Archbishop thinks ‘ordination’ ceremony could mean automatic excommunication
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Ottawa, Canada, Jul 26, 2005 / 12:00 am (CNA).- On Monday, nine women had themselves ‘ordained’ as Catholic priests aboard a boat near Ottawa, Canada, an act, which one local archbishop fears, could mean automatic excommunication. The women, who include seven Americans, a Canadian and a German living in the U.S., were falsely ordained, according to Church law, by Austrian, Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger and German, Gisela Forster who were ‘ordained’ bishops in 2002.

The ceremony, reportedly sponsored by a group called, ’Roman Catholic Womenpriests’ was held aboard a boat in the middle of the St. Lawrence River near Gananoque, Ont., so as to avoid any diocesan jurisdiction.

According to Catholic teaching, only men can be ordained to the priesthood, a doctrine which it argues is not sexist, but respects different vocations created specifically for men and women.

Archbishop Anthony Meagher of Kingston said that while he would like to see more women involved in the Church, “wearing the colors of priesthood” is not the way to do it.

"What they are doing is stepping outside of the Church,” he said, “and I believe it's an automatic excommunication…It saddens me. Sacrament is so precious and they are trivializing it."

Following a similar ordination ceremony in France early this month, Vincent Feroldi, a spokesman for Lyon’s Archbishop Philippe Barbarin said that no decree of excommunication would necessary in a technical sense, because of the fundamental violation of Church law the woman’s actions constitute.

Many are waiting to see if a formal declaration is issued, as the number of ceremonies for women’s ordination seems to be growing.

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Subscriber comments:
Published by: Diane Garvin
Dallas, Texas - USA 07/27/2005 11:29 AM EST
To see these pitiful women playing their self - consumed games with such important matters as priestly ordination and the Catholic faith is painful... they are like little cancers who if left to grow will cause great sorrow and sickness in the Body of Christ. I would contend these women who want to be men are unable to value and appreciate the beauty, truth, and purpose of authentic femininity.. or to understand the way the Catholic Church has so valued and esteemed women, both those who are called to marriage and motherhood, and those who are called to the celibate single life. I am myself proud to be a woman who holds a Masters Degree and am currently working toward a PhD... and no shrinking violet... but I would hope the Church would act swiftly to publically excommunicate those who so blatantly, and to my thinking, blasphemously, seek to undermine and deprecate the teachings and practices, and thus the sacred sacraments of Holy Mother Church. If I might add a final thought... Anyone who thinks a woman should or could be ordained as a priest DOES NOT UNDERSTAND the EUCHARIST... exposing a complete lack of basic knowledge of the faith. Thank you for this opportunity to vent! May God continue to bless CNA.
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