Sister barred from teaching catechesis due to dissent on women’s ordination (more details + poll)

cna ^ | September 5, 2009

[NYer]

Sr. Louise Akers / Archbishop Pilarczyk

Cincinnati, Ohio, Sep 5, 2009 / 07:55 am (CNA).- The Archbishop of Cincinnati Daniel Pilarczyk, citing his duty to safeguard authentic Catholic teaching, has barred a religious sister from teaching on behalf of the archdiocese after she refused to adhere to Catholic teaching on the ordination of women.

Sister of Charity Louise Akers, 66, was listed as an advisory board member for the Women’s Ordination Conference. Her photo and name were also on the site.

In April the archdiocese’s Office of Catechesis and Evangelization removed her from its list of approved teachers and speakers for archdiocesan programs and events.

In an early August meeting, she and Archbishop Pilarczyk discussed her removal from the list. According to the Catholic Telegraph, the archbishop told her that permission to teach would be restored if she rescinded her support for women’s ordination and disassociated herself from the Women’s Ordination Conference publicly.

Sister Louise has removed her name and photo from the group’s website but has said she cannot publicly withdraw her support for women’s ordination.

Speaking to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Sister Louise said her position concerned “an issue of justice within the Church” motivated by her belief in “the value, dignity and equality of women in the Church.”

According to the Enquirer, she characterized women’s ordination as both a practical and a fairness issue. She claimed the practice would address a shortage of priests and would put women on equal footing with men in the church.

Archdiocese spokesman Dan Andriacco told the Enquirer that the refusal of permission to Sister Louise was based on the principle that “someone who is teaching in the name of the church should be in accord with the teachings of the church.”

"Some people argue that ordaining women is a justice issue," Andriacco said. "The Church would say there is only injustice when you deprive someone of something they have a right to. Ordination is not a right, nor is the ability to teach in the name of the Church."

He added that the Church clearly states that because Christ chose only male apostles, the Church must ordain only male priests.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that the ordination of women “is not possible,” as only a baptized man validly receives sacred ordination.

Sister Barbara Hagedorn, president of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, said in a written statement that Sister Louise is “a member in good standing” and reported that the sister cannot “refute her beliefs on this issue” as “a matter of conscience.”

According to the Catholic Telegraph, she added “the issue remains between the archbishop and Sister Louise Akers,” saying the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati support Sister Louise “and all those involved in this difficult situation.”

Erin Saiz Hanna, executive director of the Women's Ordination Conference, claimed that the archbishop’s denial of permission for Sister Louise to teach was “just bullying,” the Enquirer reports.

Archbishop Pilarczyk discussed the case with The Catholic Telegraph.

“Questions have been raised about the role of a diocesan bishop and the teaching of catechetics in his diocese. It is a bishop’s responsibility to provide authentic and orthodox Catholic teaching in his diocese. Persons who are not in accord with the teaching of the church should not expect to be allowed to teach catechetical leaders or others in the name of the church.”

He explained that teachers of the Catholic faith teach more than infallible doctrines, but what is in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Tricia Hempel, editor of the Catholic Telegraph, told CNA in a Friday phone call that no further statement on the case would be issued.

[NYer]

From Fr. Z ...

---

ALERT UPDATE! POLL on ordination of women - dissssenters losing

CATEGORY: SESSIUNCULA — Fr. John Zuhlsdorf @ 11:10 am

This poll is going in the proper direction.

Also, CNA picked up the story.

UPDATE 5 Sept 0436 GMTYes     (5615) 31.7%
No     (11896) 67.15%
I’m undecided      (204) 1.15%
Total Votes: 17715

UPDATE 5 Sept 1609 GMTNote the over night gains.

Yes     (6044) 28.22%
No     (14864) 69.41%
I’m undecided     (506) 2.36%
Total Votes: 21414


Go HERE for the original entry I did.

God HERE for the page where you can VOTE NO and take back the poll! 

Vote "NO!", you do not think the Church should (futilely attempt) to ordain women.

[Citizen Soldier]

They need to excommunicate her if she can’t ashere to Catholic teachings, IMHO

[Vaquero]

there is no voting....nor is the holy father in rome required to listen to Sister Suffragette...

She can however join a different church....she might be able to become a gay, female, Episcopal priest if she likes....

[Steelfish]

My only quarrel with this, is that is should have been done decades ago and on a regular basis

[E. Pluribus Unum]

If she thinks Catholic doctrine is wrong, she should start her own religion.

It's bee done before.

[bushinohio]

When I was in college about a decade ago, the priest on our campus said that he not only wanted to see women as priests, but also that he wanted priests to be able to marry. It really bothered me and a lot of other student parishioners, but we didn't have much of a choice. Being stuck on campus without a car, it was the only church we could get to.

[FrdmLvr]

Voted NO, and bless you, Archbishop.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Someone should have told Father Rabble-rouser that 21 of the 22 Churches sui juris which comprise the Catholic Church, ordain, as a norm, married men. All 21 of those Churches are experiencing a shortage of Priests, as is the Greek Orthodox Church.

When faced with a situation such as yours, contact the local Bishop and complain and get a copy of The Liturgy of the Hours and read from it during the homily.

[CdMGuy]

Well, let’s see. First it is not a matter of faith and morals that only men can be ordained priests. While it may be the Church’s current position, it can be changed at any time. It is not in the same category as such matters as the Immaculate Conception, Transsubstantion, the divine nature of Jesus, etc.

