November 6, 2007
Where Catholic Priestesses just can't even find a Catholic or Christian church to get "ordained" in
Two Catholic women are being ordained
by
Roman Catholic Womenpriests here Nov. 11, prompting outrage from Catholic officials -- outrage
that, surprisingly, is directed less at the women aspiring to the
Catholic priesthood, or at the movement ordaining them, than toward a
rabbi who agreed to host the event.
The women to be ordained are Elsie Hainz McGrath, a retired writer and
editor for a Catholic publishing house, and Rose Marie Dunn Hudson, a
former teacher. Bishop Patricia Fresen, who was for many years a
Dominican nun, ordained the women as deacons Aug. 12 and will perform
the ceremony here. The women are among a growing number of deacons,
priests and bishops ordained in the Roman Catholic Womenpriests
movement. Based on responses to formal invitations, Hudson said
organizers are expecting 300 to 400 to attend.
Noting that ordaining women is forbidden by Catholic canon law, St.
Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke wrote to Rabbi Susan Talve, senior rabbi
at Central Reform Congregation -- the synagogue host -- urging her to
revoke her offer of hospitality. Meanwhile, the director of the
archdiocesan Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, Fr.
Vincent A. Heier, has excoriated Talve for her role, likening it to a
Catholic pastor inviting a Holocaust denier to speak, and describing
Talve’s action as a major setback to the area’s strong, hard-won
Jewish-Catholic relations.
The president of the St. Louis Rabbinical Association, Rabbi Mark
Fasman finds it inappropriate for a synagogue to host an event no
Catholic parish would allow and, though stressing that he speaks only
for himself, acknowledged that among rabbis he is not alone. He is
worried that what should be a Catholic issue -- whether women can be
ordained -- will provoke a backlash against Jews.
I doubt there will be any such backlash, but I am glad for the statement.
But in some ways this is quite appropriate. After all they are only imitating the women priests that they had in in Levitical priesthood. Oh wait - that didn't happen. Funny how God can be so consistent.
Hudson, a longtime teacher, was
certified by the St. Louis archdiocese
as a lay pastoral minister in 1998, after completing a two-year
formation program, and received a master’s degree in pastoral studies
in an extension program offered by Loyola University, New Orleans. She
was the first woman to serve as parish council president at her former
parish, St. Joseph Catholic Church in Farmington, Mo.
McGrath worked with the St. Louis archdiocese to develop a family life
commission, earned an undergraduate degree in theology at St. Louis
University while working as a secretary in the theology department in
the 1980s. Invited to join the editorial staff at Liguori, the Catholic
publishing house, she stayed for 12 years, while earning a master’s
degree from Aquinas Institute of Theology in 2002. Her late husband was
an ordained deacon in the St. Louis archdiocese, and she attended
courses with him throughout a rigorous formation program.
She's an editor for Liguori? That's sad, The Liguorian has long been a fine publication.
Posted by Paul email at November 6, 2007 7:17 PMI am from Ohio, which has long been a fine state. And yet one of our former first ladies is one of these would-be priestesses. Or at least she was for a while. I think she was just crazy.
Let's hope neither the Liguorian nor the state of Ohio get blamed for this!
Gail Finke
Posted by Gail Finke email at November 6, 2007 8:10 PMI'm working on my MTS degree right now...maybe I can be "ordained" when I'm done, too. Riiiiiight.
These women are deluded, and so are the men that have been conned by the deluded women who cowed them into the original "ordinations".
I will NEVER go to a "priestess" for Confession, for any Sacraments...because THEY HAVE NO AUTHORITY! And now the Reform Jews are providing a place for the lack of authority to happen.
So sad.
Posted by Adoro email at November 6, 2007 8:50 PM"THEY HAVE NO AUTHORITY!"
Hey, atleast they have their own personal realities, while the vast majority of us are forced to share the same reality.
Posted by bill912 email at November 6, 2007 9:16 PMHey everybody, I'm the Easter Bunny!
Posted by Easter Bunny email at November 6, 2007 11:17 PMHELP!
I am part of a parish that is about to be graced with an adult education program soon to be initiated by a former priest who insists that there is no scriptural basis for an all-male clergy!
The guy couldn't poison the body of Christ enough as a priest in the 70s and 80s. I guess there's something to be said for his perseverance. I just wish he would persevere in a Methodist Church somewhere.
Posted by Paul K. email at November 7, 2007 3:21 AMPaul - there is no such thing as a former priest.
"The Lord hath sworn, and he will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech"
Mention this in a charitable manner if you have a chance.
