My World of Religion, Politics, Entertainment and Social Issues

Dear Blog Visitors: I continue to be very busy with my secular job, so my blog postings have been scarce lately. Thinking you might like to see it, I have included below a brief essay I wrote for our local newspaper. (It was published on August 30.) On the news front, I am very pleased that Archbishop Peter Paul Brennan (ordained me to the diaconate) will be hosting a day-long seminar on the theology and persona of Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo (ordained me to the priesthood). This will take place in Boston in October. (Details are available at the 'Married Priests Now' website.) The institutional church continues to discriminate against married priests. It is indeed an irony that so-called 'celibate' priests convicted of sexual abuse remain Catholics in good standing with the church, while at the same time, married priests (guilty of no crimes) are often barred from sacramental life. Fortunately, however, the doors are open to married priests for independent ministr...

Dear Blog Visitors: Thinking you might like to see my article from the July/August 2007 edition of 'CORPUS Reports,' I have included it for you below. It is a reflection on Vatican II, and it features the Council's missed opportunities. (While Pope John XXIII was a true visionary, Benedict XVI is attempting to stifle reform initiatives. In my article, I tried to present John XXIII as a role model for future pontiffs.) WHY VATICAN II STILL INTRIGUES US By Ray Grosswirth, CORPUS Media Liaison More than forty years have elapsed since the close of Vatican II. However, those of us who continue working toward church reform can’t seem to escape memories of the events that captivated the world’s attention and imagination from 1962 through 1966. It is not as if we are longing for a time machine to transport us back to the Council. It is rather our fond obsession with the multitude of missed opportunities that won’t allow us to accept the current state of affairs in the Roman Cat...

Dear Blog Visitors: Due to my busy secular job, I have been away from my blog for a couple months. However, I read a wonderful commentary today by Phyllis Zagano that I want to share with you. (Phyllis is one of our country's leading academics/theologians, who has advocated for constructive change in the Roman Catholic Church.) I also want to take this opportunity to thank VOTF (Voice of the Faithful) for making a decision to advocate for optional celibacy, which would allow for the implementation of married priests. As Phyllis Zagano brilliantly articulates in her commentary, the idea of married priests is not a new innovation, but rather part of the church's tradition. While celibacy is not the primary cause of sexual abuse, it has indeed been a contributing factor. So, I am grateful that Voice of the Faithful has lent its courageous voice to this important issue. I continue to be grateful to Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo for ordaining me as a married priest last December. ...

Dear Blog Visitors: I have been very busy with my secular job the past few weeks, which has left very little time for blogging. However, I want to share with you an article I wrote for publication, which is currently in the May/June edition of 'CORPUS Reports.' In this article, I tried to promote the concept of worker-priests. One of the excuses the Vatican continues to articulate for not utilizing married priests is that the church cannot afford them. In response, I have tried to argue the point that most priests who have entered into marriage and raised families have good-paying jobs as well in the secular sphere. Many would be happy to simply avail themselves to dioceses for weekend assistance (Masses and sacraments). Here is my article on the worker priest model/concept: THE WORKER-PRIEST MODEL By Ray Grosswirth, CORPUS Media Liaison May/June Edition of ‘CORPUS Reports’ One of the highlights of the annual CORPUS conference for me is the ability to interact with members...

Dear Blog Visitors: Since Bishop Matthew Clark has been fairly cordial with me, concerning my work toward reform and my recent ordination as a married priest, I thought I would take this opportunity to promote his new venture into podcasting. The following is the link for Bishop Clark's podcast page: http://www.dor.org/podcast/ I also do a monthly podcast for CORPUS (the national association for an inclusive priesthood). Simply go to the CORPUS website at www.corpus.org and select my recording. (There is also a library at the site of recordings I made the past two years.) If you have been following my adventures since my ordination on December 10, you know that I am in a process of discernment, concerning the possibility of my joining Spiritus Christi Church (independent of Rome). Please keep me in your prayers as I continue to discern. (I will probably end up joining, since my long-time diocesan pastor will still not allow me to receive Communion unless I renounce my ordinatio...

