From a U.S.C.C.B. press release:
WASHINGTON—Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl of Washington, Chairman of the Committee on Doctrine of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), responded to a clarification from the Vatican that raised the attempted ordination of a women to a “more grave delict,” or a Church crime that is always referred to the Holy See, in a July 15 statement. The archbishop’s full statement follows:
The Vatican’s clarification today of the seriousness with which it holds offenses against the Sacrament of Holy Orders is a welcome statement.
The seven sacraments are an integral and identifying part of the Catholic Church and the faith life of each Catholic. To feign any sacrament would be egregious. The Catholic Church through its long and constant teaching holds that ordination has been, from the beginning, reserved to men, a fact which cannot be changed despite changing times.
All Catholics are called to Christian service. Women have responded with extraordinary generosity. Historically, women have had an essential role in the life of the Church. This is true especially through their volunteer work in parishes, their professional service and their membership in religious communities, lay movements and other organizations, where they serve in a range of areas such as health care and education.
Today women serve in Church leadership positions at all levels. Women hold nearly half of diocesan administrative and professional positions—a fact that compares favorably to the U.S. workforce as a whole. Women also hold about one-quarter of the top diocesan positions, such as chancellor, school superintendent or chief financial officer. About 80 percent of lay parish ministers are women.
The Church’s gratitude to women cannot be stated strongly enough. Women offer unique insight, creative abilities and unstinting generosity at the very heart of the Catholic Church. Their activity and determinative participation explains much of what makes the Catholic Church the powerful force for goodness and holiness that it is.
"
"The Arizona government's . clarification today of the seriousness with which it holds offenses against illigal immigration is a welcome statement.'The legal laws are an integral and identifying part of the State of AZ. and the community life of each citizen. To feign letting any illigal immigrant in would be egregious. The USA through its long and constant teaching holds that immigration has been, from the beginning, reserved to legals, a fact which cannot be changed despite changing times.'
and then follow with a lot BLAH BLAH BLAH about how we love Mexicans and all they do if only they would stay in their place. .. .
The Catholic Church's assumption that ordination was from the beginning reserved for men is just that - an assumption. In a manner of speaking, the church seems to say it's Jesus' fault women can't be priests but he didn't say that and it's only assumed from his choice of apostles.
Robert Egan SJ has an article about whether Jesus really intended only men to be priests - "Why not? Scripture, history & women's ordination" that speaks to this issue ... http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1252/is_7_135/ai_n29481721/
Women don't need "gratitude"-that is not what informs our Catholic faith. They-we-are the Church and the denial of full participation in the sacraments is a tragedy.
We're here to help.
The check is in the mail.
As the Irish Jesuit said: BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
Did you know that if an adult sexually abuses a child, this is a crime and the perpetrator can land in jail?
Did you know that if a woman is ordained a priest, it is NOT a crime and she can not land in jail?
There is something quite insane about these new guidelines the pope has made public, and it does not take a very intelligent person to know that you are just trying to dismiss the real problem that plagues the catholic church. Lack of complete integrity !!
Judy Jones, SNAP Midwest Associate Director, snapjudy@gmail.com
I think Bishop Wuerl should tell cardinal Rode how good our women religious are - if he has any real power in that regard,
In the meantime, his stemen treeks of condescnsion and advances the dicussion not at all.
1. In stating that the "Church's gratitude cannot be stated strongly enough," he separates the Church from women- as if they were there to serve but are not part of the Church which is thanking them- even though numerically and in terms of formal and informal service they are in the majority! Are they therefore, as Church thanking themseselves, or is Abp Wuerl appropriating the notion that the hierarchy IS the Church in thanking them? Write simply that that "The hierarchy cannot thank women enough" if that is what you mean - then the condescension would at least be clear! Would it be the same if some antebellum historian wrote "The South's gratitude to the Negroes [sic] cannot be stated strongly enough."
2. His very listing of the many ways that women of service betrays more aptly than anything why they should not be objectified as excluded from priestly office. Likewise, it is simply a lie to say that "women serve in Church leadership positions at all levels." They obviously do not - unless we not consider the role that varous priests have excluded to women and the role of the hierarchy itself NOT to be "Church leadership." Hmmmm... perhaps he's on to something alfter all....
Whether ordination of women is invalid does not depend on whether it is illicit. Ancient history indicates that there were women at all levels of the Church in its earliest times, but the counter-cultural nature of this was quickly overcome by the dominant male culture.
It is naive, however, to claim that a valid ordination will ever be accepted as licit without first gaining permission and it actually hurts the cause of female ordination to do so - at least within the context of the Roman Catholic Church. Within the context of a non-Roman Catholicism that seeks its own legitimacy, what Rome says is moot. I am sure we can debate what is more scandalous - strking out on one's own or forcing women into doing so.
The old bulls who insist that female ordination is invalid will retire or die soon enough. Time will not wait for them nor will time end when they are gone. This explains the stridency of their current rhetoric. The fact that A/B Wuerl is joining the chorus is only proof that they are dangling a red hat in front of his face. Whether he maintains the status quo after he receives it and the old bulls have retired will be one of the most interesting questions in the life of the Church.