Dear Pope Leo XIV,
I am heartened by your dialogue with LGBTQI Catholics in the spirit of a Synodal Church that reaches to the margins with mutual respect. Your willingness to listen and engage offers hope to many who have long felt excluded. In that same spirit, we ask that this openness be extended to women called to priestly ministry.
As Roman Catholic Women Priests and members of inclusive Catholic communities around the world, we respectfully note that we have been requesting an opportunity for dialogue with you since you became pope.
Like our LGBTQI sisters and brothers, we find ourselves on the margins of the institutional Church. Although Canon Law has declared our ordinations invalid and imposed excommunication, we continue to follow our consciences and our call from God. We persist because we believe the Holy Spirit is at work among the People of God, inviting the Church toward greater justice and equality.
We remain deeply committed to the Gospel, the Eucharist, and a Church that reflects the inclusive love of Jesus.
For more than two decades, women priests have served vibrant faith communities across the globe. We celebrate the sacraments, accompany people in times of joy and sorrow, and build communities rooted in compassion, equality, and shared leadership. Our ministries respond to the spiritual hunger of many Catholics seeking a welcoming Church where all are valued and invited to participate according to their gifts.
The Synod on Synodality has called the Church into a process of listening and discernment. We believe this requires hearing not only those within established structures, but also those whose voices have been excluded. We ask for the opportunity to share our experiences and vision for a renewed Church.
We come as faithful disciples seeking conversation, inspired by Mary Magdalene, Phoebe, and the countless women whose ministries have sustained the Church throughout history.
We trust that the Spirit who guided the early Church continues to lead us toward deeper communion and fuller equality.
Pope Leo, we ask for a meeting or listening session. We believe such an encounter can open new pathways of understanding and help our Church more fully reflect the love of Christ.
With prayer, hope, and openness to the Spirit,
Rev. Dr. Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
sofiabmm.bmm@gmail.com
+1- 703-505-0004
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