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Cardinal Rigali Responds To Invalid Ordination
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| Cardinal Justin Rigali responded in an open letter to an invalid ordination that tried to make two women Catholic priests. (Rob Reed/The Bulletin) |
Cardinal Says The Two Women Excommunicated Themselves
By JOHN P. CONNOLLY, The Bulletin
An invalid ordination that tried to make two women Catholic priests has spurred a strong reaction from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in the form of an open letter from Cardinal Justin Rigali.
The ordination ceremony, which took place on Sunday with a bishop from a group called Roman Catholic Womenpriests (RCWP), took place at a Christian chapel inside Congregation Mishkan Shalom, a Reconstructionist Jewish synagogue in Philadelphia. It was the first such invalid ordination of women to occur in the Philadelphia archdiocese.
“It is most unfortunate that this pseudo-ordination has occurred within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia,” said Cardinal Rigali. “I am concerned pastorally for the souls of those involved and for the Catholic faithful who may be confused. Those who present themselves for ordination at such an invalid ceremony — as well as those who falsely claim to be ordaining the women — are, by their actions, automatically excommunicated from the Church.”
While a push to ordain women has subsided since its height years ago, it is still a goal for some feminists in various countries. The Catholic Church has closed the book on any discussions about women joining the priesthood, saying the Church lacks the power to change the matter. Cardinal Rigali said that the reason for this is that the Church draws on scripture and sacred tradition, two sources that are not negotiable.
“Both clearly indicate that Jesus called only men to follow him as apostles, and the Church has always regarded his choice in this matter as normative for all time,” said Cardinal Rigali. “Therefore, she has always followed Jesus’ example by choosing only men for the ministry of Holy Orders. This teaching has been confirmed by the supreme authority of the Catholic Church as definitive and irreformable. Consequently, the Church is not authorized by Christ to confer holy orders upon women, and cannot do so, no matter how ardent a person’s desire may be.”
The cardinal highlighted the fact that no matter how men or women are called to serve the Church, they do so out of giving, not for the sake of self-gratification.
“God’s gifts … are never given to individuals merely for their own fulfillment,” he said, “but for the unfolding of his plan of salvation in the Church for the benefit of the whole community of the faithful, and no one’s true personal dignity in the Church can be fostered in opposition to the will of Christ Himself. Consequently, such a pseudo-ordination ceremony denigrates the truth entrusted to the Church by Christ himself, and demonstrates a complete misunderstanding of the respect and dignity accorded to women by Christ and His Church.”
A request for comment from RCWP was not returned before press time.
John P. Connolly can be reached at jconnolly@thebulletin.us
The ordination ceremony, which took place on Sunday with a bishop from a group called Roman Catholic Womenpriests (RCWP), took place at a Christian chapel inside Congregation Mishkan Shalom, a Reconstructionist Jewish synagogue in Philadelphia. It was the first such invalid ordination of women to occur in the Philadelphia archdiocese.
“It is most unfortunate that this pseudo-ordination has occurred within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia,” said Cardinal Rigali. “I am concerned pastorally for the souls of those involved and for the Catholic faithful who may be confused. Those who present themselves for ordination at such an invalid ceremony — as well as those who falsely claim to be ordaining the women — are, by their actions, automatically excommunicated from the Church.”
While a push to ordain women has subsided since its height years ago, it is still a goal for some feminists in various countries. The Catholic Church has closed the book on any discussions about women joining the priesthood, saying the Church lacks the power to change the matter. Cardinal Rigali said that the reason for this is that the Church draws on scripture and sacred tradition, two sources that are not negotiable.
“Both clearly indicate that Jesus called only men to follow him as apostles, and the Church has always regarded his choice in this matter as normative for all time,” said Cardinal Rigali. “Therefore, she has always followed Jesus’ example by choosing only men for the ministry of Holy Orders. This teaching has been confirmed by the supreme authority of the Catholic Church as definitive and irreformable. Consequently, the Church is not authorized by Christ to confer holy orders upon women, and cannot do so, no matter how ardent a person’s desire may be.”
The cardinal highlighted the fact that no matter how men or women are called to serve the Church, they do so out of giving, not for the sake of self-gratification.
“God’s gifts … are never given to individuals merely for their own fulfillment,” he said, “but for the unfolding of his plan of salvation in the Church for the benefit of the whole community of the faithful, and no one’s true personal dignity in the Church can be fostered in opposition to the will of Christ Himself. Consequently, such a pseudo-ordination ceremony denigrates the truth entrusted to the Church by Christ himself, and demonstrates a complete misunderstanding of the respect and dignity accorded to women by Christ and His Church.”
A request for comment from RCWP was not returned before press time.
John P. Connolly can be reached at jconnolly@thebulletin.us
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