Another Pass for Pope Francis ?" by Jack Duffy

ANOTHER OF THE DR DUFFY’S TIMELY---AND HOPEFULLY-- PROPHETIC MESSAGES

FROM THE  NITTROC*  NEWSLETTER,  Jan 2014 EDITION

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/01/04/pope-francis-priests-vatican/4316775/

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 4^th 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 20^th 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 synod. However, as great an idea I perceived it to be, it didn’t get off the ground then.  For this approach to become a reality, I know it would require a good number of the Church bishops, the administrators,  to be Holy Spirit-baptized.  I could believe some are, but assuredly, not all.

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 on Saturday, Jan. 18th/ Media Release

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)

rhythmsofthedance@gmail.com, 859-684-4247

Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan, sofiabmm@aol.com, 703-505-0004

ee: arcwp.org

 bridgetmarys.blogspot.org

Celebration of Priestly Ordination for:

Maureen McGill of St. Petersburg, FL mmcgill19@tampabay.rr.com 850-572-5413

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

maryberganblanchard@gmail.com 505-857-9288

Rita Lucey of Orlando, FL rluceyis@gmail.com 407-690-3293

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) and Marina Teresa Sanchez Majia (Cali, Colombia, SA) will be ordained priests in the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests. Mary Bergan Blanchard (Albuquerque, NM) and Rita Lucey (Orlando, FL) will be ordained deacons. The presiding bishop will be Bridget Mary Meehan of Sarasota, FL. The ceremony will take place at St. Andrew United Church of Christ, 6908 Beneva Road, Sarasota, FL 34238.  Because Marina Teresa is from Colombia and speaks Spanish, part of the ordination rite will be in Spanish. All are welcome.

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. She spent most of her professional career advocating for abused and neglected children as Director of the Guardian ad Litem Program in 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 and provide pastoral care for residents of nursing homes in 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 and Beijing. She has worked with local priests in base communities and was a missionary to Ecuador for three years where she studied Theology and served women and children and the outcast. Since 2005, she has animated, represented and served the large community of Afro-Colombians near Playa Reciente, near the Cauco River in 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 of the Americas. Because of her witness for justice issues and her experience in prison she has advocated for women in prison and has also served as a Hospice Volunteer for 25 years.