Sunday's Gender Bender

Archdiocese stern in its email warning:

"Catholics who attempt to confer a sacred order on a woman, and the women who attempt to receive a sacred order, are by their own actions separating themselves from the church."

Referring to "the loving ministry of Jesus Christ, we pray for those who have willingly fallen away from the church by participating in such activities."

Three women, Gabriella Velardi Ward, of New York, Gloria Carpeneto of Maryland and Mary Ann McCarthy Schoettly of New Jersey, called by God to do the bidding for the people, will experience both joy and sadness within the same moment being ordained as Catholic priests while being excommunicated simultaneously.

This has been a bone of contention within me for quite awhile. I have four sisters and I have witnessed the mistreatment from auto mechanics to "Tin Men" trying to take advantage simply because they're female. So whenever I come across women who are challenging the establishment I pay attention.

I find this interesting that the organization these women belong to, Roman Catholic Womenpriests, have been holding ordinations for women since 2002. The organization reports 28 women Catholic priests in the United States.

"The organization claims its ordinations are valid because its first bishops were ordained by Catholic bishops in good standing. The identity of the bishops is kept secret to protect them from being sanctioned by the Vatican." Just reading this my mind registered "game over." These women abided by the rules, found sympathetic bishops in good standing, were ordained through the appropriate rites and need to be recognized as priests serving their communities in good standing. But no, once again history will side with the power of the Vatican instead of justice; but for how long?

"Historically, the Vatican's position has been that women cannot become priests because Jesus did not have female apostles." Those standards didn't seem to apply in Europe during the Black Plague. Priests were so terrified of being infected that they stopped performing weddings, burials, and especially confession. They posted statements upon fleeing the city that the average laymen could absolve one another of sin and "even a woman will do" if no man is available to perform the duties of priest. I seem to remember women being the majority of support physically, emotionally, and monetarily for Jesus' ministry. I may be wrong but I believe he chose women first to reveal himself to upon the resurrection…even before Peter.

If a whole religion is based on the teachings of Jesus then I think the Church may want to examine some old, tired traditions that are creating more harm than good. A belief process is like a birthing canal that expands and contracts while bringing forth life. The delivery presents a totally different being than the one at conception and the one we hold at birth is still at yet another stage of beginning. Hopefully we'll see our own "flesh and bone" mold and form their own ideas until they venture out into the world to prove their theories. I think that's how God would have it. We take the spirituality we've experienced and make it tangible for our own understanding so how can that process of being be hampered because of gender?

I can't help remembering the entire chapter of Matthew 23, specifically verse 4.

4They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

Being a second class citizen would be quite a burden. I hope by the time my daughters are deciding a path in life that one of the choices available to them will be Catholic Priest. We have woman such as these three to thank for that day in the near future.

Exerts taken from AFP: Three US women priests to be ordained, excommunicated, by Marcia Scott-Harrison