Dear Blog Visitors: I hope all of you had a wonderful Passover and Easter week. While the two celebrations don’t intersect each year, it is always a blessed event when they do, especially in consideration of the fact that one of the highlights of the Easter Vigil liturgy is the powerful Exodus reading that depicts the liberation of the Jews from their bondage in Egypt. If you have followed my blog postings the past few months, you are aware that I am in what can perhaps be described as a state of limbo, in reference to my parish membership. While on paper, I continue to be registered as a parishioner at Blessed Sacrament Church in Rochester, New York, I am not allowed to receive Communion there, due to my recent ordination as a married priest. To recap, although I have heard nothing official from either the Rochester Diocese or the Vatican concerning my official status in the Roman Catholic Church, there have been statements from a few canon lawyers and bishops to the effect that by...

Dear Blog Visitors: A good friend asked me a few days ago if I still had a copy of a feature article I wrote a couple years ago, entitled 'The Emancipation of Catholic Women.' I found I had saved it and then sent it to her. Since I find that this topic remains timely, I thought I would post the article to my blog as well. Since my ordination as a married priest on December 10, 2006, I have been contacted by a few of my former female classmates from St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry. Some continue to fight for more inclusivity in the institutional church. Others have either moved to other denominations or have joined Spiritus Christi Church in Rochester. In any event, much more work needs to be done toward securing the rightful place for women at the Eucharistic Table. Here is my article on 'The Emancipation of Catholic Women.' THE EMANCIPATION OF CATHOLIC WOMEN by Ray Grosswirth, M.A., M.Div I am writing this in honor of International Women's Mo...

Dear Blog Visitors: I always look forward to the Triduum, for it gives us an opportunity to celebrate the mystery of our faith. This year's Triduum will be a new experience for me, for I will be attending liturgies at Spiritus Christi Church (Catholic but independent of Rome). Spiritus Christi is a wonderful parish community, where Christ is truly present amongst each person who walks through the door. Most appealing to me is that artificial barriers to a sacramental life do not exist at Spiritus Christi. So, this may indeed become my new spiritual home, especially since I am not allowed to receive Communion in a diocesan parish, for the simple reason that I was recently ordained a married Catholic priest. Would Christ bar me from the Communion Table because I am a married priest? I think not! Although I have chosen an alternative for my Holy Week celebrations this year, I hope the Vatican won't mind my offering a critique on Good Friday Intercessions. (This critique is m...

Dear Blog Visitors: Many Catholics who live in New York State are anxiously awaiting word from the Vatican, concerning whether or not Pope Benedict XVI will accept the resignation of Cardinal Egan. I, for one, hope the resignation is accepted. What follows are two items: 1.) feature article from the New York Sun on Cardinal Egan's future; 2.) my follow-up commentary, which was also published in the New York Sun. Cardinal Egan's Future Rests in Pope's Hands BY GABRIELLE BIRKNER - Staff Reporter of the Sun March 28, 2007 URL: http://www.nysun.com/article/51360 Catholic scholars are divided over whether Pope Benedict XVI will accept the letter of resignation that Cardinal Egan is required to submit on Monday, his 75th birthday. Some predict the cardinal would be permitted to stay on, while others expect the pope to accept the resignation. Canon Law asserts that Catholic bishops, upon turning 75, must offer up their resignation, which the pope can accept or reject. Pope Jo...

Dear Blog Visitors: One of my favorite hangouts on weekends is the Wegman’s Superstore in Pittsford, New York (suburb of Rochester). It is a great place to shop and have breakfast, lunch or dinner. I find it is also a place that I can count on running into acquaintances from the past and present. In recent weeks, usually while enjoying breakfast, I have been approached by former classmates and friends, who wanted to discuss my recent ordination to married priesthood. I have yet to get one complaint about my ordination, whether it be in Wegman’s, a parish or a variety of social settings. I bring up these recent encounters, because I have come to realize that I am not the only person amongst my former classmates from St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry who have ventured into alternative forms of ministry within a Catholic context. What has become apparent to me, especially in the case of some of my former female classmates, is that the more educated in theology and church h...

