Posted on 12/17/2008 1:51:55 PM PST by NYer
Whether Maryknoll priest Fr. Roy Bourgeois has been excommunicated or not remains a mystery. As I wrote here, the Vatican told him to recant for supporting women's ordination--and attending one last July--and at last word he had gone to Rome to plead his cause.
Catholic World News and National Catholic Register think it's a done deal.
The blowback certainly hasn't died down, and today more than 100 nuns from 22 religious congregations released a letter to the Vatican protesting the threatened excommunication of Bourgeois. The letter was organized by the National Coalition of American Nuns (NCAN).
The nuns' statement said they "join Fr. Roy Bourgeois and the majority of U.S. Catholics, who believe that women are called to priestly ordination in the Catholic Church." They "look forward to the day when Catholic women, following in the footsteps of Mary Magdalene, who announced the Resurrection to the male Apostles, will minister as full equals in our church."
"In the first century, Christians resolved their disagreements about following traditions such as circumcision and kosher dietary laws by dialogue and discussion," said Sister Beth Rindler, in other comments released by NCAN. "We need to follow their example by promoting public discussion about the ordination of women," the Franciscan Sister said.
"We hope the excommunication is not issued," added Dominican Sister Donna Quinn, one of the coordinators of NCAN. "The medieval punishment of excommunication serves only to embarrass our Church in the eyes of the world and fuels further anger and resentment among the U.S. faithful."
Read the full text and list of signatories below...
That is, unless, you are prone to place predictive bets in opposition to your opinions. Be truthful, newbie.
Agreed, but Lector was apparently previously reserved for men only. Hence the "slippery slope".
I think the word "newbie" should be banned from respectable forums. It implies that people who have been around for a while are somehow first-class and "newbies" are lower classregardless of the validity of their position. It is unChristian and unAmerican.
I am not Catholic, but I am a Christian and a student of human nature. I made a statement in the spirit of free discussion. I am supporting it with what I believe to be evidence. I intended not to, and do not believe, I insulted anyone.
The Minor Orders below that of Deacon -- porter, lector, cantor, exorcist, acolyte -- have fallen into disuse, if they haven't been officially abolished.
It's the association with the old Minor Order of lector that is causing people concern.
Regarding the SA cincos, there are now six of them.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7eam6s4rRUs/SUa-M4sJm9I/AAAAAAAABJ8/qAC1eOIlvCU/s1600-h/DSC01802.JPG
Yup, I hear them on EWTN. You can see Life and joy in them. Unlike the collection I posted earlier.
I am not Catholic, but I am a Christian and a student of human nature. I made a statement in the spirit of free discussion. I am supporting it with what I believe to be evidence. I intended not to, and do not believe, I insulted anyone.
Oh, at least you are consistent. You just arrive here on Free Republic and then tell us what is acceptable and what should be "banned from respectable forums." You aren't a Catholic but come onto the religion forum and put forward a wager that the Roman Catholic Church will have women priestesses within 20 years. Then you take offense at being called on your veiled opinions.
You are, indeed, a newbie.
There, I said it, and all in the spirit of free discussion.
And,
No need to repost what I wrote. I already comprehend 1) what I posted and 2) that you don’t know what you’re talking about.
You wrote:
“Agreed, but Lector was apparently previously reserved for men only. Hence the “slippery slope”.”
Women have been lectors since at least the 1960s. There is no slippery slope here because being a lector does not lead to possible priesthood and it is IMPOSSIBLE TO ORDAIN WOMEN. Remember, it is PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE to ordain a woman. What cannot be, cannot be. Period.
Virgin birth is "impossible". Rising from the dead on the third day is "impossible". When the "impossible" happens, it is called a "miracle". Without "miracles", there would be no religion and no Church.
Now, it occurs to me that I may have to pay out a lot of dollars because I used the word "ordained" in my wager. It seems clear that the Church will first create a new term for certifying female priests. It will undoubtedly be Latin and it will create female pastors without calling them "ordained". Something like "Pastora Certoria".
you wrote:
“Virgin birth is “impossible”.”
No, actually it isn’t. There are cases reported each year. The women are still virgins, but have clearly engaged in sexual activity. In any case, your analogy fails. What God chose to do with Mary, God has clearly not chosen to do with ordination of women. It is PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE to ordain women.
“Rising from the dead on the third day is “impossible”.”
Nope. There have been at least 500 or so recorded cases of people being raised from the dead. And again, what God chooses to do with raising people from the dead, God has clearly not chosen to do with ordination of women. It is PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE to ordain women.
“When the “impossible” happens, it is called a “miracle”.”
Ordination of women can never be a miracle because God has chosen NEVER to do it.
“Without “miracles”, there would be no religion and no Church.”
Incorrect. Even without miracles there would be religion if man existed.
“Now, it occurs to me that I may have to pay out a lot of dollars because I used the word “ordained” in my wager.”
Duh!
“It seems clear that the Church will first create a new term for certifying female priests.”
There is no such thing as a “female priest”. That is impossible. The language does not even work. Christianity has never had and never will have, because it can’t have, priestesses.
“It will undoubtedly be Latin and it will create female pastors without calling them “ordained”. Something like “Pastora Certoria”.”
Nope. No woman can be ordained. No woman can be a priest, because only men can be. It is physically impossible for a woman to be a priest. Period. End of story. And that will never, ever change.
If the Church can throw away the celibacy requirement due to necessity, they can find a way to “ordain” feamales. Wait and see!
Bingo.
You wrote:
“If the Church can throw away the celibacy requirement due to necessity, they can find a way to ordain feamales. Wait and see!”
No. There is no wait and see.
1) Celibacy is a discipline and not a doctrine. There have ALWAYS been married priests in the Church somewhere.
2) The Church is not doing away with celibacy. And there is no need to do so.
3) Not ordaining women is an infallible doctrine. It cannot be changed by anyone, anywhere, ever.
You have a lot to learn.
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