Civil Disobedience in the Catholic Church

There has been increasing agitation in the Catholic Church in recent years for the ordination of women. Some of this has been simply for practical reasons (there are too few priests in the US Catholic Church), but mostly the discussion has been very much like that which took place in the Episcopal Church and others in the mid-1970s (see reference to this in an earlier post)- a question of justice and morality.

This is the most powerful case of direct action that I have heard of to date in the Catholic Church:


Twelve Women 'Ordained' as Catholic Priests
By Ann RodgersReligion News Service
PITTSBURGH, August 1 -- Vested in white albs, and ultimately donning brilliantly colored silk stoles, 12 women were ordained Monday (July 31) as deacons and priests aboard a riverboat here by a group that claims they are valid Roman Catholic ordinations.

After the ritual, the eight who had been proclaimed priests by the group Roman Catholic Women priests danced and sang "We Are Chosen," holding hands with their female bishops. More than 350 guests cheered and applauded.

The Diocese of Pittsburgh, however, has declared that none of the ordinations is legitimate, and warned that those involved have excommunicated themselves.

The article goes on to explain that the Church's teaching is that only men can be priests because only men were chosen to be apostles. I disagree with this on factual grounds. Jesus, according to the Bible, appeared first to Mary Magdalene after his resurrection, and sent her off to tell the others. This would make her the first apostle, and the apostle to the other apostles.

The argument against women priests (pastors, ministers, etc.) is completely unpersuasive. I'm not Catholic and the Catholic Church can obviously set it's own guidelines- and people can leave the Church if they don't like those guidelines. That said, I admire those who are trying to force change from within the Church and bring it closer to the type of inclusive community I believe Jesus would be proud to call his own.

GP