Dear Blog Visitors: It is part of my daily routine to scan national newspapers for stories related to the Roman Catholic priesthood. One particular article captured my attention this morning, for it focused on a married Episcopalian priest who converted to Roman Catholicism, and then was allowed, under a special provision, to become a married Roman Catholic priest in the Los Angeles Archdiocese. I want to be welcoming when married Episcoplian priests are allowed to become married Roman Catholic priests under the special provision enacted by the late pontiff, John Paul II. These priests can give witness to the fact that it is entirely possible to be married, raise children and be a Roman Catholic priest at the same time. However, at the same time, I am angry over the hypocrisy that exists over this issue. It seems to me that the Vatican is operating with a double-standard that is causing anguish for thousands of Roman Catholic priests who eventually entered into marriage. Unlike mar...

Dear Blog Visitors: I continue to be grateful every day for the fact that Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo ordained me to the presbyterate on December 10, 2006. I can only hope to honor him by continuing to articulate the plight of married priests around the world who want nothing more than a place at the table. Just as I continue to be an advocate for optional celibacy, my work toward the ordination of women will continue as well. After all, a table is never complete, unless women are present. I am encouraged by the scholarly work that continues to be done on the role women played in the early church. During the first century, we are certain that leaders of early communities consisted of bishops, deacons and deaconesses. The priesthood was a later development, when it became evident that communities had become too large for bishops to manage on their own. So, the priesthood evolved, in order to ensure that the Eucharist would be available for all the faithful. Recent evidence has con...

Dear Friends: I wanted to wait until this article was published, before sharing it with you. In the article, I answered the three primary questions I continue to be asked: MY ROAD TO ORDINATION By Ray Grosswirth, CORPUS Media Liaison March/April, 2007 Edition of ‘CORPUS REPORTS’ Having been part of the CORPUS community for several years, this is my very first article written as a married priest. The road to ordination was indeed long, with a few bumps along the way. However, in the end, my faith has been enriched as a result of my finally saying YES when the Holy Spirit beckoned. Much has been written and said already in the mainstream media about my ordination. So, rather than restating all the particulars, what follows will be what can perhaps be described as a reflection on what my ordination means in terms of my future with CORPUS and how I intend to carry out my ministries in the diaspora. I wish to begin by thanking the CORPUS community for...

Dear Blog Visitors: I was deeply moved by a feature story that appeared in our local newspaper this morning. It focused on a group of volunteers who donate their time to the Spiritus Christi Mental Health Center. The Mental Health Center is just one of many outreach ministries offered by Spiritus Christi Church in Rochester, New York. This is a parish that truly walks the talk, in that it takes the Gospel message of Jesus Christ very seriously. Jesus instructed us to preach the Gospel, heal the sick, take care of the disenfranchised, and welcome the stranger. Spiritus Christi continues to be a model for those of us who wish to be true disciples of Jesus. For those of you not familiar with the story, Spiritus Christi began several years ago, as an offshoot of Corpus Christi Church (diocesan parish). Through its independent status, the parish has two ordained female priests (Mary Ramerman and Denise Donato), in addition to having the services of Fr. James Callan, who moved from his...

Dear Blog Visitors: People continue to ask me what I intend to do, now that I am a married priest. The short answer is that I continue to be a Roman Catholic, and my primary ministries will be via certification from the Federation of Christian Ministries (baptisms, weddings, funerals). A question that continues to surface from time to time is what the relationship between CORPUS and 'The Married Priests Now! Prelature' will be. After some careful dialogue/negotiation, both organizations have released statements that are respectful of each other's goals and initiatives. Since both CORPUS and 'Married Priests Now!' have posted these statements to their respective websites, I thought it would be appropriate to post the statements here as well. At the heart of all organizations that work toward inclusivity in the priesthood is the reality that while the Roman Catholic Church is growing in terms of numbers, the celibate priesthood is shrinking, which places the availabil...

