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The Rev. Bernie Callahan of the Church of the Beatitudes said DiFranco's ordination and first Mass were a sign that "paths are being opened to Catholic women."

From the Church of the Beatitudes web site:

The Roman Catholic Church recognizes the validity of Old Catholic Holy Orders and Sacraments.

Ancient Validation

Utrecht receives Rights of Autonomy from Blessed Pope Eugene III in 1145.

This Right is confirmed by Pope Leo in 1215 and becomes known universally as the Leonine Privilege.

Privilege subsequently reconfirmed in two Church Councils in 1520 and 1717.

More Recent Validations

Dominus Iesus issued by the Roman Catholic Magisterium in the year 2000, signed by John Paul II on June 16, and Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger on August 6, states, "The churches which, while not existing in perfect communion with the (Roman) Catholic Church, remain united to her by means of the closest bonds, that is, by Apostolic Succession and a valid Eucharist, are true particular churches."

A Concordat was signed between the Holy Father, Pope Paul VI, and Archbishop Glazmaker of Utrecht in 1989, recognizing the Catholic status of one another and the validity of one another's Sacraments.

"The Roman Church recognizes the validity of Old Catholic Orders and Sacraments." 1974, Catholic Almanac, Our Sunday Visitor

"The Old Catholics, like the Orthodox, possess a valid priesthood." Separated Brethren, William J. Whalen

"...Catholics may receive the Eucharist, penance or anointing from sacred ministers of non-Catholic denominations whose Orders are considered valid by the Catholic Church. This includes all Eastern Orthodox priests, priests of the Old Catholic and the Polish National Church." A Catholic Guide to the New Code of Canon Law, Thomas P. Doyle, OP

"...Ordinations performed by the bishops of the Old Catholic are considered valid." A Practical Commentary on the Code of Canon Law, Rev. Stanislaw Woywood, OFM, LLB

Old Catholic Church of the Beatitudes

Is this from ScrappleFace ??? :-)

If the Old Catholics or Orthodox ordained
a pig,
the pig would be
just as much a priest
as this faux priestess is.

Among the valid matter REQUIRED for the sacrament of rodination: a baptized and confirmed male.

(Just as the valid matter for the sacrament of matrimony is one unmarried consenting woman willing to have and capable of having sexual intercourse and one unmarried consenting man willing to have and capable of having sexual intercourse, meaning that there is no such thing as homosexual marriage).

woops spelling error
should be "ordination" - perhaps what this woman did could be called "rodination".

With an apparent priest shortage and so many Protestant denominations embracing women ministers, some people wonder why the Catholic Church doesn't allow female priests. First of all, it's not because women aren't qualified or that they're somehow not worthy of this calling.

It's a constitutive element of the Sacrament of Holy Orders — any pope, council, or bishop can't change it. The same is true about the use of water for Baptism and bread and wine for Holy Eucharist. The elements of every Sacrament can't be changed, because Christ established it. This belief is shared by the Eastern Orthodox, who also don't ordain women for the very same reason. It has nothing to do with who's more worthy or suitable for Holy Orders in the same way that the ban on non-Catholics receiving Holy Communion has nothing to do with any moral or spiritual judgment on the persons involved. It has to do with Sacred Tradition, which is considered as divinely inspired as Sacred Scripture.

The reason the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches are unable to ordain women — be it to the diaconate, priesthood, or episcopacy — is actually threefold:

- The Church can't change what constitutes valid matter for any of the seven sacraments.

- Sacred Tradition, nearly 2,000 years old, has never had an instance of women priests.

- Jesus didn't ordain any women or call any of them to be apostles — thus excluding his mother even!

The Sacrament of Holy Orders

No pope, bishop, or council can change the constitutive elements of any of the seven sacraments, and a valid Sacrament of Holy Orders requires a baptized male to be ordained by a validly ordained bishop. Maleness is as essential to the Sacrament of Holy Orders as wheat bread and grape wine are to the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. So just as the pope can't change the requirements of valid matter for the Holy Eucharist, he can't change the requirements of valid matter for Holy Orders.

Sacred Tradition

Both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches believe that the revealed Word of God is both written (Sacred Scripture) and unwritten (Sacred Tradition). When the Bible is silent or ambiguous, Sacred Tradition authentically fills in the gaps. Sacred Tradition shows that women were never ordained, and Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Ordinatio Sacerdotalis (1994),clearly states that women can't be ordained.

It's not considered a matter of injustice, because not all men are allowed to be ordained. Just having a personal vocation isn't enough. The local bishop must call the man. No man can demand or expect ordination, because it's a gift, not a right. Think of it like this: Just as it's not unjust for men not to be able to give birth, it's not unjust for women not to be ordained.

