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WOMENPRIESTS.ORG IN SOLIDARITY WITH FR. ROY BOURGEOIS APRIL 8, 2011: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Therese Koturbash, BA, LLB International Coordinator, womenpriests.org e: koturbash@btconnect.com t: +44 (0)1923.779.446 On March 29th, 2011, Fr. Roy Bourgeois received a canonical warning from the leadership of his community, Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers giving him fifteen days to publicly recant his belief that women, just as much as men, are called by God to serve as Catholic priests. Failure to recant within the prescribed time will result in a second canonical warning whereupon Maryknoll leadership will submit their charge for Bourgeois’s dismissal and laicization to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. WOMENPRIESTS.ORG wholeheartedly supports Father Roy Bourgeoisʼs stand for womenʼs ordination. And we are deeply, deeply saddened by Maryknollʼs threats to dismiss him on account of it. The Case for Womenʼs Ordination womenpriests.org is an international academic website that promotes informed dialogue about womenʼs ordination. It presents in full both sides of the case including the reasons the Vatican uses in its attempt to justify excluding women from sacramental ministry. Thorough research and analysis shows there is absolutely no reason in scripture, theology, or the tradition of the Church to justify a male only priesthood. (See www.womenpriests.org/story.asp) Instead, what is clear is that century after century, cascading prejudice against women has continued to creep into the Church as though it (prejudice) were truth and now underpins official rationale for the exclusion of women. What Is the Grave Scandal While Maryknoll superiors suggest that Father Royʼs witness causes grave scandal to the people of God, ie, the Church, the grave scandal lies in the fact that: • the international community of Catholic faithful is officially forbidden from even discussing womenʼs ordination; and • in the twenty-first century, women are still excluded from sacramental ministry in the Catholic Church. No Reason to Exclude Women There is absolutely no reason to support the continuing exclusion of women from priesthood. Anyone who denigrates Father Bourgeois on account of his witness for womenʼs ordination denigrates one of the channels through which truth is struggling to emerge. Canon law 212§3 provides that: the Christian faithful have the right and even at times a duty to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church, and they have a right to make their opinion known to the other Christian faithful, with due regard for the integrity of faith and morals and reverence towards their pastors, and with consideration for the common good and dignity of persons. Abuse of Authority What is becoming ever more clear is that a serious abuse of legitimate authority is at the root of the prohibition against women priests and many other problems inside our faith community. Signs of this scourge are evident in: • the suppression of lay authority in the Church; • the suppression of free speech for theologians and experts and people like Fr. Roy; • the suppression of the rights of Bishopsʼ Conferences; and • the appointment of party line Bishops. See: www.womenpriests.org/authority/index.asp WOMENPRIESTS.ORG Stands in Solidarity with Father Roy womenpriests.org stands in solidarity with Father Roy and pray for him, the faithful, our leaders and for the emergence of truth. ʻA custom without truth is merely ancient errorʼ - St. Cyprian.
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