"As the Diocese of Santa Rosa-- one of the most vocation-poor dioceses in the United States-- continues to struggle to find priestly vocations, a diocesan lay leader has called for “informed debate” on women’s ordination. “There is no point embarking on a project that is not acceptable to Rome at this point,” cautions Yvette Fallandy, executive secretary of the Diocesan Pastoral Council’s board." - Source
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Then why would they embark on it at all?
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Photo: [Fr. Roy Bourgeois.] The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat article quotes liberally from Roy Bourgeois.
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Thanks to Pewsitters for the link.
My question is, why would anyone think that it EVER would be acceptable to the Church, at this time or any other??!!
ReplyDeleteI think, by the way, that the use of the word "Rome" instead of "Church" is revealing: in a subtle way, it is saying that WE are Church, burdened by a clueless, fossilized corporate headquarters far, far away, who like nothing better than to meddle and hobble in the affairs of the New and Vibrant Faith Community.
Why is the Santa Rosa diocese so deprived of vocations? Is it just the area?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous -- dissent is usually sterile...
ReplyDeletePriests Must Live a Martyr's Life
ReplyDeleteTranscription of a conference given by Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.--
"In giving retreats I think I have said this before to men. I ask who has the stronger will, and I ask men or women? Some women are not so sure and some men are not so sure, but no husband I have ever talked to has any doubt. They find out in six days after marriage. This applies not just, nor does it apply mainly, to say wives. It applies to all women, to all women. I cannot tell you how much priests need to be supported by dedicated, believing and shall I say it, out-spoken women.
Over the years dealing with so many priests I can't tell you how many saintly women have helped priests to be faithful to their priesthood. Let me tell you, there are women - I think I should say this - whose profession is to seduce priests. They are specialists. And priests like numb sculls, don't realize what this woman is after.
And this is really what is behind the plague of wanting women to be ordained priests. In other words the priesthood as instituted by Christ provides the priest with power and authority and influence, and this is being envied, envied by many women.
The breakdown of religious communities of women in the United States (I don't think I have ever said this publicly) - the breakdown of communities of religious women in our country is religious women envying priests. They will not take orders through priests including the Bishop of Rome. I know, how well I know"!
There is a reason the Jebbies tried to bury this Holy Servant of God in Detroit... Fr. Hardon also indicates that the "vocation crisis" is directly linked to a lack of Faith. He contends that priests do not believe in the Real Presence and thus, for this reason, attributes the loss of some 100K priests since Vatican II to this doctrinal error. He also suggests that one then has to question whether the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass even takes place. The consequences boggle the mind.
Whew.
Austringer said...
ReplyDeletedissent is usually sterile
Exellent point.It never occured to me before but it is and from birth control to vocations.
Doesn't that mean that if given enough time conservatives would grow and eventually overtake the liberal agendas?
Maria,
ReplyDeleteWow -- thanks for passing that on.
Frankly, I find Fr. Hardon's explanation is weak, laughable, and without reason. His conclusion, I think re: male only priesthood IS right -- but not through the logic he uses.
ReplyDeleteAh...the "vixen temptress woman, seeking only power." Please. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Maybe she wants to become a priest (wrongly) because she thinks that in this day and age, perhaps Jesus would have picked woman? -- i.e. is it just enough to be human to offer the sacrifice -- no "power" intended, just a desire to help.
What makes a stronger argument, I think is this:
1) yes, you could speculate that perhaps it IS enough to be human, and that were Jesus alive today, He'd pick women too.
2) but we don't know that for sure, do we? The most important thing is vALID sacraments. Form and matter are a big part of the sacraments. You can't consecrate a glass of beer or a corn tortilla can you? Well, maybe today Jesus might. But would you want to take that chance? I don't.
I wouldn't cast a woman to play Hamlet, either.
Prudence alone says DON'T.
Sheesh.
The Ordination of Women to the Catholic Priesthood
ReplyDeleteFr. John A. Hardon, S.J.
Dear Gem of the ocean; We either believe in Apostolic succession, or we don't...
"If someone objects that the ordination of men by Christ and the early Church was simply a contingent fact; that it could have been otherwise, I grant the observation. But since when are Christians to stand in judgment on why God did what He did, like become man, when the world could have (absolutely speaking) been redeemed without the Incarnation; or why God does what He does, like nourish us with His own Body and Blood when our spiritual life could (absolutely speaking) be sustained by other means if He had so chosen?
One of the great blessings I see coming from the present discussion about the ordination of women is our deeper realization of God’s wisdom in providing for a variety of ways He can be loved, and a bewildering diversity of ministries by which He can be served.
It is for us to stand in awe, and not in judgment, on the ways of God who chose a woman and not a man by whom to enter the world. If this was selectivity, and it was, it was not discrimination. God never does things without good reasons, even when these reasons escape or elude us who—would you believe—sometimes want to instruct God".
When Jesus WAS alive??? I thought He still is ... or did I miss the Resurrection entirely? Perhaps what Gem really meant was "when Jesus lived on earth"...
ReplyDeleteTerry: Not to be total dimwit here, but is that a photo of "Fr. Ray"??
ReplyDeleteMy he's changed since the days when I heard him (in college in the insane late '70s) promoting "armed conflict" in S. America...how time does a number on one!!:<)!
(No really, who is this??)
Fr. - I don't know who she is - some Lutheran church lady I found online.
ReplyDeleteuhmmmmm...yeah, okay.
ReplyDeleteShe's darling.
Without the collar:<)!!
She looks like most nuns who dont wear their habits.
ReplyDelete- a real estate agent ready to close the deal.