St. Louis, Mo., Nov 9, 2007 / 09:40 am
The Archdiocese of Saint Louis has warned two Saint Louis women they will excommunicate themselves if they undergo a planned “ordination ceremony” scheduled for this Sunday.
Rose Marie Dunn Hudson, 67, and Elsie Hainz McGrath, 69, are to undergo the ceremony, which will be led by a former nun, according to the Associated Press. They are part of a Roman Catholic Womenpriests movement that began in 2002.
Saint Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke warned the two women of the excommunication in letters delivered by courier. The archbishop warned them that by participating in the ceremony they would commit a "grave error" and an "act of schism".
He reiterated that the pope has stated infallibly that only men can be validly ordained. He said if they proceeded they would automatically incur excommunication "in order to protect the faithful from grave spiritual deception."