Posted by Michaelus email at November 7, 2007 8:58 AMI am part of a parish that is about to be graced with an adult education program soon to be initiated by a former priest who insists that there is no scriptural basis for an all-male clergy!
Write your bishop a tempered and curteous letter.
Posted by Scott W. email at November 7, 2007 10:36 AMPeople, we had this coming when the feminists pushed for female altar servers. Those who were cautious forsaw this problem once women entered the sanctuary. Now people are just taking it to its logical conclusion. Why else would these groups feel safe bringing such an issue out into the open if there weren't enough Catholic lay who supported it? If people rightly opposed this, these small groups would get shouted down.
Posted by RichR email at November 7, 2007 11:18 AM
"Hey, atleast they have their own personal realities, while the vast majority of us are forced to share the same reality."
And we all know that our "personal realities" are alot more realiable than the Catholic Church's after 2000 years.
"Forced" ??????
I will be sworn in as President of the United States on Thursday next by a friend of mine who, will, by that time, have been sworn in as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court by a friend of his who, by that time, will have been sworn in by the President of the United States, well, something like that. I haven't got it all worked out yet. Right after that I will be made a Rabbi because I want to be. I will issue an executive order, and perform a bris as soon as possible.
Posted by Fr. T. Hee email at November 7, 2007 2:17 PMThere WILL be a backlash, but it won't be Catholic against Jew. I'm sure I'll be hearing about this event around the holidays, when my Jewish relatives will bring it up as a example of how female rabbis are just wrong. ;)
Posted by MissJean email at November 7, 2007 3:14 PMWhat's the feminine for "rabbi" in Hebrew? Rabba?
If Rabba Telve had any real courage, she'd be hosting the ordaining Orthodox Rabbis instead of Catholic schismatics and heretics.
Posted by Ray from MN email at November 7, 2007 4:58 PMDo the Jews allow female rabbi? This is the first time I heard of female rabbi. This must be some ultra liberal modernist Judaism.
Posted by beng email at November 7, 2007 5:43 PMMaybe she only thinks of herself as a Rabbi. That is what REALLY matters you know. What office you think you hold.
Posted by Randy email at November 7, 2007 6:15 PMRoman Catholic Womenpriests ...
Would be priestesses/female priests, dissenting from the Latin rite of the Catholic Church...or consulting firm for some niche market so narrow no one outside of California has heard of it?
Posted by Ed Pie email at November 7, 2007 6:16 PMSince Rabbi Sudan has received all kinds of emails and letters thanking her for her nice invitation to the "so called women priests" maybe we should write her a few emails ourselves and let her know exactly how we feel about this rabbi involving herself in what is an internal Catholic issue. There would be all type of outrage if we ever did something like this to a Jewish community. But I think the previous blogger is right: most of our Jewish friends would just admit this is just one reason why Jews should not have women rabbis.
Posted by DJP email at November 7, 2007 8:39 PMThree words: "Oh, my God!" And not to be taking God's name in vain---use it as a prayer said over and over and over and ........especially when an item such as this shows up.
Catholic priestesses, Womynpriests, etc. etc., indeed
Posted by Trad Tom email at November 7, 2007 8:42 PMArchbishop Burke is probably drawing up the formal excommunications as we speak, er, type. Maybe Bishop Bruskewitz can give him a shoulder to cry on - he's been through a few tough times himself. It seems that Our Lord give those Bishops who are the most openly orthodox the greatest tests of fortitude.
In the end, it is a sad day for all.
Posted by RichR email at November 7, 2007 9:30 PMThere will be (and, indeed, there can be) no ordination. There is no valid minister (in this case), and there is no valid matter (to be valid, the ordinands must be men) to be ordained. So let's call it what it is; a few people who are purposely cutting themselves off from the Catholic Church for whatever reason they deem worthy.
I think we should treat this instance (and similar ones) with much less attention. It's important to realize people are doing these things, but it's also important to not give these people the attention they're getting.
Posted by Jeff Geerling email at November 7, 2007 10:08 PMSadly, Archbishop Burke already has had to deal w/this. There was another couple of women who were "ordained" at the same synagogue I believe a month ago. I'm actually somewhat surprised that the news here in St. Louis was quiet about that one and all over this story. Go figure.
Posted by CT email at November 10, 2007 5:44 PMRabbi Susan believes that Catholics worldiwde support her decision. Send her an email and let her know just how you really feel.
Send it to Susan@centralreform.org.
Posted by DJP email at November 10, 2007 7:50 PM