Vatican Conclave Begins But Where Are the Women? Women Priests: "open the doors of the conclave and let your sisters in!"

As the Conclave meets, where are the women? We say, open the doors of the conclave, let your sisters in, let the people of God in. The Vatican gave flowers to women on International Women's Day, but what women really want is full equality.

 

 At Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community women and men are partners in living Jesus’ example of Gospel equality. All are welcome to receive sacraments.

  

Roman Catholic Women Priests are ordained in apostolic succession because a male bishop with apostolic succession and in communion with the pope ordained our first bishops! He told the women that he ordained them to promote justice in our church.

The Risen Christ appeared first to Mary of Magdala and commissioned her to be the apostle to the apostles.  The Catholic Church should follow the example of Jesus and treat women as equals and partners in the Gospel.

 It has been ten years since seven women were ordained on the Danube in 2002. In 2006, 12 women were ordained in Pittsburgh in the first U.S. Ordinations. Now there are approximately 150 Women Priests in Europe, U.S., Canada, and Latin America.
 

As part of an international Roman Catholic Women Priests initiative, the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests claims justice as constitutive of the Gospel and equality as a human right. Our vision is justice for all, justice for the poor, justice for women, and justice for women in the church including ordination.

 Women priests are visible reminders that women are equal images of God, and therefore worthy to preside at the altar.  We are living prophetic obedience to the Spirit by disobeying an unjust, man-made, canon law that discriminates against women in our church. Sexism, like racism, is a sin. Like Rosa Parks, whose refusal to sit in the back of the bus helped to ignite the civil rights movement, the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests are not leaving the church, but leading the Catholic Church into a new era of justice and equality. No punishment, including excommunication, can stop this movement of the Spirit. In fact, one could argue that Pope Benedict has made excommunication the new fast track to canonization because he canonized two nuns who were excommunicated by their bishops during the life times.

Perhaps, our new pope will affirm women priests as gift of God to the people of God.

Meanwhile, we walk with all who pray for and work for justice and equality in a more inclusive church today!

Media Contacts: Janice Sevre-Duszynska 859-684-4247
rhythmsofthedance@gmail.com
Bridget Mary Meehan 703-505-0004, 941-955-2313
sofiabmm@aol.com
www.arcwp.org