My World of Religion, Politics, Entertainment and Social Issues

Dear Blog Visitors: I am still busy with my latest hobby - namely, making videos for my YouTube channel. The following article caught my attention today, for it details the two Vatican posts that were given to none other than Archbishop Raymond Burke. We have been reading about the hard-line tactics of Archbishop Burke in recent weeks, inclusive of the multiple excommunications he issued in St. Louis. So, it should be no surprise that the Vatican is impressed with him. Here is the article: Pope names Burke to two Vatican offices By Tim Townsend ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/religion/story/AAAC04C21C1E1288862574420006FA6B?OpenDocument Pope Benedict XVI named St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke to two Vatican offices Tuesday, increasing Burke's already prominent stature in Rome. Burke, a canon lawyer by training, was one of eight cardinals and archbishops worldwide who Benedict named to the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, which ...

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 f...

Dear Blog Visitors: The following is the itinerary for Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United States in April. I plan to produce a series of videos in advance of his visit, which can be viewed at www.youtube.com/priestray . It is my hope a press conference hosted by married priests and women priests will be scheduled during the pontiff's stay in New York. POPE'S ITINERARY Tuesday, April 15 Arrival at Andrews Air Force Base. Greeting by President Bush and Mrs. Bush. Also present will be local dignitaries of the church and the apostolic nuncio. Wednesday, April 16, 10:30 a.m. President Bush and the First Lady meet the Holy Father on the south lawn of the White House. This is only the second time in history that a pontiff has visited the White House. At the end of the welcoming ceremony, a private meeting is scheduled for the Holy Father and the President, while dignitaries of the two states also meet. Wednesday, April 16, 5:30 p.m. Private prayer service and meeting with th...

Dear Blog Visitors: I have put my pen aside for a while, as I continue to experiment with video technology. My first attempts were a little dark and fuzzy, as you can see at www.youtube.com/priestray . Concerning my continued work in church reform, I am hoping to assist the organization of a press conference during Pope Benedict XVI's visit to New York in April. If something materializes, I will provide details in my blog. Once I become more proficient with videos, I hope to post some of them here. Let us continue to pray for a Roman Catholic Church that is more inclusive. Peace to all.

Dear Blog Visitors: I am delighted that we will have two more women amongst the ranks of the priesthood on Sunday, November 11. The tradition of ordaining women to the presbyterate, which began with Mary Ramerman in Rochester, New York, is gaining momentum as Catholics come to realize that there is no place for sexism in our church. My hearty congratulations to Rose Marie Hudson and Elsie Hainz McGrath for the courage in their decision to go through with their ordinations, despite threats from the infamous tyrant of St. Louis - namely, Archbishop Raymond Burke. What is particularly despicable about Archbishop Burke's threats is his statement to the effect that the above-mentioned ordinations will hurt relations between Catholics and Jews in St. Louis. Just because the ordinations are taking place in a reformed Jewish synagogue does not justify angry statements by Burke. If we are to change the structure of the Roman Catholic Church, radical action is needed. Such radical action was...

The following was published in the November-December issue of 'CORPUS REPORTS.' BEING THANKFUL FOR OUR GIFTS By Ray Grosswirth, CORPUS Media Liaison In the September/October edition of ‘CORPUS Reports,’ president Russ Ditzel wonderfully articulated the phenomenon of ‘writer’s block’ that consumed him for a brief period. As a long-time writer, I too have experienced this phenomenon. The mind is a curious thing. There are days in which my creativity is racing a thousand miles an hour, and I rush off with pen-in-hand to put my thoughts to paper. On other days, the so-called ‘writer’s block sets in and I stare endlessly at a blank page. As media liaison for CORPUS, I try to maintain a presence for our organization in newspapers, the internet, radio and television. Admittedly, there are days when I find myself in a dilemma over how to get our message out. I find it is an ever-increasing challenge to find mainstream members of the media who are willing to spend time with me to d...

The following was published in the September-October, 2007 edition of 'CORPUS REPORTS.' CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS By Ray Grosswirth, CORPUS Media Liaison It was recently announced that the Los Angeles Archdiocese agreed to a settlement of over $600 million, as restitution for the multiple cases of sexual abuse that occurred over the period of several decades. Those who have covered the abuse story since 2002 have theorized that our hierarchy can probably live comfortably with this settlement, with the preconceived notion that our bishops can now go about the business of healing a wounded church. $600 is indeed a lot of money! Yet, considering all the real estate holdings of the Los Angeles Archdiocese, bankruptcy seems unlikely. As in the case of the Boston Archdiocese, once buildings are sold and financially-strapped parishes are closed, it will be business as usual for the powers-that-be. While perhaps some of the victims will find comfort ...

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...