Several months ago, former Cincinnati Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk barred Sister Louise Akers from teaching in archdiocesean schools because she supported the ordination of women.Recently, when a reporter asked him why he did this, the archbishop said: "The formal teaching of the church is women cannot be ordained to the priesthood. I am bound by that ... She was representing the church. You can't represent the church and teach things that the church doesn't teach. I believe I was forced to take some action." (The Enquirer, Dec 21, 2009)
There are numerous publications by theologians which attest to the history and tradition of women's leadership in early Christianity and up until the 12th century - as deacons, priests and bishops. See, for example, the calendars of archaeologist/theologian Dorothy Irvin and books by scholars Gary Macy, Karen Jo Torjesen, John Wijngaards, Lavinia Byrne, Ida Raming, Ute Eisen, Joan Morris, Kevin Madigan and Carolyn Osiek.
Catholics must search for the above information by themselves because male priests do not mention the words "women's ordination" from the pulpit at Sunday Masses. Those who follow their conscience and have spoken out for women's justice within our church and world community have been severely reprimanded by the Vatican.
One such person is Father Roy Bourgeois, Maryknoll priest of 38 years and founder of the School of the Americas Watch. He and SOAWatch have been nominated for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize.
Theologian Dorothy Irvin, who has a pontifical doctorate in Catholic studies from the University of Tübingen, Germany, with specialization in Bible, ancient Near-Eastern studies and archaeology, has found archaeological evidence that women were priests.
I traveled with her to Rome, Naples and North Africa. We visited catacombs and churches. We studied frescoes, mosaics and tombstones. I have seen firsthand frescoes of a woman at the altar celebrating Mass and women celebrating Eucharist.
I have seen the Roman mosaic of four women ministers, including a woman bishop, which attests to a continuous succession in church office from Mary through Praxedis and Pudentiana to Theodora.
Above her head is her title, "Episcopa," with the feminine ending, meaning a bishop who is a woman.
Jesus treated women and men as equals and partners in ministry. Among his disciples were many women. Mary Magdalene, the first to encounter the risen Christ, was commissioned by Christ to be the "Apostle to the Apostles." St. Paul called Junia "an outstanding apostle."
In 1976, the Pontifical Biblical Commission concluded that there is no biblical reason to prohibit women's ordination.
This past July former President Jimmy Carter severed his ties with the Southern Baptist Convention because he believes that "we are all equal in the eyes of God - as confirmed in the Holy Scriptures."
His July 12, 2009, statement entitled "The Words of God Do Not Justify Cruelty to Women" was published in the Sunday Observer in the United Kingdom. (See CommonDreams.org) In this powerful essay, he challenges male religious authorities saying that "discrimination and abuse wrongly backed by doctrine are damaging society. This discrimination, unjustifiably attributed to a Higher Authority, has provided a reason or excuse for the deprivation of women's equal rights across the world for centuries."
In polls conducted by the National Catholic Reporter, the sensus fidelium - the voices of the faithful - believe that women are called to the servant priesthood.
Many Catholics have left the Church because they consider it unbalanced without women on the altar to interpret the Gospels from their feminine living and dying.
The Holy Spirit moves in grace and truth among the grassroots and cannot be deterred - even by the Vatican.
In recent years, women have reclaimed their ancient heritage within the Church. Today there are about 100 women ordained as Roman Catholic Womenpriests.
Your farewell article on Archbishop Pilarczyk contained a chart indicating that there are 482 Roman Catholic priests in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
That is an error you may want to correct for the incoming archbishop, Dennis Schnurr.
As an ordained Roman Catholic Womanpriest, I make the total 483.
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