Dear Blog Visitors:
I continue to pray for the day when men and women members of the clergy will serve side-by-side in all religious denominations. This, of course, includes the Roman Catholic Church, which continues to insist that its priests be male and celibate.
Rochester, New York is indeed blessed to be the host city for many religious events at which male and female members of the clergy celebrate together for common causes. In the two photos above, taken by David Lewis, an inclusive clergy is gathered (including yours truly) for the ordination of five Catholic women to the priesthood.
While a Vatican spokesperson will often issue a negative comment concerning such an event as the ordination of women, there was notable silence on this particular occasion. My sense is that even the Vatican has come to realize that women are answering their calls to ordination with increased frequency and nothing will stop the will of the Holy Spirit.
At a time when parish closures are commonplace, and the numbers of men willing to commit to a life of celibacy are dwindling, I continue to pray that the Vatican will come to realize the potential of men and women serving side-by-side at the altar. I hope Pope Benedict XVI will take a good look at the photos above, and then try to envision a gathering such as Vatican III, at which men and women would be making important decisions to ensure the viability of the Catholic Church for the next two thousand years and beyond.
Let us continue to pray that all religious communities experience the type of inclusivity represented in the above photos.
Peace to all,
Ray
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