Friday, March 14, 2008

Press Release from Rose Marie Hudson & Elsie McGrath

Dear Blog Visitors:

I want to share the following press release with you. It was released by Rev. Rose Marie Hudson and Rev. Elsie McGrath. Both were ordained Catholic priests.

Once again, the infamous Archbishop Raymond Burke has abused his power by way of delivering excommunication letters to both Rose Marie and Elsie. This is fresh on the heals of his threatening punitive action against a very good priest and polish parish. In addition, you will recall that Burke abused his power by making a public announcement four years ago that presidential candidate John Kerry would not be allowed to receive communion in his jurisdiction.

It is about time that the Vatican reminded Archbishop Burke that he was appointed as a shepherd to his community. Instead, he has become a wolf in sheep's clothing.

My prayers and best wishes are with Rose Marie and Elsie.

In additioin to reading the press release that follows, you might want to watch my video in which I criticize Archbishop Raymond Burke for his recent behavior. This is the link for the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRq4GY7S2N4

Media Release
13 March 2008

On 12 March 2008, we were served with an official document: DECLARATION OF EXCOMMUNICATION, from Archbishop Raymond Burke of Saint Louis. The document explicitly names both of us, as well as Patricia Fresen, our ordaining bishop. We, and all Roman Catholic Womenpriests, reject the penalties of excommunication, interdict, and any other punitive actions from church officials. We are loyal daughters of the church, and we stand in the prophetic tradition of holy (canonical) disobedience to an unjust man-made law that discriminates against women.

Our church teaches that a law of the church is authoritative only if it is "received" by the community of faith, the sensus fidelium. Everyone has a moral obligation to disobey unjust law. Between 63 and 70 percent of present-day Catholics favor women’s ordination, so we do not "receive" this prohibition, nor do we "receive" the church’s continued reliance on sexist metaphors, beliefs, and assumptions for denying ordination to women.

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, wrote this: "Over the Pope as the expression of the binding claim of ecclesiastical authority, there still stands one’s own conscience, which must be obeyed before all else, if necessary even against the requirement of ecclesiastical authority." (Doctrine of Vatican II, vol. V, commentary on p. 134.)

Roman Catholic canon laws are often contradictory. In this instance, canon 1024 limits sacred orders to men, while canon 849 says that baptism is the gateway to the s acraments. Bishop Ida Raming, doctor of theology, points out a prior church understanding: "Some medieval canonists hold that not maleness but baptism is the prerequisite for valid ordinations. After being baptized, anyone may be validly ordained." (The Exclusion of Women from the Priesthood: Causes and Background.)

Recent scholarship affirms that women were ordained for the first 1,200 years of Christian history, the majority of Christian history, in other words. Real historical and archeological evidence provides the tradition we are reclaiming. We are reclaiming this important tradition in order to bring equality and balance and reconciliation and renewal to the church we love, and to all the holy people of God who have been hurt, marginalized, and ostracized in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who always and everywhere said, as we do, that ALL ARE WELCOME.

Rose Marie Hudson, rcwp (636-298-5598)

Elsie McGrath, rcwp (314-773-4540)

divine_shalom2007@yahoo.com
THERESE OF DIVINE PEACE INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY
A Roman Catholic Parish Where ALL Are Welcome

You may also contact:
Bridget Mary Meehan, rcwp (941-953-5948)
National Media Representative, Roman Catholic Womenpriests
http://www.romancatholicwomenpriests.org/