Where is the love of Jesus in all of this.

Media Release
Vatican Miscategorizes Women's Rights Advocates with Child Abusers
International Catholic organizations issue statement denouncing the oppression of women and the inadequate response to child sex crimes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 16, 2010
Yesterday, the Vatican issued a clarification of its canonical procedures for how dioceses should handle priests who sexually abuse children. As part of the statement, they have added that the "attempted ordination of a woman" has now been added to the list of "delicta graviora," or most serious crimes in church law, alongside the sexual abuse of minors.

This morning, twenty-seven international Catholic organizations issued the following joint statement in response:

We, the undersigned, express our solidarity with Catholics who continue to seek equality, including those who practice feminist ministries and those who are ordained. We know these women and men to be firm in their faith and courageous in their work as they seek an inclusive and accountable church, undeterred by threats of excommunication or other canonical penalties. In addition, we stand with our brother priests and bishops who are also being threatened by this new policy for their support of women's equality in the church. Furthermore, we take great offense that good faith struggles for gender equality could be misunderstood as a sacrilege and placed on par with the sexual abuse of children. In 1976, the Vatican's own Pontifical Biblical Commission concluded there is no valid scriptural reason for denying ordination to women. Therefore, we welcome such efforts to expand the scope and variety of ministry and we celebrate women's faithfulness despite huge institutional obstacles.

We are gravely disappointed that the Vatican would largely repackage its sexual abuse policy norms from 2001 in yesterday's re-issued statement without adding many meaningful changes to canonical procedures on how to handle the sexual crimes of its religious leaders. We stand with survivors in calling for the release of the names of all credibly accused Catholic religious leaders and for the Vatican's immediate adoption and implementation of global child protection policies. Nothing less is adequate to the crying needs of a community torn asunder by its own leaders' crimes.

Catholic Organization Signatories

Association for the Rights of Catholics in the Church (ARCC), USA
Patrick B. Edgar, D.P.A., M.Div., President

BASIC (Brothers And Sisters In Christ), Ireland.
Contact: Una Ruddock
+353 1 621 6816

DignityUSA
Marianne Duddy-Burke, Executive Director,
617-669-7810

Call To Action, USA
Jim FitzGerald, Executive Director
773.404.0004

Catholics for Choice- Canada
Rosemary Ganley, Coordinator

Catholic Coalition for Church Reform, USA
Paula Ruddy, Bernie Rodel, Michael Bayly, Co-chairs
(612) 379-1043

Catholic Network for Women's Equality, Canada
Paula MacQuarrie, Coordinator

CORPUS, USA
Contact: William Manseau

Corriente Somos Iglesia, Spain
Raquel Mallavibarrena, Coordinator
+34 649332654

Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir, Mexico
Maria Consuelo Mejia, Director
+5255 5658 1163

Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir, Spain
Mar Grandal, President
352 88946

8th Day Center for Justice - Women's Group, USA
www.8thdaycenter.org

Femmes et Hommes en Eglise/Genre en Christianisme, France
Danielle Penuel-Monneron, President
(0)2 33 90 78 10

Institute for Feminism and Religion, Ireland.
Mary Condren, Th.D., Director
001-353-1-4624504

Interreligious Convention of European Women Theologians
Lee Wax, Coordinator
0044-208 884 0476

Kerk Hardop, Netherlands
Marleen Wijdeveld, President
Isaac Wüst, Editor-in-Chief
0031-20-441.3339

National Coalition of American Nuns, USA
Contact: Donna Quinn

Noi Siamo Chiesa (Italian Section of IMWAC), Italy
Contact: Vittorio Bellavite

Nous sommes Aussi l'Eglise, France
Lucienne Gouguenhem, Vice-President
33 1 45 88 04 92

Pax Christi Maine, USA
Bill Slavick, Coordinator
207-773-6562

RAPPORT, USA
Conatct: Gloria Ulterino

Roman Catholic Faith Community Council of the Federation of Christian Ministries
William J. Manseau, Evelyn Hunt, and Thomas Quinn, Co-Chairs
603-886-7158

Roman Catholic Women Priests, Europe-West.
I. Riedl, Coordinator
0049-089 845 830

Roman Catholic Womenpriests-USA, Inc
Contact: Alice Iaquinta
414-791-9952

Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual (WATER), USA
Mary E. Hunt and Diann L. Neu, Co-directors
301 589-2509

Women's Ordination Conference, USA
Erin Saiz Hanna, Executive Director
202-675-1006

WomenPriests.Org, International
Therese Koturbash, Coordinator
+44 (0)1923 779 446



The rules list the attempted ordination of a woman as a "grave crime" to be handled according to the same procedures as sex abuse – despite arguments that grouping the two in the same document would imply equating them.

