Roy Bourgeois in Hot Water

Mercy Sister Theresa Kane was interviewed on NBC during John Paul II's last apostolic visit to the U.S. where the question of the ordination of women was raised by a reporter. She offered a very thoughtprovoking response in which she stated (as I remember it) that 'it's no longer the correct question' because it 'reinforces the misperception that the ordained priesthood is above other states of life' and so to seek access to the ordained priesthood as an equality issue is to misunderstand the place of the ordained priesthood. I am curious if others have considered the issue from that perspective and considered that improving equality or better yet achieving equity (I make the distinction between 'equality' and 'equity') could be realized in so many other 'spaces' within ecclesial life rather than making women's ordination the focal point. From where I write, I think that healthy conversations about mutuality and equity across genders could be a far more productive space of Catholic development than the fragmentizing and stratifying debate over the ordination of women. To be clear, I am not suggesting or promoting a debate on 'women's ordination.' However, one of the most interesting things to me in considering her point is that, if I recall correctly, Sister Theresa Kane was at one time 'a long time ago' a strong voice for women's eligibility for ordination to the priesthood. (If I am incorrect in that recollection, please forgive me.) Blessings, Lisa

I felt sad when I first heard of his support and celebrating Mass at a woman's ''ordination''. My initial thought was that this would throw him and also the movement to expose the misdeeds of the School of the Americas (now renamed) into the fringe group category in many people's minds. This would be sad.

Father Bourgeois has received a "canonical warning" from Maryknoll leadership who expressed their disapproval and denied any foreknowledge of his actions. This seems similar to some of the occurences that Jesuits have also had with the Vatican including those that affected the editorship of this magazine. Father Bourgeois has accepted the warning and expressed his love for Maryknoll and the Church as "family." He did not attempt to "ordain" the women, but did attend and participate. George Weigel and some others who oppose his stand with School of the Americas have taken this occasion to throw some other snide insults about him and his values. One must wonder at the connections... I am glad that this situation is at least mentioned in this blog and it saddens me to see the apparent heavy handediness mainifest or implied as a coming action.

The reality is, Fr. Bourgeois knew that his participation in this mock-ordination, which is in fact a participation in an active schismatic and heretical movement, would warrant a strong reaction from the Church. It is one thing for a Catholic to voice opposition to Church teaching. It is another thing altogether to participate in the defiance of that teaching. I have a tremendous respect for the social justice work of Fr. Bourgeois, and I myself have attended the protest at the SOA, and will do so again. But the issue of women's ordination is an infallibly taught doctrine of the Church, and as such we have an obligation of obedience to that teaching. Fr. Bourgeois knew what he was doing, and so any disciplinary measure taken against him is done so at the prompting of his conscious act.