Vatican decrees excommunication for participation in 'ordination' of women

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Comments: 8

Vatican City, May 29, 2008 / 02:29 pm (CNA).- The Vatican declared today that any women who attempt “ordination” or any bishops who attempt to “ordain” women are automatically excommunicated from the Church by their actions. The decree from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is said to be absolute, universal and immediately effective.

The decree which was published in the Vatican daily, L’Osservatore Romano, comes in the wake of several women attempting to be “ordained” as Catholic priests.

The most recent attempt to ordain a woman occurred on May 4 in Winona, Minnesota when Kathy Redig, participated in a ceremony of ordination.

Bishop of Winona Bernard Harrington responded to the news of Redig’s purported ordination by saying it made him “very, very sad.” The bishop also said that “She, by her actions, has excommunicated herself.”

Another occurrence of attempted ordination occurred in St. Louis, Missouri on November 11, 2007. The ceremony involved a German woman named Patricia Fresen conducting a would-be ordination ceremony at a St. Louis synagogue. Fresen used the formula and rite of a Catholic ordination to “ordain” as priests two St. Louis-area women, Rose Hudson and Elsie McGrath.

The attempted ordination caused Archbishop Raymond Burke of the Archdiocese of St. Louis to declare the three women excommunicated for taking part in an attempted ordination of women to the priesthood. The archbishop said the excommunication was part of his “solemn duty” to protect the faith and unity of the Church.

Archbishop Burke, who is regarded as one of the foremost experts on canon law, explained that this type of situation has been addressed before. In August 2002, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith also excommunicated two women who had taken part in an invalid ordination ceremony, he said.

Patricia Fresen, the archbishop said, had “formally and directly engaged” in founding a “new and separate sect” called Roman Catholic WomenPriests USA.

The decree from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith also mentions that it applies to all people in communion with the Catholic Church, including any bishops or women who are members of the Eastern Churches. Anyone who incurs this excommunication can only be received back into the Church by the Apostolic See, the decree says.

The declaration, which is signed by Cardinal William Levada, concludes by saying that it is absolute, universal and immediately effective upon its publication in L’Osservatore Romano.

Translated text of the Decree:

Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
General Decree

Regarding the crime of attempting sacred ordination of a woman

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, to protect the nature and validity of the sacrament of holy orders, in virtue of the special faculty conferred to it by the supreme authority of the Church (see canon 30, Canon Law), in the Ordinary Session of December 19, 2007, has decreed:

Remaining firm on what has been established by canon 1378 of the Canon Law, both he who has attempted to confer holy orders on a woman, and the woman who has attempted to receive the said sacrament, incurs in latae sententiae excommunication, reserved to the Apostolic See.

If he who has attempted to confer holy orders on a woman or if the woman who has attempted to receive holy orders, is a member of the faithful subject to the Code of Canon Law for the Eastern Churches, remaining firm on what has been established by canon 1443 of the same Code, they will be punished with major excommunication, whose remission remains reserved to the Apostolic See (see canon 1423, Canon Law of the Eastern Churches).

The current decree will come into immediate force from the moment of publication in the 'Osservatore Romano' and is absolute and universal.

William Cardinal Levada
Prefect
Angelo Amato, S.D.B.
Titular Archbishop of Sila
Secretary

Comments: 8

Subscriber comments:

Published by: Nilo Cantonjos
Bayonne 09/03/2009 08:50 AM EST

Women can be priest the day he can become a father. They need to understand that Priesthood is spiritual fatherhood. The church does not have the authority to ordain women (Pope John Paul II). It doesn't mean that women are inferior, I argue that they are even superior, since the greatest of all God's creation is a WOMAN, Mother Mary. Although men and women are equal...they are not the same. Thanks be to God.

Published by: Glenn Dallaire
Connecticut 06/04/2008 06:02 PM EST

The Church has long since definitively declared and a few years ago Pope John Paul II re-affirmed the Church teaching on the matter of women as Priests. In short, the Church does not have the authority to ordain women, as Jesus chose to ordain only men. Like it or not, that is the definitive Church teaching...It can never and will never be changed, as Pope John Paul II stated. End of discussion.

Whether or not one agrees with this or not does not matter. To be Catholic means you give assent to the teachings and doctrines of the Church. You do not pick and choose the teachings you may personally agree with, and reject others. That is not faith in Christ and His Church. That is faith in oneself.

And sorry, but if you are a woman, you can be assured that Jesus is not calling you to the Catholic Priesthood. When a Priest is celebrating Mass at the altar, he is acting in "Persona Christi", that is to say, at that moment he is another Christ, offering himself once again to the Father for the forgiveness of sins.
Since Jesus was a man, a woman cannot be "persona Christi" in the person of Christ, or "alter Christus" another Christ, as a Priest is at the altar during the offeratory of the Mass.

Published by: Akerele Joseph
Ibadan/Oyo/Nigeria 06/03/2008 03:13 PM EST

Impossible!

Why, for if it was to be possible it would have started since the beginning of the Church, which Christ Instituted at Passover. Jesus entrusted the Church to his Disciples (precisely the rock "Cephas" as the head) who are men not women. Even the Scripture affirmed it that the women have no authority to administer were men are.

Thank God that the Church stood on these and Kudos to Cardinal William Levada the prefect and the Holy See on this Decree.

This is as if the women who participated and those who try to administer the sacrament on them did not comply with the teachings of the Church. Yes they deserve been excommunicated.

But my prayer is that, may they see how momentous the atrocity they've committed and turn back to the Lord through the church whom they've hurt for re-admittance.

Published by: VictoriaR
New England 06/02/2008 12:31 PM EST

God bless Bishop William Cardinal Levada! We should all be standing up for Jesus Christ and our Church in these dark days.

Published by: Mary Lovee
St. Clair, MO 05/31/2008 07:02 PM EST

I pray that these women will come back to the unity of the Catholic Church. I pray take as their model, Mary, our Blessed Mother in heroic humility, charity and obedience to the will of Christ and His Church--even if they have a hard time accepting the teaching of a male-only priesthood.

Since God's will is "love and mercy itself" why are they looking for fulfillment outside of God's Church? Why can't they realize that Christ in the Gospels only chose men to follow him as priests?

It's so sad that they fail to recognize their "true genius" as women as JPII wrote. I, as a 31-year-old Catholic woman, am humbled by the equal, yet unique way God created men and women. I couldn't be prouder that the Catholic Church is one of the few left that still is unafraid to preach the truth as outlined in Holy Scripture.

Published by: Ralphster
San Diego, CA USA 05/29/2008 11:32 PM EST

Rate: Bad

How absolutely medieval. The very language of this "decree" is bizarre––"absolute, universal and immediately effective". The Anglican Church is looking more attractive everyday! BTW, does Pope Ratzinger sign this stuff with the red wax seal?

Published by: Joan h.
Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, USA 05/29/2008 07:14 PM EST

Thanks be to God for
William Cardinal Lavada and the Holy See for this necessary action. I pray that the women will see the gravity of their actions and humbly repent and beg re-admintance. I am praying for them. As a woman, I am deeply ashamed that women would behave this way.

Sincerely,
Joan h.
North Carolina

Published by: patrick finley
hazelwood 05/29/2008 06:48 PM EST

I love how "non masculine" their vestmants are. You wanna be a priest? Where is your fiddleback ?

Seriously though, what part of "In Persona Christi " do these people not get? Go look at a Crucifix, Christ was male. When you offer the sacrifice of the mass you are offering it as Christ. Thus, you cannot be a woman.

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