By Bridget Mary Meehan
Global Ministries University
FALLS CHURCH, July 18 (UPI) — "You have given me a reason to return to
the church," Kathy recently emailed in response to the news that eight more
women would be ordained as Roman Catholic priests in Pittsburgh on July 31,
2006.
That's right. Roman Catholic women priests
This particular reformation began when Bishop Romulo Braschi of Argentina, a man
of uncommon courage and conscience, agreed to ordain seven women priests. Bishop
Braschi did so by the power vested in Roman Catholic Bishops who are in full
apostolic succession from Jesus Christ. Bishops trace their spiritual lineage
(and authority) back to the first apostles, who were given their authority by
Jesus Christ, personally.
The ordination took place June 21, 2002 on the boat, "Passau,"
floating down the Danube. The Vatican promptly excommunicated the women priests.
Shortly thereafter, several male Roman Catholic bishops, in full communion with
the pope, agreed to ordain two of the women priests, Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger
and Gisela Forster, as Roman Catholic Bishops (again by the authority given them
through the line of apostolic succession. The male bishops granted this
ordination in the presence of witnesses, but otherwise in secrecy to avoid
reprisal from the Vatican.
In Jan. 2004, Patricia Fresen was ordained by the same male bishops and by
Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger and Gisela Forster One of the male Roman Catholic
bishops told Patricia that day: "We are not doing this for you, but so that
justice can be served in our church."
The reason behind wanting to have women ordained as bishops is so that they in
turn can ordain priests without risk to the many male bishops who, while
sympathetic to the cause of women in the clergy, risk excommunication by the
Vatican for their participation.
Six women were ordained as deacons in June 2004 on the ship, "Sissi,"
on the Danube. O More ordinations followed in 2005, with one French woman
ordained to the priesthood on a boat on the Saone, near Lyons. On July 25, 2005,
nine women were ordained on international waters on the St. Lawrence Seaway. On
June 24th, 2006, 3 women were ordained priests and 1 woman was ordained a deacon
on Lake Constance between Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Continuing the line of succession from the apostles, the newly consecrated women
bishops gave ordination to Ida Raming. Together bishops Gisela Forster, Patricia
Fresen and Ida Raming will preside over the ordination of the women priests and
deacons on the boat in Pittsburgh.
Why all the boats? It just seems fitting. Jesus' first disciples were fishermen.
Jesus did some of his best work from the bow of boat, and it was in a boat that
he taught his disciples how to weather storms. Water itself is the source and
maintainer of life.
In the organization Roman Catholic WomenPriests, we see our ministry
specifically designed to reach out to those who, like Kathy, have been alienated,
hurt, or rejected by the institutional Catholic Church. The are the legion of
women who feel like second-class citizens in their own church, divorced and
remarried Catholics, gays and lesbians and all those on the margins of church
and society. We will minister everywhere we find a need for God's compassion and
love. The world is our parish.
As a global congregation we have come full circle. In the early church, the
community gathered in home churches for the celebration of the Eucharist. Romans
16 uses the word eklesia ("church") to describe the group
that gathered in the home of Prisca and Aquila, a husband-wife ministry team,
who were missionary apostles and coworkers with Paul. "Greet Prisca and
Aquila who work with me in Christ Jesus, and who risked their necks for my life,
to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Greet
also the church in their house" (Romans 16:3-5).
And we're right back there today. Many people seek a more individualized,
personalized caring church community where they share their faith issues and
spiritual journey. According to recent surveys, 20 million people worship at
home in "house churches."
During the past eleven years, I have participated in home churches in Virginia
and Florida. Groups of up to fifteen people have met in my house to share faith
and prayer. In the process, we have opened our hearts on a deep level to share
the work God is doing in our lives to reconcile, heal and transform us.
When I am ordained a Roman Catholic priest, I plan to celebrate Eucharist, offer
reconciliation services, anoint the sick, preside at wakes in my home church
communities and to minister to those who call upon me with any spiritual need.
Whether ministering in home churches, hospices, college chapels, or any other
place, Roman Catholic WomenPriests offer a vision of an inclusive church where all
are welcome at God's table of plenty at the Banquet of Love. We offer a new
model of priestly ministry in which all people and all ministries are equally
valued. We will work as partners and equals with others in our communities.
It is not enough to ordain women into a patriarchal and hierarchical structure.
