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1. There is a measure of hope in this report, some inkling of common sense. However the comment re women priests disappoints.
   What,in God's name (phrase used deliberately), are the theological problems with women being priests?

   Posted By: mjf

2. Once again a bishop somwewhere has raised the issue of how to increase the supply of priests to ensure that, essentially, the people of God can have eucharist.
   The argument remains the same: ordain married men (because the Church can change its rules); don't ordain women(because there are theological problems).
   One wonders who wrote the theology and who wrote the rules? Probably the same kind of people.
   When we return to scriptures, we see that 'God created them male and female, in God's image'.
   Here is the fundamental theolgical touchstone from which all later theologizing stems. When we come to the theology about Christ as the second person of the Trinity and the Son of God, matters did indeed become complicated.
   Add to that our theology about eucharist and priesthood, and we have the seeds of the present day problems about who to ordain to keep up the number of priests required.
   Our Anglican brothers and sisters have ordained women priests but it is debatable as to whether it has overcome the supply and demand problem.
   Perhaps the problems Bishop Bonny alludes to, are deeper than proposals to ordain married men or women as priests.
   If they are theological problems as he says, then maybe we should look again at how we have understood God, the basis of all theology.

   Posted By: Garry

3. Good on this man for his thinking out of the square and wanting to bring more richness and experience to the ministry and pastoral service of priesthood.
   We here in Australia could do well to be as open as this man. It would go some way in solving the position we find ourselves in here with regard to shortage of priests.
   People from our own background, society and country would be so much more effective than going outside and bringing in priests from other countries who are in a very different environment and space in regard to out developing Australian Catholic Church.

   Posted By: HD

4. I think this is an excellent idea as so many of our priests who have left to be married still have a vocation and are working in fields that minister to the people.
   I wonder if the Holy Spirirt is trying to get a message through to the heirarchy, and they are not listening.

   Posted By: Marie A Dwyer

5. I wonder if Bishop Bonny will be instructed by the Vatican to go to a monastery for 6 months to align his thinking with the magisterium, as has just happened to the Irish priest, Fr Flannery, who raised similar issues in his Order's magazine.

   Posted By: conor bradley

6. Given that we have married male clergy in our Catholic Eastern rites, and now, married male Anglican clergy who have come across to Catholicism and are able to function as Catholic priests, it makes no sense at all to continue the 'celibacy in the unmarried state' rule for prieshood at least for the diocesesan (secular) priesthood.
   The orders would need to rethink things but I'm sure it could be accomodated.
   I agree with mjf's implication that there are no theological reasons for witholding ordination from women to the priesthood and I suggest the episcopate as well.
   It's time for the Church to get on with it!

   Posted By: Christopher McElhinney

7. The recent survey in Ireland that found the majority of Catholics do not follow Church rules on issues such as married clergy, the ordination of woman and same-sex relationships (it found, in fact, that more and more Catholics make up their own minds on such issues).
   That should serve as a warning to the magisterium that it doesn't have the power it once did, has lost much if its authority, and will never again be able to impose rules which go against the individual conscience.

   Posted By: Jeff KETTERING TAS 7155

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