On the one hand, we read reports of the Pope’s compassionate, non-judgmental response to questions about gay priests and gay marriage. On the other hand, we read that Fr Flannery had been silenced and banned from saying Mass, albeit by the machinations that the Pope himself seeks to reform.
A few weeks ago I addressed a gathering of the CWO, the Catholic Womens Ordination movement in London. I think it could accurately be said that, as far as the official Church is concerned, these people are the untouchables of today. We are not supposed to engage in conversation with them, since even talking about the topic that their movement promotes is forbidden.
The group I met with on that Saturday afternoon were about as far removed from being a dangerous body of people as you could imagine.
This is such a wonderful letter, containing so much common sense, that I could not resist putting it up on my own site. If only the Church authorities could engage seriously with the questions John is raising we would all be in a more healthy place in our Church.
The Beginning of Lent, 2014
Dear Cardinal O’Malley,
I am writing to you and to all the ordinaries of the dioceses in the United States to ask you and your fellow bishops in your role as teachers to provide a clear and credible theological explanation of why women are not being ordained to the priesthood in the Catholic Church.
