Hotline Human Rights Bangladesh Trust

Box-5, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh

Tel.: +9352149, E-mail: costa_rosie@yahoo.com

April 3, 2011

Petition in Support of Fr. Roy Bourgeois

I, the undersigned, support Fr. Roy Bourgeois, who faces possible dismissal from the priesthood by his Maryknoll superiors for speaking out in support of women’s ordination in the Roman Catholic Church.

I greatly applaud Fr. Bourgeois' dedication to justice, including justice for women in the Church and respect towards the individual call of God to every person. I echo his words, "I cannot possibly speak out about injustice in society and at the same time be silent about this injustice in my church.” I also state that it is God who calls to serve the people and nobody can stop any other person from responding to his/her call. The Holy Spirit works in every person without any discriminations for gender or race or color. Vocation is a free gift of God and to respond to it is a free choice.

The Vatican's stance on ordination is based on arguments that have been refuted time and again. In 1976, the Vatican's own Pontifical Biblical Commission determined that there is no scriptural reason to prohibit women's ordination. Our Catholic tradition teaches that sexism is a sin and excluding women from the priesthood is sinful. We urge Maryknoll superiors to support Roy and the majority of faithful Catholics who yearn for women’s equality in the church. If it is accepted that vocation or call to priesthood is only for men, then we cannot say God is impartial and Holy. But we all know God is Omnipotent and most Holy.

I strongly urge Maryknoll superiors not to bend head to an injustice by which Fr. Roy would be a victim who serve the Church through Maryknoll Congregation for so long. He has full freedom to respond to the voice of the Holy Spirit rather than human being. 

Sincerely,

Rosaline Costa

Human Rights Advocate