Jesus and his apostles

The Church points to the fact that Jesus was both God and man. From all eternity, he was divine with a divine nature, intellect, and will. But he was also born of a human mother and took on a human nature as well. In his divinity, Jesus was God and pure spirit, but in his humanity, he was a man. His gender was more than accidental, because the Church is his bride. And because the priest acts in persona Christi (in the person of Christ) as an alter-Christus (another Christ), then the priest reflects Christ to the entire Church whenever he celebrates any of the sacraments. The maleness of Christ was part of who he was, and therefore, Jesus only called men to be his apostles even though his mother would've been a far better choice. But if a woman were to be ordained, she couldn't be espoused to the Church, because the Church is considered mother. A mother needs a father to complement the equation.

Catholicism regards Jesus as the groom and the Church as his bride. The priest is another Christ who acts in the person of Christ. The male priest represents the male Christ, and the priest is in a spousal relationship with the Holy Mother Church. Women priests don't fit into that typology.

The changing roles of women Women have come a long way since the early and medieval Church. Although they can't be ordained priests, women have equal rights to be sponsors at Baptism and Confirmation. In Matrimony, they're treated and regarded as 100 percent full, equal partners with their husbands. Women can serve on the parish council and finance committees. They can be readers at Mass, extraordinary ministers (laypersons who assist the priest at Mass to give out Holy Communion) if needed, and ushers. They can work in the parish office, teach religious ed, and so on, just like their male counterparts. And many parishes have women pastoral associates — usually nuns or religious sisters who help the pastor with many spiritual and pastoral duties. In addition, women can hold positions of influence and power even in the diocesan chancery. The Church has women who are canon lawyers, judges, and chancellors across the country. The Church has allowed local bishops and pastors the option to permit female altar servers at Mass. Now many parishes have both altar girls and altar boys.

A Concordat was signed between the Holy Father, Pope Paul VI, and Archbishop Glazmaker of Utrecht in 1989, recognizing the Catholic status of one another and the validity of one another's Sacraments.

That's got to be quite the trick, since Paul VI had been dead for 11 years at that point. (Did they have some necromancer raise him from the dead or something?)

"...Catholics may receive the Eucharist, penance or anointing from sacred ministers of non-Catholic denominations whose Orders are considered valid by the Catholic Church. This includes all Eastern Orthodox priests, priests of the Old Catholic and the Polish National Church." A Catholic Guide to the New Code of Canon Law, Thomas P. Doyle, OP

Because Catholics believe that the celebration of the Eucharist is a sign of the reality of the oneness of faith, life, and worship, members of those churches with whom we are not yet fully united are ordinarily not admitted to Holy Communion. Eucharistic sharing in exceptional circumstances by other Christians requires permission according to the directives of the diocesan bishop and the provisions of canon law (canon 844 § 4). Members of the Orthodox Churches, the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Polish National Catholic Church are urged to respect the discipline of their own Churches. According to Roman Catholic discipline, the Code of Canon Law does not object to the reception of communion by Christians of these Churches (canon 844 § 3).

USCCB, Guidelines for the Reception of Communion

§3. Catholic ministers administer the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick licitly to members of Eastern Churches which do not have full communion with the Catholic Church if they seek such on their own accord and are properly disposed. This is also valid for members of other Churches which in the judgment of the Apostolic See are in the same condition in regard to the sacraments as these Eastern Churches.

§4. If the danger of death is present or if, in the judgment of the diocesan bishop or conference of bishops, some other grave necessity urges it, Catholic ministers administer these same sacraments licitly also to other Christians not having full communion with the Catholic Church, who cannot approach a minister of their own community and who seek such on their own accord, provided that they manifest Catholic faith in respect to these sacraments and are properly disposed.

From Code of Canon Law

Just because some group calls themselves a church, just because some group says they have orders, just because some group says they have valid sacraments doesn't make it so.

The Roman Catholic Church recognizes the validity of Old Catholic Holy Orders and Sacraments.

No we do not. The Old Catholic Church is not on the list of churches in communion with us or recognized as having valid orders.

Any reasonable person would see that the Holy See would not endorse this nonsense that is on their "10 Reasons to check us out" page:

1. You will worship in a family where your marital status and sexual orientation are of no consequence. (That is, you are loved and accepted unconditionally.)

2. You will hear, finally, the dual parentage of Father/Mother God.

3.Your family life will be affirmed, no matter what shape your family is in. (In other words, this church realizes that there are other worthy families out there besides Mom, Dad, and Kids.)

4. You will occasionally hear the gospel read in a woman's voice and be spiritually enriched by the gift of a woman's homily.

The Old Catholics often use this lie of having valid orders to lure Catholics into their heretical churches. The Old Catholic churches today accept homosexuality, women clergy, contraception, gay unions, etc.

It does not have the stamp of approval from the Holy See.

Also from the website of the Church of the Beatitudes:

Offering unqualfied love to those marginalized by divorce, sexual orientation or other judgmental issues.

Ah, those judgmental issues! Good thing Jesus wasn't into that stuff!

"I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery." [His] disciples said to him, "If that is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry."

Thanks for the link to the picture of the Ritz cracker that they presume to be "eucharist." Whole wheat, with a dash of MSG for flavoring?

She's not a priest and it wasn't a "Mass."

Just another heretical wacko liberal modernist in need of sock puppet therapy. Signs of the times...