When Jesus walked the earth, women were considered to be chattel. They were not considered to be much more than a piece of furniture. Naturally, Jesus would only have selected men as his Apostles. Had he selected women, the public would not even had listened to them.

In the Eastern Rite of the Catholic Church, priests can be married. Episcopalian priests who are married and convert to the Roman Catholic Church can be recognized as married priests.

So, at a time when dioceses such as mine have such a shortage of priests that some parishes do not even have one, and mine, which should have 3, has only one who sometimes has to celebrate 6 Masses on a weekend, it is the Church’s position that married men cannot become ordained Catholic priests and women cannot become priests. This is absurd, and it has nothing at all to do with the faith and morals teaching of the Catholic Church. It has to do with a bunch of men who do not want to change.

If it is wrong for Roman Catholic priests to be married, then it is wrong for those other Rites in union with Rome to have married priests. Mark my words, the Roman Catholic Church will first start with married priests and later with women priests. That day is coming. Oh, and for those who have forgotten, most of the Apostles were married. One more thing. For over 1,000 years, priests were married and also living unmarried with women.

When St. Francis of Assisi walked the Earth in the early 1200s, the Church was a mess. Jesus came to him in a dream and said, “Francis, rebuild my church.” Having just come out of the priest sexual misconduct mess, it is again time to rebuild the priesthood. I say, “Yes to married priests, and Yes to women priests.”

[A.A. Cunningham]

First it is not a matter of faith and morals that only men can be ordained priests. While it may be the Church’s current position, it can be changed at any time. It is not in the same category as such matters as the Immaculate Conception, Transsubstantion, the divine nature of Jesus, etc.

Incorrect. Suggest you read Ordinatio Sacerdotalis since you obviously are confused. Even a person of your low level of acumen can comprehend the following:

"4. Although the teaching that priestly ordination is to be reserved to men alone has been preserved by the constant and universal Tradition of the Church and firmly taught by the Magisterium in its more recent documents, at the present time in some places it is nonetheless considered still open to debate, or the Church's judgment that women are not to be admitted to ordination is considered to have a merely disciplinary force.

Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church's divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Lk 22:32) I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful."

Episcopalian priests who are married and convert to the Roman Catholic Church can be recognized(sic) as married priests.

Only if they receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders which is by no means automatic. It should be noted that those married protestant ministers who convert and then seek ordination in the Latin Rite must agree, prior to ordination, that if their spouse precedes them in death they will then adopt the discipline of celibacy for the remainder of their life. No agreement, no ordination.

the Church’s position that married men cannot become ordained Catholic priests

21 of the 22 Churches sui juris which comprise the Catholic Church ordain, as a norm, married men.

and women cannot become priests. This is absurd, and it has nothing at all to do with the faith and morals teaching of the Catholic Church.

The only thing that is absurd is your ignorance of the faith. Sadly, that is a commodity in all too abundant supply in this day and age in the Church militant.

[stop_fascism]

You might be happier as an Episcopalian.

[ex-snook]

WDJD? Or What Did Jesus Do?

[HiramQuick]

Is that a CHURCH? I didn’t think episcopalians believed in anything Biblical.

[TheWriterTX]

God made it perfectly clear through scripture that MEN are the leaders of the church. Women tend to be more pragmatic and sensitive to both sides; whereas men tend to be more dogmatic and unflappable.

When the path to ultimate salvation is narrow, and staying true to one's beliefs is growing more challenging every day, we need men, the strongest of men, to defend the faith.

As a woman, I would never attend a church with a woman at the helm.

If the nun doesn't like the basic tenets of her faith, she is welcome to go to a different church.

It's that simple.

[ex-snook]

There may be even more women saints than men.

[TheWriterTX]

Dear Ex-Snook,

Don't get me wrong. I don't doubt for a second that women can hold the highest of faith, as there are many female saints who have answered God's call or withstood extreme torture for their faith. Our Savior could have entered this world anyway God chose, but God chose to bring Christ into this world through a woman.

My point was very specific: God calls men to be the leaders of the faith, particularly in their homes, and in their church. If we look at the churches that have embraced a more "contemporary" or "inclusive" atmosphere of allowing women to lead, they invariably fall from the faith or accept practices that run contrary to biblical principles.

My children and I are Baptists, but I will defend the Catholic Church's right to dictate how it will conduct it's affairs. If I stand by and let others destroy that Church, then I have no ground to stand and defend my own.

[frogjerk]

Well, let’s see. First it is not a matter of faith and morals that only men can be ordained priests. While it may be the Church’s current position, it can be changed at any time. It is not in the same category as such matters as the Immaculate Conception, Transsubstantion, the divine nature of Jesus, etc.

You are 100% wrong.

Although the teaching that priestly ordination is to be reserved to men alone has been preserved by the constant and universal Tradition of the Church and firmly taught by the Magisterium in its more recent documents, at the present time in some places it is nonetheless considered still open to debate, or the Church’s judgment that women are not to be admitted to ordination is considered to have a merely disciplinary force. Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church’s divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Luke 22:32), I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church’s faithful" (Ordinatio Sacerdotalis 4 Pope John Paul II).

Hey, but why should Catholics care if the Pontiff speaks ex Cathedra -sarc

[frogjerk]

The greatest saint is indeed a woman. Mary, The Mother of God. Although this has nothing to do with woman's ordination.

[frogjerk]

God, the Father ordained men in the Old Covenant. Jesus, the Son of God, consubstantial with the Father, ordained men in the New Covenant.