roman Catholic Women Priests have been excommunicated. Although after one of my ordinations in Florida, the Vatican announced on All Headline News that all those who attended the ordination would be excommunicated, but if they confessed their sin to a priest, they would be forgiven!)
The fact that Fr. Roy has given talks in support of women priests to thousands of people in the U.S. and that he appears in the new documentary film "Pink Smoke Over the Vatican" has irked Vatican officials to try this risky strategy. The result proves my theory that the Vatican is the gift that keeps on giving. Thousands of people are supporting women priests and expressing their support for Fr. Roy.
Thank you Cardinal Policarpo for affirming Gospel equality for women in the church!!
I hope there will be women priests soon in Portugal!
Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
sofiabmm@aol.com
703-505-0004
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