"The idea that women seeking to spread the message of God somehow defiles the Eucharist reveals an antiquated, backward church that still views women as unclean and unholy," said Erin Saiz Hanna, executive director of the Women's Ordination Conference, a U.S.-based organization that works to ordain women as priests, deacons and bishops.

Pope Benedict has said the question of ordaining women – often raised as an antidote to the priest shortage and to bring about more gender equality – is not up for discussion.

The Vatican in 2007 issued a decree saying the attempted ordination of women would result in automatic excommunication for the woman and the priest trying to ordain her. That is repeated in the new document, adding that the priest can also be defrocked – a permanent punishment, whereas an excommunication can be lifted if the person expresses sorrow for what he or she did.

Scicluna defended the inclusion of both sex abuse and ordination of women in the same document as a way of codifying two of the most serious canonical crimes against sacraments and morals that the congregation deals with. Also included are other sacramental crimes, including desecrating the Eucharist and – for the first time – heresy, apostasy and schism.

Clerical abuse is "an egregious violation of moral law," Scicluna said. "An attempted ordination of a woman is grave, but on another level: It is a wound, it is an attempt against the Catholic faith on the sacrament of (holy) orders. So they are grave, but on different levels."



I think that first of all it is outrageous that the Vatican took this long to publicly acknowledge that the abuse of children by male priests was a sin against church law. It is, however, a step in the right direction toward following Jesus.
But it seems to me a greater disgrace that the Vatican has declared that the ordination of women to the priesthood share equal gravity to the sin of pedophilia. A woman priest is somehow a sin against the sacraments? A sin against the Eucharistic?
What would Jesus say to that? Would Jesus really say that women are somehow not worthy to say the sacred words of consecration? Would Jesus say that women are not worthy to hear the confession of someone in need of God's forgiveness? Would Jesus say that women are valued less by God than their male counterparts? Is a woman's soul not equal to that of a man's soul? Did Paul not tell us that we are all equal in the eyes of God?
So,is this issue about Jesus or about control? Is it about ministry or is it about power? I don't recall seeing any depiction of Jesus in a tall, jeweled hat and red shoes being carried by many servants. I do seem to remember a story of Jesus riding into town on the back of a donkey.
It appears that the Roman Catholic Church is no longer a church of Jesus, but instead a church being taken over by the powers of Satan.
Remember the scripture passage about Jesus being in the desert for 40 days and the devil coming to tempt him? Our Roman Church seems to have succombed to the temptations of power, and riches and prestige that Jesus turned away from.
We cannot let this evil continue to rule the Roman Catholic Church. It is time that men and women of good conscience stand up for Jesus’ message of love that is equal for all. We must get rid of the Pharisees and Scribes who seem to be running the Roman Church. The pope and all the cardinals, bishops, and priests who subscribe to this evil must be made to resign. The church must be given back to the lovers and followers of Jesus. I believe that both women and men can serve (and I mean "serve"!!!!) God's people together whether they be priests, deacons, religious, or laity; whether they be married or single; whether they be gay or straight; whether they be rich or poor.
I intend to seek ordination myself as a married grandmother. If excommunication is my punishment, it really doesn't matter. I will never be excommunicated from the love of Jesus. Jesus came to love the outcasts and he himself became an outcast. With Jesus as my example, I can do no less!!

Jesus, please protect all those who wish to serve you and care for your people. Give support to those who are persecuted and looked down upon. Foster the call to ministry for your people, male and female. Help all of us to remain strong and dedicated to you even when everyone we know turns away. With you, we have everything. Without you, we have nothing.

Peace and love,

Sue


"Then Jesus said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me". (Luke 9:23)