Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests:Links to 3 Movies and Vision Statement

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEEKn7PAGNs&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Apn6RnMwYrs&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvKwNsViyk4&feature=related

ASSOCIATION OF ROMAN CATHOLIC WOMEN PRIESTS

“A NEW MODEL OF ORDAINED MINISTRY

IN A RENEWED ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

We believe:

1. Women and men are created equal by God and equally represent Christ. We therefore seek justice for women in the church including ordination.

2. Jesus offered an example of inclusiveness and respect of persons that led, in the early Church, to the practice of ordaining the baptized from all states of life as deacons, priests, and bishops;

3. We affirm that no intrinsic connection exists between priesthood and mandatory celibacy;

4. We are called by the Holy Spirit from within our communities to follow Jesus as our model of empowerment and generous service. We support a climate of validation and affirmation, rejecting all forms of domination and control;

5. We recognize the injustices of class, race, sexual orientation, and mental and physical challenges as well as gender. We therefore, affirm the social justice tradition of the church and seek justice for all, especially the economically poor and the marginalized.

6. We are called to live as a community of equals, inclusive and respectful of differences;

7. We are called to transform hierarchical structures into non-hierarchical, community-based structures;

8. We are called to work for structural change and systemic justice with and for the exploited and oppressed throughout the world.

9. We are called to work for an end to sexism and its domination/subordination paradigm and to work for justice for all.

10. We are each called to exercise our responsibility to discern and express our thoughts and to reach consensus. Voting on serious issues using a majority vote would be a last resort in the absence of consensus.

11. We are called to a model of ministerial priesthood that is grounded in our common Baptism, standing in and claiming the prophetic tradition of the Church, and teaching authority based on Scripture and Tradition, and in "reading the signs of the times";

12. We are called to renew theology, liturgy, and pastoral practice to better reflect the spirit and teachings of the Second Vatican Council as expressed in Gaudium et Spes and in contemporary theology including feminist and liberation theology.

We envision the ARCWP initiative as a transitional renewal movement within the Roman Catholic Church whose goal is to achieve full equality for all within a renewed Church.

We envision ARCWP as a communion of individuals and localities whose common purpose is to promote the ordination of women in full Apostolic Succession as a matter of justice and faithfulness to the Gospel.