POPE FRANCIS -- PRIESTHOOD IS A CALL TO SERVICE AND WOMEN ARE CALLED Nov. 27, 2013

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WOMEN'S ORDINATION WORLDWIDE (WOW)

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate International Release

November 27, 2013

Contact:

 

WOW: POPE FRANCIS -- PRIESTHOOD IS A CALL TO SERVICE AND WOMEN ARE CALLED

 

In his first Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium Pope Francis explicitly challenges global leaders to act against poverty and inequality. While Women’s Ordination Worldwide (WOW) applauds this message as a breath of fresh air, we are troubled by the document’s context on women and equation of priesthood with pursuit of power.

 

As Francis knows from personal experience, a call to priesthood is a call from God to a vocation of service. Like Mary who freely gave her yes to God to bear Christ for the world, women who are called to priesthood yearn to respond with a yes to sacramental ministry to the people of our Church.

 

Pope Francis points out that the Church should not be afraid to re-examine customs – even those with deep historical roots – when they no longer serve as a means of communicating the Gospel. A male only priesthood does not communicate Gospel. It jars against the message that there is neither male nor female in Christ. It jars against the proof of women's leadership in the early Church.

 

Fitting it is then that as we enter season of Advent we ponder: 2,000 years ago, the question was asked: ‘How can it be that God would choose a peasant girl -- Mary-- to bring the Christ child into the world?’And later on, 'how can it be that Jesus would choose a woman –Mary Magdalene -- to preach the Good News of resurrection to the Apostles?' Among today’s Vatican leadership, the same sort of question persists: ‘How can it be that God would choose women to sacramentally bring Christ to the world?’

 

As Mary knew, with God all things are possible. We pray for our Pope, we pray for our Church, we pray that the will of God be done. Be not afraid, Pope Francis. The Gospel calls.

 

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Women’s Ordination Worldwide (WOW): Founded in 1996, WOW is an international network of groups whose current mission is the inclusion of Roman Catholic women in all ordained ministries. Founded on the principle of equality, WOW opposes all discrimination. ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, there no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.’(Galatians 3:28)

WOW currently includes representatives from Australia, Bangladesh,Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Malta,Poland, and the United States.

NO WOMEN PRIESTS? WOW RESPONDS TO POPE FRANCIS - July 13, 2013

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July 30, 2013

Contact: 

  • Miriam Duignan, WOW Leadership Circle (United Kingdom) t: 011.44.1923.77946; e: m_duignan@hotmail.com

  • Therese Koturbash, WOW Communications Coordinator (Canada) t: 001.204.648.5720: e: t.m.koturbash@gmail.com

  • Alicja Baranowska, WOW Communications Task Force (Belgium + Poland) e: alicja.baranowska@wp.pl

'No Women Priests?' WOW Responds to Pope Francis 

On the question of 'women', WOW is alarmed by remarks made by Pope Francis during an interview with international journalists at the end of World Youth Days 2013. While saying that our Church ‘doesn't yet have a truly deep theology of women’, he also said that, on the question of the ordination of women, ‘the church has spoken and said no. John Paul II, in a definitive formulation, said that door is closed.'

The church has spoken? We remind Pope Francis that the church is made up of millions of women and men who have been officially forbidden by the Vatican from even discussing the question of women's ordination. Pope John Paul II may have spoken but he is not the Church. The ban on women priests may have been a definitive expression of prejudice but it was not an infallible ruling and it does not reflect the will or best interests of the people of the Church.

Pope Francis recently called for an elimination of all forms of elitism and said that dialogue is the only way for individuals, families and societies to grow. Yet in trying to close down the question of women’s ordination, Vatican leadership demonstrates how it clings to an elitist vision of an elevated and exclusively male priesthood that stifles growth. In the refusal to dialogue, we are also witnessing a leadership fearful of open examination of the exclusion of women due to the shameful fact that it is based on sexism alone.

No truly deep theology of women in the Church? Pope Francis himself has recognised that ‘women have a special mission in the Church as first witnesses of Christ's  esurrection’ and there are hundreds of documents and studies available on women’s’ active involvement in the Church since the very beginning. We encourage Pope Francis to open his eyes to the plentiful theology available rather than focusing his energy on trying to limit women to non speaking support roles.

No women priests? Perhaps, Pope Francis, it is time to show some more courage. It is long since past time that the Vatican officially opens wide the doors to genuine dialogue on the question of women's ordination in our Church.

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Founded in 1996, Women's Ordination Worldwide(WOW) is an international network of groups whose current mission is to see Catholic women admitted to all ordained ministries in the Church. WOW is founded on the gospel principle of equality and therefore opposes any discrimination. 'There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no long male and female for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28) WOW currently includes representatives from Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, France, Germany Great Britain, Ireland, Malta, Poland, and the United States.

Timeline of Work for Women’s Ordination

 

 

WOW RESPONDS TO ELECTION OF POPE FRANCIS - March 13, 2013

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WOMEN'S ORDINATION WORLDWIDE PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

WOW RESPONDS TO ELECTION OF POPE FRANCIS

March 13, 2013

Contact:

• Erin Saiz Hanna - Women’s Ordination Conference (USA): 001.401.588.0457
• Miriam Duignan –womenpriests.org (UK/ International): 011.44.1923.779446
• Therese Koturbash – WOW Communications (Canada): 001.204.622.7000

Women's Ordination Worldwide congratulates Pope Francis on his election as pope. 

We take hope from the fact that he is a leader who takes seriously his sense of solidarity with the poor and marginalized. Our prayer is that during his papacy, he will extend that compassion for the marginalized to women in the Church.
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Founded in 1996, Women's Ordination Worldwide (WOW) is an international network of groups whose current mission is to see Catholic women admitted to all ordained ministries in the Church. WOW is founded on the gospel principle of equality and therefore opposes any discrimination. 'There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no long male and female for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).www.womensordinationcampaign.org

WOW currently includes representatives from Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, France, Germany Great Britain, Ireland, Malta, Poland, and the United States.
WOW on the web:
womensordinationworldwide.org
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Timeline of Work for Women’s Ordination

WOW SUPPORTS AUSTRALIA'S BISHOP WILLIAM MORRIS - May 25, 2011

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WOW SUPPORTS AUSTRALIA'S BISHOP WILLIAM MORRIS - May 25, 2011

Women’s Ordination Worldwide (WOW) is gravely disheartened to learn that the Vatican has forced Australia’s Bishop Wm. Morris into early retirement because of his suggestion to open dialogue about women’s ordination. Morris’s pastorally sensitive suggestion was made out of his concern for growing numbers of Catholics being deprived of the Eucharist due to priest shortages.

 

 

 

 

 

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