Banner in Rome Proclaims “ORDAIN WOMEN PRIESTS” as Synod of Bishops Gather

The national office of the Women's Ordination Conference (WOC) in Fairfax, VA, is proud to announce that Women's Ordination Worldwide (WOW), an international coalition of organizations seeking the ordination of women to all ministries, will display a banner in Rome as Roman Catholic bishops from around the world gather for the 10th Ordinary General Assembly of Bishops to discuss “The Bishop: Servant of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the Hope of the World.”

The Vatican, which forbids discussion on the issue of women’s ordination, will be the backdrop for the banner which features silhouette images of priestly women holding up the Eucharist reads: "Ordain Women Priests" in Italian and "Ordain Women" in Latin, French, German, Polish, Spanish and English. Display dates are set for October 1-15 at Via Stefano Porcari, and October 16-31 at Via Crescenzio. Both sites are located near the Piazza Risorgimento and the Vatican's Sistine Chapel.

A blessing liturgy is planned for Saturday, October 6, 2001 at 2 p.m. at the Via Stefano Porcari location. Supporters of the WOW movement will wear purple stoles, the universal symbol for women’s ordination, and join in a procession from Piazza Cavour to the site of the banner where they will call on church leaders to end the exclusion of women from ordination.

This is the first time a sign for women's ordination will be displayed in Rome. “It continues the discussion of women's ordination in the church," said WOC member Janice Sevre-Duszynska of Lexington, KY, organizer of the banner project and a woman called to the priesthood.

"We would like this banner to encourage the pope, the bishops and the curia, to re-examine their attitude, and position, on this issue. We also hope that it will generate a positive grassroots response to welcome women’s vocations.”

Soline Vatinel, a WOW spokesperson went on to say, “It’s about opening hearts and minds to what the Spirit is doing in our church today. The banner is literally one of the signs of the times. We are hopeful that prayerful and fruitful dialogue on the issue of women’s ordination is possible.

WOW (www.wow2001.org) recently sponsored the first international conference on women’s ordination in the Catholic Church in Dublin, Ireland. 370 participants attended the event from 26 countries and 5 continents.

For more information about WOC, Project Rome, or to make contributions, contact the Women's Ordination Conference in Fairfax, VA @ 703-352-1006, or press@womensordination.org