Priest for Women’s Ordination Fights His Dismissal By LAURIE GOODSTEIN /NY Times/ Support Fr. Roy - Priest of the People!

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/11/us/11brfs-Priest.html?src=recg

A Roman Catholic priest who is campaigning to open the priesthood to women says he will contest a move by his religious order to dismiss him for his dissent. The priest, the Rev. Roy Bourgeois, said he had retained the Rev. Thomas Doyle, a canon lawyer best known as a whistleblower in the priest sexual abuse scandal, to press the case with the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers. Father Doyle said he would argue that Father Bourgeois had a right to follow his conscience, and that the prohibition on women’s ordination was not an infallible church teaching, despite Vatican declarations. A Maryknoll spokesman said its general council would decide the next step.

Bridget Mary's Reflection

Fr. Roy Bourgeois, priest of the people and prophet of courage, has challenged the Vatican's sexism, its failure to recognize women as equals in our church. What is the Vatican going to do now? Will the pope and bishops declare women's ordination an infallible teaching and in the process undermine their credibility even more? Will the Vatican deny a core church teaching- primacy of conscience?

In the end justice always triumphs.

Women priests are growing in numbers and support from the people and now more and more priests and bishops are jumping on board to support our movement in Ireland, Austria, Germany, Australia, Switzerland, Portugal, Canada, South America, and the United States.

Let us pray that Fr. Roy Bourgeois's courageous witness may continue to inspire many more supporters, including his brother priests, to join the women priests movement for justice and equality in the Catholic Church!

Do I hear an Amen out there across the world?

Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP

Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests

www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org

sofiabmm@aol.com