Posted on 05/04/2008 1:47:36 PM PDT by NYer
On May 29, Monica Kilburn Smith of Calgary will be welcomed into the small worldwide community of female Roman Catholic priests.
Her ordination ceremony will take place in a United Church in Victoria and, of course, will not be recognized by the global Roman Catholic Church. However, Kilburn Smith and local supporters of major reform within the world's largest Christian church say it will be one more small step in a campaign to bring up questions, start discussion, open eyes and, eventually, win hearts.
"Many Catholics, both women and men, have been working for change within the church for centuries," says Kilburn Smith, a chaplain with the Calgary Health Region.
"But the Roman Catholic Womenpriests movement is doing something tangible about it. It seems prophetic and courageous, something I feel called to be a part of."
The first ordinations of Catholic women as priests were held in 2002 in Europe. More than 50 women, including two other Canadians, have taken the bold step since then.
Kilburn Smith says she's eager to play a pastoral role for what she believes is a growing community of people who feel disconnected from the current church, but who remain Catholic at heart.
Local members of a group called Friends of Vatican II, who are working for reform within the Catholic church, say they don't hide their opinions when talking to other Catholics, but they don't actively try to proselytize.
"It comes up in conversations after church and in other settings," says Shelagh Mikulak.
"I think there are a lot of Catholics who wouldn't have a problem with female priests, but they don't feel comfortable to come out in the open with their support."
Those actively seeking reform have been holding silent vigils across the street from St. Mary's, the Calgary Catholic diocese cathedral, for the past few years during holy week.
Some women who have been ordained as priests have been excommunicated from the Catholic fold. Reform supporters say they're not looking to pick a fight with the Vatican, but they steadfastly maintain their position is an elemental matter of conscience and justice deeply rooted in their faith.
"It's not about being contentious, but we believe there's a need for reform within the church to welcome both women and married male priests," says Fred Williams.
"Clearly the law is unjust. These people want to follow their conscience and their spiritual calling and to deny that is wrong."
Kilburn Smith says she and other Roman Catholic women priests value the sacramental tradition of their church, but are practising a non-clerical, non-hierarchical form of ordained ministry.
"It's leadership modelled on Jesus' example of inclusivity and non-judgmental love," she says.
Kilburn Smith says her concept of a priest's role is, among other things, one who is "the holder of the sacred space" and who, like many, feels moved to use his or her God-given gifts in compassionate ministry.
"Jesus says the Kingdom of God is within you, and that statement doesn't just apply to men. We are each called to minister in our own way. I believe being a priest is my way."
Kilburn Smith says the historic Catholic rejection of
a female priesthood is akin to "gender apartheid" and amounts to a tragic waste of human potential at a time when many Catholic parishes worldwide are without priests.
Supporter Angelina Waldon draws a comparison to the American civil rights movement and its early pioneers who faced entrenched attitudes with courage.
"It's like Rosa Parks; someone, somewhere has to be the first to stand up for what is right," says Waldon.
Kilburn Smith says she and other Catholic women who aspire to the priesthood are often asked why they don't simply move to another Christian denomination, such as Anglican, United or Presbyterian, where female clergy are welcomed.
"I'm Catholic in my bones," she says. "If you want to bring about change, you have to stay within, not walk away and give up. If we didn't care about the church and its future, we wouldn't be doing this."
Supporter Catherine Williams adds, "We the people are the church, not the buildings or the hierarchy."
Will supporters of a female Catholic priesthood see their vision embraced by the church in their lifetime?
"I have to believe it will happen," says Mikulak. "Gender equality is now established in so many other segments of society. But it took courageous women, and courageous men who supported them, to make it happen."
As the spring sun warms the earth and thoughts turn to the leafy renewal of spring, Kilburn Smith is convinced a more inclusive Catholic Church will bloom in the years ahead.
"This is a transition time in the Catholic world. We've been a long time in that moist soil," Kilburn Smith says of those advocating for renewal.
"But now we are starting to sprout up. There is nothing that lives that does not change."
It’s OK.
We all make mistakes.
I’m off for the night too, but I look forward to discussing this tomorrow.
:-)
Not possible. She is attempting to become a priest, but it is an impossible feat.
Where did you get the idea that ordination has anything to do with being “good enough”?
No person is good enough for the office.
Certainly no man is.
But only men are called.
Its not about “what I want to do”, but rather about what God wants to do.
And if you choose to be Catholic, the Catholic Church clearly teaches that God does not call women to be ordained, and that such a reality has nothing to do with the dignity or worth of women, but rather it has to do with the reality that Jesus was male. And men and women are different by design, and that difference has significance.
We can all ask God for an explanation on the other side.
She may be some sort of priest but she will not be a Roman Catholic priest of any sort.
ittle girls playing dressup.
Only those who aren't cognizant of the distinction between the common priesthood of the believer and the Ministerial Priesthood of the ordained.
"Monica Kilburn-Smith, who currently works as a health care chaplain, holds a Master of Theological Studies degree, a Graduate Diploma in Dance Movement Therapy, and a B.A. in Fine Arts and Journalism. She practices Healing Touch and Reiki and is currently training to be a Spiritual Director. Formerly married and now single, she has two school-age daughters and lives in Calgary, Alberta (Canada). Monica commits herself to creative work in the intersections of spirituality, liturgy and the arts, and the empowering of women to claim their wisdom, beauty and agency as Beloveds of Godde. She can be emailed at gemstones@shaw.ca."
"Dance movement" and "Reiki", eh?
Godde bless her!
Women “priests” killed off the Episcopal church. Mostly lesbians or angry man-hating womyn. It was a short step from there to making sure that the only men who were welcome were homosexual or effeminate. Now a woman priestess who intones prayers to Mother Jesus is the Presiding Bishopess, and the former church is in its final death throes.
The first three Gospels (the synoptic Gospels) were written 25 to 30 years after the Death of Jesus. Further, Jesus specifically said he would give them the Holy Spirit to remember his exact words. The book of 1 Timothy requires that Deacons, Overseerers and Priests shall be men. Sorry he didn't clear it with you first but that's God's rule and he doesn't negotiate.
All Christians are called to bring human souls to God but not all are called to be Priests. Millions of women all over the world bring thousands of sinners to Christ and don't consider their non-priest status a hindrance in this regard.
She is not a priest, she will never be a priest, she and her supporters are quite frankly APOSTATE.
There is no other expression or explanation, these folks have NO respect for canonical law, nor the bible itself.
May God have mercy on their souls. I and my family turn our backs on them.
...which was anticipated and proactively responded to in the qualifier "Biblical Christians," and in the second sentence: "Apart from our one Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16), we don't so much have priests as we are priests (1 Peter 2:9)."
Media, journalists, ad infinitum ... a constant stream of attacks on the Catholic Church. Thank goodness we have this forum where we can gather to discuss the truth and enlighten those who may have been taken in by the MSM.
We are priests.
We also have priests, more precisely elders (presbyteroi, from which the English word "priest" comes). It's straight from Paul, who went around picking overseers (episcopoi, bishops) in every town, who then picked elders/presbyteroi to serve under them.
Your points are well taken.
That said, you cannot be a female Roman Catholic priest. There is no such thing. She can call herself whatever she chooses, but it does not make it true.
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