Response to Pope Francis on Women Priests by a Women Priest "READY and SERVING NOW" by Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP, Pope Francis Says Ban on Female Priests Is Likely to Endure ,

 My Response to Pope Francis on Women Priests: "Ready and Serving Now"
 by Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP, www.arcwp.org
sofiabmm@aol.com

Bishop Braschi lays hand on Dagmar Celeste in historic RCWP Ordination of Danube 7 in 2002The internationl Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement that began with the ordination of seven women on the Danube is leading the way toward the full equality of women in the Roman Catholic Church today.

Pope Francis says "never" but, the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement is ready and serving now! We are living our call to serve God's people in the Catholic Community now in a non-clerical, egalitarian "discipleship of equals."

Danube Ordination of seven Roman CatholicWomen in June 2002

On July 31, 2006, twelve women were ordained in the United States. i was one of eight women ordained a priest at this ordination in Pittsburgh, PA. Four were ordained deacons.

July 31, 2006, first U.S. ordination of Roman Catholic Women Priests

Several hundred laid hands on the ordinands at the first USA RCWP Ordination on the Majestic River Boat on the Three Rivers, Pittsburgh, PA, July 31, 2006

We are changing the church now as we live the vision of Jesus who called women and men to be disciples and equals. We gather around the table to celebrate the sacred meal in remembrance of Jesus. Everyone joins in praying the prayers of consecration, we have dialogue homilies to honor the voice of God speaking through the Body of Christ. 

Bridget Mary and Lee Breyer, co-presiders at Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community
Sarasota, Florida

Like Mary of Magdala, apostle to the apostles, who shared the good news of her encounter with the Risen Christ, we proclaim joyfully that gender justice, mutuality and partnership is rising up in the Catholic Church, one inclusive community at a time. 

Upper Room Inclusive Catholic Community celebrates liturgy in Albany, New York

As we ordain priests to serve grassroots communities where all are welcome and all are invited to celebrate sacraments, a renewed model of ministry is emerging that honors the gifts of the people of God and their diverse gifts.

Kathryn Shea ARCWP and Lee Breyer co-preside at  MMOJ litugy in Sarasota Florida in 2016

Pope Francis, the  ban on ordination of women priests is an example  of sexism in our church, that fails to affirm women who are called to serve by faith communities today. More than ever the The Roman Catholic Church needs the wisdom, experiences and loving service of women as priests and in all ministries to heal and transform our church into a more open, compassionate and just community that  makes the connection between discrimination against women at the altar and poverty, abuse and violence toward women in the world. 

Right to left Janice Sevre Duszynska ARCWP and Christina Moreira ARCWP with petitions that  supported women priests, they delivered to Vatican official in Curia to give to Pope Francis

I believe that the full equality of women in the church and world is the voice of God and the people of God in our times. Pope Francis, my prayer is that you will open the doors to dialogue with our international Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement!  Like Mary of Magdala and Junia who were apostles in the New Testament, we are ready, We are serving, and we will never give up!

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/02/world/europe/pope-francis-women-priests.htm
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN, New York Times

"The Roman Catholic Church’s teaching that women cannot be ordained as priests is likely to last forever, Pope Francis said on Tuesday as he flew back to Rome from Sweden.

Francis had traveled to Sweden for a historic ceremony commemorating the year leading up to the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. He was embraced at an ecumenical church service by the primate of the Church of Sweden, Archbishop Antje Jackelen, who is a woman.

Francis has said before that the Catholic Church’s ban on ordaining women as priests is a closed matter. But questions arose about his intentions after he established a commission to study whether women could be ordained as deacons. (Members of the commission were named in August.)

In a news conference aboard the pope’s plane, a Swedish journalist referred to Archbishop Jackelen and asked whether it was realistic to think that there might be female priests in the next few decades.

According to reporters who were on the plane, Francis responded, “On the ordination of women in the Catholic Church, the last word is clear.”

He cited the apostolic letter, Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, written in 1994 by Pope John Paul II, who has since been canonized. The letter said that ordaining women was not possible because Jesus chose only men as his apostles.

“It was given by St. John Paul II, and this remains,” Francis said.

“Really?” the Swedish journalist asked. “Never?”

“If we read carefully the declaration made by St. John Paul II, it goes in this direction,” Francis replied. “But women can do many other things better than men,” he added, noting that Mary, the mother of Jesus, is of great importance in the church’s theology and spirituality."

https://www.ncronline.org/news/vatican/pope-francis-confirms-finality-ban-ordaining-women