These days, it seems that any "good news" about the hierarchy of the Catholic church is immediately followed by some heavy-handed, obtuse, and regressive pronouncement from the Holy See. (I am tempted to call them the Wholly Blind, but that would be an insult to blind people).
Here's an excerpt from the e-mail I received from Erin Saiz Hanna, director of the Women's Ordination Conference:
"Fr. Bourgeois' dedication to social justice, his unwavering conscience, and his personal friendships with women called to priesthood compelled him to bravely speak out against the inequality of women in our Church. As a Maryknoll priest for forty years, he has consistently followed the gospel of Jesus by speaking out against injustice, risking everything for what he knows to be right.
Perhaps no longer a priest in the eyes of the Vatican or
Maryknoll community, Fr. Roy will remain a prophet in the eyes of the
marginalized. Fr. Roy joins a much larger Church - the Church of the people of
God - who understand that men and women are equal in the eyes of God. History is
on our side, and someday, as they are canonizing him, the Vatican will apologize
for this painful mistake.
I spoke with Fr. Bourgeois this morning. While he is devastated
to lose his community, and saddened by the harshness of this final step, he
remains steadfast in his faith and conscience. He has asked for solitude and
prayers during this time of transition.
Supporters are encouraged to mail letters of support to the WOC office (P.O. Box 15057
Washington, DC 20003). In addition, Fr. Bourgeois, the dedicated activist,
recommends supporters order or download a copy of his story My Journey from Silence to
Solidarity and use the book as a tool to break the silence on women's
ordination. Please watch for further actions to support Fr. Roy."
Here is Fr. Roy's statement about his dismissal from Maryknoll --
"I have been a Catholic priest in the Maryknoll community for 40
years. As a young man I joined Maryknoll because of its work for justice and
equality in the world. To be expelled from Maryknoll and the priesthood for
believing that women are also called to be priests is very difficult and
painful.
The Vatican and Maryknoll can dismiss me, but they cannot dismiss the
issue of gender equality in the Catholic Church. The demand for gender equality
is rooted in justice and dignity and will not go away.
As Catholics, we profess that God
created men and women of equal worth and dignity. As priests, we profess that
the call to the priesthood comes from God, only God. Who are we, as men, to say
that our call from God is authentic, but God's call to women is not? The
exclusion of women from the priesthood is a grave injustice against women, our
Church and our loving God who calls both men and women to be priests.
When there is an injustice, silence is the voice of complicity. My
conscience compelled me to break my silence and address the sin of sexism in my
Church. My only regret is that it took me so long to confront the issue of male
power and domination in the Catholic Church.
I have explained my position on the ordination of women, and
how I came to it, in my booklet, My Journey from Silence to
Solidarity. Please go to: www.roybourgeoisjourney.org."
In Solidarity,
