September 6, 2003

Support the Milwaukee Priests

Last month 163 priests in the Milwaukee Archdiocese sent a letter to Bishop Wilton Gregory, President of the US. Conference of Catholic Bishops, expressing their support for optional priestly celibacy. The letter said, "The primary motive for our urging this change is our pastoral concern that the Catholic Church needs more candidates for the priesthood so that the church’s sacramental life might continue to flourish. We speak out at this time also because of the ever growing appreciation of marriage and its many blessings, so compatible with priesthood and even enhancing of priestly ministry."

Currently, priests from around the United States as well as many Catholic reform groups are standing up to support this action. To view the latest article about this support, go to: http://www.jsonline.com/lifestyle/religion/aug03/165111.asp

Now it is your turn to support the Milwaukee priests and express your views about opening the priesthood to all people! Below is a press release from the Women’s Ordination Conference. Show your support by:

1. Passing this press release on to your local media contacts, especially reporters who have covered the issue of women’s ordination in the past.
2. Writing a letter to your own bishop telling him of your support for this bold action.
3. Forward this e-mail to your friends and family who support reform in the Catholic Church.

____________________
For Immediate Release
Contact: Genevieve D. Chavez, 505-649-5479
Date: September 2, 2003

Women's Ordination Conference Supports Milwaukee 163

Fairfax, VA - The Women's Ordination Conference (WOC) strongly supports the recent stand taken by 163 priests in Milwaukee and other cities to make celibacy optional for Catholic priests. According to Genevieve Chavez, executive director of the Women's Ordination Conference, this
action illustrates the need for the Catholic Church to change its policies to ordain women into the priesthood and integrate shared decision making with the laity.

The Women's Ordination Conference is a 28-year-old national organization that advocates the ordination of women as Catholic priests and is known as the voice for women in the Catholic Church.

"We applaud the courageous statement made by the 163 Milwaukee priests and appreciate the resounding support echoed by priests from New York, Chicago, Southern Illinois and Pittsburgh, to name a few locales. We know these priests are risking their jobs and their retirement benefits,
and we applaud them!"

"Catholics everywhere are spiritually hungry, dissatisfied with the current state of the church and are unhappy with the way the church hierarchy has handled the pleas for honest and open communications." Continues Chavez, "Optional celibacy is one means of rejuvenating the priesthood and providing a long-term solution to the priest shortage. Another big part of the solution is to ordain women."

According to Chavez, the priest shortage is only one reason that women as well as married men should be allowed to be ordained as priests. "Women too, are called to the priesthood. We need to recognize and utilize those gifts. Not to allow women and married men to be ordained as priests only compounds the hundreds of years of sexism practiced by the Catholic Church. Historically, married men and women once served as priests and deacons and would be willing to again if they were allowed," according to Chavez.

"Courage is what we all need right now," says Chavez. "WOC members have had the courage to try to open a dialogue with the church hierarchy. These priests in Milwaukee have the courage to step forward and be heard. Now is the time," continues Chavez, "for all Catholics to stand
up and speak with courage to their priests, their bishops and the church hierarchy. What better time than now to work for a renewed church, one that feeds people spiritually, protects it's children and recognizes the gifts and talents of all types of people?"

The Women's Ordination Conference can be reached at 703-352-1006 or at www.womensordination.org.

 

*** This ACTION ALERT E-MAIL is from the Women's Ordination Conference. Send comments or information for future ACTION ALERTS to Joy Barnes, WOC Program Director at grassroots@womensordination.org. For more information about WOC and how to become a WOC member, visit www.womensordination.org. ***