Dear Friends: I just thanked Marketta Gregory of the Democrat & Chronicle for the wonderful article she wrote on Mike Krupiarz. I am posting this to my blog and to the CORPUS ( www.corpus.org ) forum, because several of Mike's seminary classmates from St. Bernard's are members of CORPUS. Mike Krupiarz was a great guy and was very instrumental in my faith formation and choices I eventually made. Back in 1990, when I was discerning the priesthood as part of a group for older men, Mike was my initial spiritual advisor. (He prepared for the priesthood himself, but had left the seminary without getting ordained, due to the celibacy issue. He became a married deacon instead.) Mike was very helpful in my discernment over celibacy and other issues facing persons who are discerning the seminary process. Some of my memories of Mike have an element of humor. When he was a pastoral associate at St. Mary's Church downtown, he asked me to attend a peaceful rally outside the Senec...

Dear Blog Visitors: I am happy to report that I will be participating in the following seminar: The National Catholic Ministrial Alliance presents a day-long seminar before the Call to Action conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin November 3: “Bridging the Gap: Gender Equality, Sex and Ordination” The National Catholic Ministerial Alliance is planning a day-long pre-CTA Conference seminar with keynote speakers Anthony Padovano, Andrea Johnson and more to discuss and promote the movement for an inclusive and renewing Catholic priesthood. A panel will feature Carmen Lane, Ray Grosswirth, Tom Honoré, and Kathy Vandenberg, talking about their individual journeys as women and married men living out their call to ordination. For more information, visit the Call to Action Website at www.cta-usa.org

PRESS RELEASE August 4, 2006 8 WOMEN ORDAINED AS CATHOLIC PRIESTS HAVE NOT BEEN EXCOMMUNICATED On July 31, 2006, eight Roman Catholic women were ordained as priests in Pittsburgh. They were validly ordained by three consecrated female bishops. Whether or not U.S. bishops recognize these priests as validly ordained is not the point. What is very much to the point is the fact that bishops have incorrectly stated that the women who were ordained have excommunicated themselves from the Roman Catholic Church. Under the carefully crafted guidelines for excommunication, there needs to be a process for such action. There is no such thing as "self-excommunication,” although one could make an argument that if a person announces that he or she is leaving the Roman Catholic Church, an interpretation of self-excommunication is possible. However, in the case of the eight women ordained as priests on July 31, there were no announcements from these women that they were leaving Roman Catholici...

I put the following press release out on the wire service today, and thought I would post it to my blog as well. CORPUS MEDIA LIAISON AVAILABLE FOR TV & RADIO INTERVIEWS TO DISCUSS MARY MAGDALENECORPUS www.corpus.org Contact: Ray Grosswirth, CORPUS Media Liaison, rgrosswirth@corpus.org With the release of the movie version of 'The Da Vinci Code' on May 19, it is reasonable to assume there will be general interest in the relationship that existed between Mary Magdalene and Jesus. While very little historical data exists that supports events depicted in Dan Brown's book, he does correctly draw upon recent scholarship that clears the bad reputation Mary Magdalene was stuck with for over one-thousand years. Whether or not Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene is a matter of conjecture, since this theory cannot be proven one way or another historically. Yet, a valid argument for Jesus being married is his Biblical title of 'rabbi.' (During the first century, this title...

I want to thank Bishop Clark for the courageous stand he has taken on behalf of gay priests in the Rochester Diocese. I share in the outrage of the Catholic community concerning sexual abuse committed by Roman Catholic priests. However, scapegoating gay priests is the wrong approach, and I applaud Bishop Clark's fairness in dealing with this issue. Some bishops, in their eagerness to sweep the abuse crisis under the carpet, have issued harsh statements concerning gay priests and seminarians. If bishops truly believe that as many as 50% of priests may be gay, it is correspondingly reasonable to assume that as many as 50% of bishops are gay as well. I personally don't care if bishops or priests are gay or heterosexual, as long as they are not abusing children. Rather than focusing on sexual orientation, our bishops should instead be focusing on sexual maturity. Sexual immaturity can be present in either a homosexual or heterosexual. To single out one in favor of the other is not ...