Posts Tagged women priests
On women clergy, Pope Francis fears ‘disease’ of clericalism / Cruxnow.com
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clericalism, Pope Francis, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful, Women in Catholic Church on November 2, 2016
“Despite the fact that he stands today at the apex of the clerical pecking order, there’s a sense in which Pope Francis is the most anti-clerical pontiff in Catholic history.”
During his customary in-flight news conference at the end of his trip to Sweden yesterday, Pope Francis took a question on women priests and not only reiterated, as he has several times in the past, that St. Pope John Paul has already said no, but he appeared to suggest that the Church’s ‘no’ is forever.
“‘If we read carefully the declaration of St. John Paul II, it goes in that direction,’ Francis said.
“What that response didn’t address, however, is the more interesting question currently percolating about women clergy, which is the matter of whether women can, and should, be ordained as deacons. I say it’s more ‘interesting’ largely because Francis’s answer is less predictable, and therefore the outcome is more up for grabs.
“I don’t know how to handicap where the pope will come down on the issue, but I do know where to begin in trying to describe how he’s likely to approach it: What he sees as the ‘disease’ of clericalism, and the danger of clericalism setting the tone for discussions of women in the Church.
“Despite the fact that he stands today at the apex of the clerical pecking order, there’s a sense in which Pope Francis is the most anti-clerical pontiff in Catholic history …”
By John L. Allen, Jr., Cruxnow.com — Click here to read the rest of this article.
Pope Francis says ban on female priests is likely to endure / The New York Times
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Pope Francis, Voice of the Faithful, Women in Catholic Church on November 1, 2016
The Roman Catholic Church’s teaching that women cannot be ordained as priests is likely to last forever, Pope Francis said on Tuesday (Nov. 1.) as he flew back to Rome from Sweden … 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 an apostolic letter written in 1994 by Pope John Paul II, who has since been canonized as a saint. The letter said that ordaining women was not possible because Jesus chose only men as his apostles.”
By Laurie Goodstein, The New York Times — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Vatican hits sour note with women, but progress may come / Associated Press
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Voice of the Faithful, Women in Catholic Church on February 2, 2015
A new Vatican outreach initiative to listen to women hit a sour note before it even got off the ground: The sexy blonde on its Internet promo video came under such ridicule that it was quickly taken down.
“But the program is going ahead, and an inaugural meeting this week will study women’s issues in ways that are utterly new for the Holy See.
“No, there is no talk of ordaining women priests.
“But the working paper for the Pontifical Council of Culture’s plenary assembly on ‘Women’s Cultures: Equality and Difference’ speaks about opening the church’s doors to women so they can offer their skills ‘in full collaboration and integration’ with men.”
By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Also of interest from the Vatican Information Service today —
Vatican City, 2 February 2015 (VIS) – A press conference was held in the Holy See Press Office this morning to present the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for Culture on the theme “Women’s Cultures: between equality and difference,” which will be held in Rome from 4 to 7 February. The speakers were Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture; Anna Maria Tarantola, president of RAI (Radiotelevisione Italiana); Monica Maggioni, director of RAI News; and Nancy Brilli, actor.
The Assembly will be divided into four sessions in which the following themes will be considered: “Between equality and difference: the quest for equilibrium,” “Generativity as a symbolic code,” “The female body: between culture and biology” and “Women and religion: flight or new forms of participation in the life of the Church?” The Congress will be attended only by members and consultors of the Pontifical Council by pontifical appointment, with the exception of the session on Wednesday 4 February, when there will be a moment of public participation at the Teatro Argentina in Rome. For a period of 50 minutes there will be a series of videos, brief interviews, readings and images, and live music. Entry will be free, subject to capacity.
Cardinal O’Malley: If I started a church, I’d love to have women priests / Cruxnow.com
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Future of the Church, Voice of the Faithful on November 17, 2014
Catholics who thought Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley’s remarks about Kansas City Bishop Robert Finn’s suitability for office were provocative have another interesting comment to ponder: If he were to start a church, he would ‘love to have women priests.’
