ANOTHER OF THE DR DUFFY’S TIMELY---AND HOPEFULLY-- PROPHETIC MESSAGES
FROM THE
NITTROC* NEWSLETTER, Jan 2014 EDITION
While our new Pope,
Francis I, in the less-than-one-year’s-time has inaugurated many long-awaited,
sorely needed, changes in the
administration of the Roman Catholic Church,
and for which he indeed deserves high praise, nonetheless,
his comments reported in a January 4th AP article by Nicole
Winfield point to his concern that we have to improve our training of the young
men entering the priesthood. He calls
for “…proper training of seminarians….and their time studying must be used to
mold their hearts as well as their minds.”
This makes me pause and wonder, “Just how do they think they are going
to accomplish this monumental undertaking?”
So, it appears that we are
following the age-old paradigm of
sending our young celibate MALES
into a seminary, and teaching or ‘forcing’ Christ-like behavior into them….or
out of them.
This approach seems
to echo the American hierarchy’s approach to ‘solving’ the clerical sex abuse
scandal of the 20th Century, and the attempts at a 1992 synod in
Dallas to ‘put a stop’ to the problem by implementing some very stringent
punishments for such evil behavior. As
in healthcare, I realized early on that
to try to ‘fix’ the problem of clerical abuse after it had been there a while
seemed much less effective than preventing it from ever developing in the first
place. I then proposed what I thought was the only
solution, and what I think Jesus would want: Make sure all candidates for the
ordained priesthood and Church leadership------ALL
the female, male, married,
unmarried------are women and men FILLED WITH, or BAPTIZED IN, or GUIDED or LED
BY THE LIVING SPIRIT OF JESUS CHRIST, THE HOLY SPIRRIT.
I proposed this
radical, “wild” idea to two of the bishops whom I knew and felt they were truly
‘kindred spirits,’ and were going to the Dallas
And so, if Pope
Francis is ‘stuck’ on this seminary-trained MALE ONLY policy, then I fear
that we the Faithful are then likewise “stuck” with ‘business-as-usual,’ and
will continue to hunger for that renewing
Fire of the Holy Spirit to bring us to that Revival that Jesus wants for
us, His sisters and brothers. And therefore,
I cannot in good conscience, give him a pass on this serious, critical
issue.
A reading of the
press release below concerning the January 18, 2014 Ordination in Sarasota, of
four Spirit-filled women as Roman Catholic Womenpriests and Deacons, and their
different and distinct bios would give evidence to the reality of what IS and
CAN BE happening in our Church, and WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN to guide our
beloved Church to become more and more like the Church of Jesus.
(* NITTROC…Now
Is the Time To Renew Our Church ,org)
PRESS RELEASE:
Roman Catholic Women to be Ordained Priests and Deacons in Sarasota
From: Association of Roman Catholic
Women Priests (ARCWP)
Release date: January 2, 2014
Women Priests Are Asking the Deep Questions
Pope Francis Says Women Must Address
Contact: Janice Sevre-Duszynska,
D. Min., (Media)
ee: arcwp.org
Celebration of Priestly Ordination for:
Marina Teresa Sanchez Mejia of Colombia South America
(Spanish only) smarinateresa@yahoo.com.co 315-534-8244
Celebration of Ordination to the
Diaconate for:
Mary Bergan Blanchard of Albuquerque , New
Mexico
As Pope Francis said in a recent
interview in La Civilita Catolica, “Women are asking deep questions that must
be addressed.”
Our international Women Priests
Movement is asking those deep questions. We are one of the contemporary
prophetic movements of our time. We offer the church a renewed priestly
ministry in union with the people we serve in inclusive, empowered communities.
As prophets in the community of the
baptized, women priests today are prophets for justice. We are visible
reminders that women are equal images of God. Our ordinations are acts of
justice to move the church to live its mission of human equality as the Body of
Christ on earth.
Churches that treat women as
second-class citizens contradict the Bible that states in Genesis 1:27
“Humankind was created as God’s reflection: in the divine image God created
them female and male God made them.”
The Catholic Church must break free of
machismo and affirm women’s sacredness and full participation as partners in
ministry, including ordination.
On Saturday, January 18, 2014 at 2 p.m. Maureen McGill (St. Petersburg , FL Cali ,
Colombia Albuquerque ,
NM Orlando , FL Sarasota , FL. 6908 Beneva Road , Sarasota ,
FL 34238 Colombia
Media are invited to interview these
women by email or phone. Respectful filming/photo-taking during the ceremony is
acceptable.
The candidates are theologically
prepared and have many years of experience in ministry.
Maureen McGill is a wife, mother,
grandmother and retired attorney in St.
Petersburg Northwest Florida . “My call
to priestly ministry arose from those years,” she said. “Women experience
similar abuse and neglect in the church today. My call to priesthood will
include advocacy to give women their rightful equality in the church. “ Maureen
will lead inclusive liturgies at Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic
Community in Sarasota St. Petersburg
Marina Teresa Sanchez Mejia is a
dynamic community activist and married woman with two sons and a
granddaughter. She has pursued the cause of human rights, justice for women
and for Colombians of African descent her whole life. In the 1990s she
participated in global women’s conferences in Brazil Vienna Beijing Ecuador Cauco
River Cali
Mary Bergan Blanchard of Albuquerque
will continue her work as a counselor, writer and teacher. Her mission will be
nurturing spiritual life by developing liturgies for inclusive home church
celebrations.
Rita Lucey of Orlando, a member of Pax
Christi, has been married for 61 years and is a human rights activist who spent
six months in federal prison to close the U.S. Army School Americas
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