'Roman catholic Womenpriests' Attempts Ordination of Woman, Bishop Coyne Responds

4/20/2012

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calling itself "Roman Catholic Womenpriests" attempting to ordain or confer the Sacrament of Holy Orders upon a woman. This group has no valid connection to the Roman Catholic Church or the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Any supposed "ordination" this group performed has no relationship with the sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church and is not valid.

The Roman Catholic Church does not ordain women. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is very clear on this issue. As it states in the Catechism, #1577: "Only a baptized man validly receives sacred ordination. The Lord Jesus chose men to form the college of the twelve apostles, and the apostles did the same when they chose collaborators to succeed them in their ministry. The college of bishops, with whom the priests are united in the priesthood, makes the college of the twelve an ever-present and ever-active reality until Christ's return. The Church recognizes herself to be bound by this choice made by the Lord himself. For this reason the ordination of women is not possible."

The ordination of men to the priesthood is not merely a matter of practice or discipline with the Catholic Church, but rather, it is part of the deposit of faith handed down by Christ through his apostles. The Catholic Church has always followed Jesus' example and does not believe it has the authority to change what Jesus instituted. The will of Christ is not arbitrary.

The woman who attempted ordination this past weekend may have chosen to be a priest in some other "catholic" church but it is not the one headed by Pope Benedict XVI. She cannot be a priest in a church that has not called her to that priesthood.

She herself states that by attempting ordination and denying the Roman Catholic Church's teaching in a public act, she has placed herself outside of the Church's communion. This offers further argument against her "ordination" since to be ordained to the sacred priesthood is to be ordained to obedience in mind and soul to the Church's magisterium. One cannot serve in obedience if one was ordained in an act of disobedience.

The Catholic Church's teaching on the ordination of women does not mean that the Church values women less than men. The Catholic Church is sustained by the important contributions of women each and every day. The Catholic Church has always taught that men and women have the same dignity, but they have different duties or gifts. All these gifts are central to the faith and the life of the Catholic Church.

In secular society today we talk about equal rights and equal protection under the law. That means many different things to different people. In the Church, we believe in an equality of dignity between men and women that is bestowed on each of us by the Holy Spirit in our equal call to holiness. The only universal call is the call to holiness.

No one has a right by baptism to ordination. Ordination to the ministerial priesthood is a distinct gift. It is a gift that exists for the service of God and the Church. In accepting and handing on this gift, the Church is bound by fidelity to the example of Christ to reserve ordination to males who have legitimately received this call from God and who are accepted by the Church as having received this call.

I am saddened that the woman who attempted ordination and anyone who took part in this invalid ceremony have chosen to take such a public action to separate themselves from the Church. I am sorry they have chosen this path. It is clear that they believe they are doing the right thing. I wish them all the best but hope they will decide to return to the Church's communion.

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Rev. Christopher J. Coyne, SLD
Apostolic Administrator
Archdiocese of Indianapolis

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: womenpriests, womanpriests, womans ordination, heresy, Bishop Coyne, Reservation of priestly ordination to men only, Deacon Keith Fournier

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1 - 10 of 41 Comments

craig
8 months ago
@Gabriella Then how do you explain all the Eastern Catholic Priests who are married, the Orthodox, and the Anglican Priests. What about the married Anglican Priests that become Catholic Pirests? Your theology is weak and not based on fact or history. It is pious sentiment. The first 45 Popes were married as were most priests. The issue became one of land and corruption. If I am a priest, and I have a son he will get my land. Celibacy ensures that the land will go to the church. That is how the church aquired wealth in the Medieval Times. Celibacy was not mandatory until the Council of Trent.
Judy
1 year ago
John: Thank you so much! You had me concerned for a minute! It is true, the Rosary is a powerful prayer! If more people were praying the blessed beads, and contemplating their Mysteries, our world would be a much better place. It is amazing, how continuous meditation can take one deeper and closer to the whole Life of Our Lord. My intentions are always for the conversion of sinners and that of my own soul, the dear souls in Purgatory, and whatever or whoever needs added. Blessings...
Karen
1 year ago
I think I'll be crowned Queen of England tomorrow or maybe President of the USA. Just saying you are something doesn't make it so. Jesus was a man and the priest stand in the place of Christ. It is ontologically impossible for a woman to be a priest. Get over it. What has be revealed cannot be changed.
Gabriella
1 year ago
A Roman Catholic priest is to give 100% to his vocation. It is a very demanding position. To be responsible for the spiritual well being of his people is difficult.
Married men cannot give their all because they have already promised it to someone else.
A woman has been given a childbearing ability, the highest of all mandates.
A desire to be a priest comes from a divine prompting - anything else comes from pride, the mother of all evil.
These "priestesses" are misguided souls who need our prayers to see the Light.
Francis
1 year ago
WOMENPRIESTS INFILTRATES THE INDIAN CHURCH

Here then are the links for you to check out again.
Our findings are scandalous, shocking, fearsome. Our Faith is under attack from our own "theologians".
If we are concerned about these new heresies in the Indian Church, and if we want their propagators checked, we must -- among other things -- show our concern by alerting other Catholics and by writing to our bishops.

VIRGINIA SALDANHA-WOMENPRIESTS INFILTRATES THE INDIAN CHURCH-CATHERINE OF SIENA VIRTUAL COLLEGE MARCH 2012, 40, 1.07 MB updated to 72, 2.39 MB

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/VIRGINIA_SALDANHA-WOMENPRIESTS_INFILTRATES_THE_INDIAN_CHURCH-CATHERINE_OF_SIENA_VIRTUAL_COLLEGE.doc
Archangel
1 year ago
Reverend Mother Sister Jacqueline Corcoran, "brides of Christ", namely Sisters, or nuns, or canonesses-are not "ordained." They are professed.
Bob Mihalo
1 year ago
Regrading married priests. Neither the Eastern Orthodox nor the Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church allow priests to marry. We ordain married men, and if his wife dies he automatically becomes celibate for the remainder of his life.
Jeffrey
1 year ago
Catholic Church does not allow her priests to marry is untrue. Many Eastern Catholic traditions still practice a priest's being allowed to marry. It's only the Roman side of the Church that is more strict on the requirements to be a priest.
Vance
1 year ago
Thank you for the point of this article which is that the Catholic Church has no authority to ordain women as priests. As for the diabolics who are attempting to deceive or mislead people into believing that women can be ordained, let the shoe of the Bishop connect with the backside of the diabolic to send him flying out the front door of the church.
Reverend Mother Sister Jacqueline Corcoran
1 year ago
I would like to say, I'm happy to have my ordination as a Bride of Christ and if we read scripture, not saying that women can't help spread the Good News, because, if we read in Luke chapter 8, these were the First Brides of Christ and they helped the 12 disciples. So, I would not consider trying to become a womenpriest because, I was not called to be a Steward of Christ. I would not want to try to lead the flock and I'm a Reverend Mother, so, if we hold closer to the scripture, The Brides of Christ are there and those of us like me, can see, where we are most helpful in speading the Good News and helping the Catholic Faith and the Catholic Church. We are there.

God Bless

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