“In an interview with ‘60 Minutes’ on CBS that producers said took more than a year for them to persuade him to do, O’Malley seemed troubled by reporter Norah O’Donnell’s question as to whether the exclusion of women from the Church hierarchy was ‘immoral.’
“O’Malley paused, then said, ‘Christ would never ask us to do something immoral. It’s a matter of vocation and what God has given to us.'”
Bay Teresa Hanafin, Cruxnow.com — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Pope Francis Faces Church Divided over Doctrine, Global Poll of Catholics Finds / Washington Post
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in church reform, Pope Francis, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on February 13, 2014
Most Catholics worldwide disagree with church teachings on divorce, abortion and contraception and are split on whether women and married men should become priests, according to a large new poll released Sunday (Feb. 9) and commissioned by the U.S. Spanish-language network Univision.
On the topic of gay marriage, two-thirds of Catholics polled agree with church leaders. Overall, however, the poll of more than 12,000 Catholics in 12 countries reveals a church dramatically divided: Between the developing world in Africa and Asia, which hews closely to doctrine on these issues, and Western countries in Europe, North America and parts of Latin America, which strongly support practices that the church teaches are immoral.”
By Michelle Boorstein, The Washington Post — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Former LCWR Leader Says Pope Should Open Door to Women Priests / National Catholic Reporter
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in church reform, Religious Women, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on July 31, 2013
A key former leader of U.S. Catholic sisters said Pope Francis should reconsider the Catholic church’s ban on women priests, likening the male-only priesthood to ‘a form of inequality which is a form of idolatry.’ Commenting to NCR on Francis’ remarks on the papal plane Monday (July 29) that the late Pope John Paul II had ‘definitively … closed the door’ to Catholic women priests, Mercy Sr. Theresa Kane said Francis has a chance to ‘begin a whole new movement and a whole new philosophy.'” By Joshua McElwee, National Catholic Reporter
Read McElwee’s entire article in National Catholic Reporter by clicking here.
Reformist Priest Fr. Helmut Schuller Banned Again
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in church reform, Voice of the Faithful on July 26, 2013
Detroit Catholic Archbishop Allen Vigneron has banned an Austrian priest from speaking at a Westland Catholic parish today because the Rev. Helmut Schüller advocates allowing women and married men to be priests, in opposition to current church teaching … But Schüller said that the Catholic Church’s ban on women and married priests is a church order that can be lifted. It’s not an inherent part of the teachings of the Catholic Church, whose positions have varied over the centuries, he said. Church leaders ‘make a mistake’ when they say these are ‘the teachings of the church.’” By Patricia Montemurri and Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press
Read the entire article, “Archbishop Allen Vigeron Bans Liberal Priest Speech from Westland Church,” by clicking here.
Media, Retired Clerics Endorse Women’s Ordination to the Priesthood
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in church reform, Clergy, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on December 5, 2012
In order to keep our readers up-to-date, we are offering the following links to National Catholic Reporter: one, an editorial endorsing the ordination of women to the Roman Catholic priesthood; the other, a story about a retired priest ordered not to say Mass or perform his priestly duties after participating in a liturgy with a woman ordained by the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests.
From these examples and others, the voices of Catholic media and retired clerics are, it seems, becoming stronger in support of ordaining women.
Editorial: Ordination of Women Would Correct an Injustice
The call to the priesthood is a gift from God. It is rooted in baptism and is called forth and affirmed by the community because it is authentic and evident in the person as a charism. Catholic women who have discerned a call to the priesthood and have had that call affirmed by the community should be ordained in the Roman Catholic Church. Barring women from ordination to the priesthood is an injustice that cannot be allowed to stand.” By National Catholic Reporter Editorial Staff, Dec. 3, 2012
Jesuit, 92, Penalized after Eucharistic Liturgy with Woman Priest
A Catholic priest who participated in a Eucharistic liturgy with a woman priest last month has been ordered to no longer celebrate the Mass or perform any other priestly duties. Jesuit Fr. Bill Brennan, a 92-year-old Milwaukee-area priest, said the superior of his religious community told him of the restrictions Nov. 29, saying they came at the request of Archbishop Jerome Listecki.” By Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter, Dec. 3, 2012
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