"A person at the edge of inside can be the strongest reformer. This person has the loyalty of a faithful insider, but the judgment of the critical outsider. Martin Luther King Jr. had an authentic inner experience of what it meant to be American. This love allowed him to critique America from the values he learned from America. He could be utterly relentless in bringing America back closer to herself precisely because his devotion to American ideals was so fervent....The person on the edge of inside is involved in constant change. The true insiders are so deep inside they often get confused by trivia and locked into the status quo. The outsider is throwing bombs and dreaming of far-off transformational revolution. But the person at the doorway is seeing constant comings and goings. As Rohr says, she is involved in a process of perpetual transformation, not a belonging system. She is more interested in being a searcher than a settler."
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| Janet Blakeley, ARCWP, Kevin Connelly, Sally Brochu ARCWP , Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community, Sarasota, Fl. Pentecost Liturgy, June 3, 2017 |
The international Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement is "at the edge of inside" the Catholic Church. Our members do not leave the church when they are ordained. Our vision is to lead the church to become more inclusive, just and compassionate. We reject our automatic excommunication because the hierarchy cannot cancel our baptism because we are spiritual equals in Christ and members of the church.
As the Civil Rights Movement affirmed, an unjust law must be broken in order change it. We disobey Canon law 1024 that prohibits women's ordination in prophetic obedience to the Spirit who calls us to live the example of Jesus in our church today. According to the Gospels, Jesus called women and men to be disciples and treated them as equals, and the Risen Christ appeared first to Mary of Magdala whom he called to be the apostle to the apostles.
Our international Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement is offering the gift of a renewed priestly ministry that is inclusive, liberating, empowering and egalitarian in small faith communities in the United States, Canada, South America, Europe and elsewhere. We are not replicating the clerical, hierarchical model of priestly ministry , but rather, our faith communities are circular and inclusive, diverse and empowering. We are leading the Catholic Church now on the edge of the inside. Come and see the beginning of something new, yet rooted in our ancient tradition!
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP, www.arcwp.org
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