On August 9, 2008 Father Roy Bourgeois delivered a homily during the Ordination Ceremony of Roman Catholic WomenPriest, Janice Sevre-Duszynska, in Lexington, KY.
Soon after, on October 21, 2008 the Vatican sent a letter to the Maryknoll community stating that Roy Bourgeois, a Maryknoll priest of 36 years, had 30 days to recant his support of women's ordination or he would be automatically excommunicated.
In response, the Women's Ordination Conference initiated a campaign titled "Break the Silence. Shatter the Stained Glass Ceiling," with the Association of Roman Catholic Womenpriests , Roman Catholics Womenpriests-USA and Call to Action as partners. The campaign included an online petition, the first of which garnered over 3,700 signatures in less than a week. Before the 30 days were up, WOC sent that petition to Pope Benedict XVI; the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; Apostolic Nuncio to the U.S., Archbishop Pietro Sambi; and Maryknoll Superior General, John Sivalon.
After thirty days passed, Fr. Bourgeois stood firm in his stance. In his letter to the Vatican in November, 2008, he expressed that he could not recant his belief in women's ordination. Fr. Bourgeois also wrote to his fellow priests , calling priests everywhere to Break the Silence and address the issue of women's ordination in homilies, and meetings with the bishops: "Silence is the voice of complicity."
While Roy Bourgeois received a canonical warning to not participate in future ordinations, the Maryknoll community had agreed to opening further conversations on matters social justice issues, including the role of women in the Roman Catholic Church.
On March 29, 2011, Fr. Roy Bourgeois received a canonical warning from the leadership of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers. Fr. Roy has been given fifteen days to recant his belief that women, along with men, are called by God to serve as Roman Catholic priests. Failure to recant during thistime period will result in a second canonical warning from his superiors, whereupon, Maryknoll leadership will submit their charge for dismissal to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith with a request for laicization.
On July 27, 2011, Rev. Edward Dougherty and the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers issued Fr. Roy's Second Canonical Warning for the "grave scandal" of continuing to speak publicly for the ordination of women. Fr. Roy faces dismissal from his order and priesthood if he does not recant his beliefs in women's ordination. Fr. Roy stands firm in his conscience and refuses to recant : "What you are asking me to do in your letter is not possible without betraying my conscience. In essence, you are telling me to lie and say I do not believe that God calls both men and women to the priesthood. This I cannot do, therefore I will not recant."
Nov. 11, 2008: National Catholic Reporter: Roy Bourgeois threatened with Excommunication
Aug. 18, 2008: Update on Roy Bourgeois' meeting with Superiors for participating in ordination of Janice Sevre-Duszynska. The Maryknoll community agreed to opening further conversations on matters social justice issues, including the role of women in the Roman Catholic Church.
17th Annual World Day of Prayer for Women's Ordination: March 25, 2011
Every year on March 25th, the feast of the Annunciation, WOC joins the global women's ordination movement to bring attention to the issue of women's ordination by providing resources to host public demonstrations, home liturgies, and presentations about women's ordination and structural change in the church.
On the 17th Annual World Day of Prayer, we will spread the good news about women's leadership in the church and encourage women who wish to fulfill their call. While the Vatican promotes images of a solitary male priest, we will show the world women-led liturgies and community-led prayer. We will also highlight the work of those who claim their priesthood through baptism and work for justice in their communities daily.
Each year, there are more and more events to celebrate World Day of Prayer. Together, we will call for equality to be reflected in our church, and we're excited to provide you with resources to assist you in organizing an event in your community.
To organize an event, download the 2011 Activist Toolkit today. We are here to offer you support and technical assistance as you plan your event. Let us know the details, so we can help publicize it. Contact the WOC at 202-675-1006 or click here to email our office. We look forward to hearing about your event!
For equality,
Erin Saiz Hanna, Executive Director
Kate Conmy, Membership Coordinator
September 26 Day of Action
Women's Ordination
Worldwide (WOW) stands in solidarity with Catholic women in Ireland who call
for a widespread boycott of Mass on Sunday, September 26, 2010.
"Women make up 60% of Mass-goers and 80% of lay
ministers. If each one of us took action on one single day, there
is no doubt that this would be a powerful and significant event," stated Erin
Saiz Hanna, Executive Director of the Women's Ordination
Conference (WOC). "The practical, financial, and political implications would be
substantial to say the least," Hanna continued.
Jennifer Sleeman, an
active Catholic from Cork, Ireland initiated this movement when she urged women
of Ireland to send a message to the Vatican that "women are tired of being treated as second-class citizens in the
Church." This call which began with one woman is now spreading beyond the
shores of Ireland as women around the world link arms together for
participation in the day of action.
In solidarity with
Sleeman, WOW supports her call for justice for women in the Catholic
Church. Recognizing the many different ways of bearing witness to the
institutional sin of sexism that marginalizes women in the Church, on September
26th, 2010 WOW encourages people of Catholic faith to consider
organizing one of the following options for their parish communities:
Withhold Funds: Instead of making a donation at collection time,
place a note in the collection basket that expresses your support for women's
ordination. (Print a postcard here.)
Wear green armbands to Mass
Boycott Mass: Grieving the Church's sin of sexism,
participate in a
prayerful fast from mass.
Gather together in one of the many other meaningful ways in which the
Eucharist can be celebrated, including women-led or community led
communities. (Visit WOC's Directory of Catholic Women Ministers here.)
How will you take action on 09/26? Take the poll here.
Sign the Petition Denouncing the Oppression of Women and the Inadequate Response to Child Sex Crimes
Vatican Miscategorizes Women’s Rights Advocates with Child
Abusers
On July 15, 2010, 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.
Take Action!Sign the Petition
Denouncing the Oppression of
Women and
the Inadequate Response to Child Sex Crimes.
Support S. Louise Akers
After 40 years in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Sister of Charity Louise Akers
has been told by Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk to publicly disassociate
herself from the issue of women's ordination if she wishes to continue making any
presentations or teaching for credit in any archdiocesan-related institutions.
On August 10, 2009, Archbishop Pilarczyk met with S. Louise and outlined the
following requirements: First, that she remove her name from our Women's
Ordination Conference website. Secondly, that she publicly rescind her
long-held stance supporting the ordination of women. As a matter of conscience,
Sister Louise will not renounce her support for women's equality in the
church.
Sister Louise currently serves on WOC's National Antiracism Team.
Withhold Funds: