Well! A hundred people! And this is news--- why?
"...out of respect for the churchs view that he has been excommunicated."
That's like "Michael Vick respects the judge's view that he's guilty of a felony." Or "John Kerry respects the voters' view that he is not President of the United States."
And --- about them priestesses?
There once was a woman whose mania
Was liturgical extemporanea.
She thought she'd at least
Be a self-declared priest:
And I am the Queen of Romania.
LOL!