The clerical structure needs to be transformed from a dominator model with
powers reserved to clergy into an open, participatory model that honors the
gifts of God in the people of God. The present gap between clergy and lay needs
to be eliminated. We need to move from an unaccountable top-down, hierarchical
to a people-empowered discipleship of equals. We advocate a community model of
ministry based on union with the people we serve.
The goal of the Roman Catholic Womenpriests community is to bring about the full
equality of women in the Roman Catholic Church. The movement Roman Catholic
Womenpriests does not perceive itself as a counter-current movement against the
Roman Catholic Church. It wants neither a schism nor a break from the Roman
Catholic Church, but rather wants to work positively within the Church. We
invite our Roman Catholic Church leaders to join us in an open, respectful
dialogue so that together we may serve the church faithfully and lovingly.
In her address, "Prophetic Obedience: The Experience and Vision of Roman
Catholic Womenpriests" to the Southeast Pennsylvania Women's Ordination
Conference in March, 2005, Bishop Patricia Fresen, D.Th., said: "Now we in
the Church are on another 'long walk to freedom,' this time freedom from sexism,
from unjust discrimination against women in the church, freedom from oppression
by the privileged clerical caste in the church. Once again, we need to stand
together in protest, to break the unjust laws because we cannot wait forever,
and we need, at least at the beginning, to move into the structures that exist,
and change them."
It is time for holy disobedience. As Cardinal Walter Kasper, the former bishop
of Rottenberg-Stuttgart, Germany and currently president of the Vatican's
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity wrote: "Some situations
oblige one to obey God and one's own conscience, rather than the leaders of the
church. Indeed, one may even be obliged to accept excommunication, rather than
act against one's conscience."
In obedience to the Gospel of Jesus we are disobeying an unjust law that
discriminates against women. Canon 1024 states that only a baptized male may
receive Holy Orders. This is in contradiction to Canon 849 which states that
Baptism is the gateway to the sacraments which includes Holy Orders. Baptism is
the foundation for the validity of Holy Orders not male gender.
Thus, Canon 1024 denies full membership to women in the church and contradicts
Canon 849 which opens all the sacraments to all members of the church. In other
words, the sacrament of Baptism makes us equals in Christ.
St. Paul taught, "As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed
yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there no longer servant
or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ
Jesus" (Galatians 3:28).
For 1200 years some popes, bishops and scholars accepted women's ordination as
equal to men's. In the 10th century Bishop Atto of Vercelli wrote about the
early church practice of ordaining women to preside over the churches because of
the great need. In 1976 The Pontifical Biblical Commission concluded that there
is no biblical reason to prohibit women's ordination.
Pope John Paul II contradicted the early tradition of women in priestly ministry
when he wrote: "The church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly
ordination on women and ...this judgment is to be definitively held by all the
Church's faithful."
However, Pope John Paul II did not consult the people of God (including the
theologians and the bishops) before issuing this decree.
The church teaches that infallible teaching must reflect the sense of the
faithful. Therefore, this teaching is not infallible because it does not reflect
the sensus fidelium, the faith of the believing community. In fact,
according to recent surveys about 70 percent of Catholics approve of women's
ordination, including some of the world's bishops.
People ask, "But what of your vows of obedience?" To a child,
obedience is doing what you are told. For an adult, obedience is discerning and
following God's direction for our lives. Roman Catholic WomenPriests do not take
a vow of obedience to a bishop. Our obedience is to the Gospel as we discern
together God's guidance for our community.
Women and men are created in God's image and both may represent Christ as
priests. Women as priests remind us that women are equal symbols of the holy and
that the identity of priests should reflect the experiences and spiritual
authority of women. Women priests help the church to recognize women's rightful
place as equals in the governing structures of the church.
Patriarchy's dark lie that women are more responsible for the fall of humankind
has been smashed as women in priestly ministry defy an unjust law that keeps
women subordinate in the Catholic Church. The church can not continue to
discriminate against women and blame God for it. Reclaiming our ancient
spiritual heritage, women priests are shaping a more inclusive, Christ-centered
church of equals in the 21st century.
— — —
Bridget Mary Meehan, D.Min., a Sister for Christian Community, will
be ordained a Roman Catholic priest in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on July 31. Dr.
Meehan is currently Dean of the Doctor of Ministry Program for Global Ministries
University, and is the author of 15 books, including "The
Healing Power of Prayer" and "Praying
with Visionary Women.". Dr. Meehan can be reached at [email protected].
The website is Roman
Catholic Womenpriests.