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Recent Comments

1. Good to see another priest following the example of Jesus rather than the dictates of an earthly hierarchy.

   Posted By: Rev. David Gray

2. David Gray: What church are you a Reverened in ?

   Posted By: Dan of Brisbane

3. Does anyone else think there is something wrong here?
   Cardinal Law and those of his ilk who moved abusing priests around are moved to the Vatican to take up residence - whilst Roy Bourgeois is removed from his priesthood.
   Which is the greatest crime?
   Obviously, even thinking that women should be ordained is a far graver crime than helping abusive priests escape justice.

   Posted By: Helen Oxenburgh-Lowe

4. Mary MacKillop was excommunicated too. Will history judge Roy Bourgeois differently?

   Posted By: Bill Brady

5. Really, Reverend? At which point did Jesus ordain a woman, and, as the Protestants love to ask, where does it say that in the Bible?

   Posted By: Adam Armstrong

6. I think it is outrageous that Father Roy should have been dismissed for a belief that is not fundamental to the creed of the church.
   This issue, in spite of the inexcusable statement of Benedict XVI that Pope John Paul II stated, infallibly, that the church has no authority to ordain women to the priesthood, no statement about the ordination of women has met the requirements of an infallible statement and, therefore, Father Roy has not dissented from any of the fundamental teachings of the magisterium.
   Father Roy's excommunication is a gross abuse of power.
   In these circumstances, the Pope has no authority to excommunicate Father Roy.

   Posted By: Bernard Edwards

7. Is this excommunication, dismissal and laicisation according to the Gospel principles or Vatican.
   How can we call Vatican rules Holy or should it sprang up like Ireland case.
   If a doctor, teacher, lawyer, then how can a priest who is ordained [sacrament(irreversible), priest for ever Hebrew 5:6] can become Mr.from Fr.
   I think this is inhuman action.
   Vatican and the congregation is following human laws and not Divine law of the Gospel forgiving seventy time seven.
   For me, Fr Roy Bourgeois is a priest and I will love, honor and respect him always as a priest.

   Posted By: Rev.Fr.Robin Mantode

8. After 45 years of faithful and loving service to the church, Father Roy should never have been dismissed!
   To my knowledge, no Bishops or Priests have been dismised in Europe for openly discussing this issue of justice for women in our Church!
   The US Bishops have lost their case and influence in the recent presidential elections.
   It appears they now have to find other ways to show their authority!

   Posted By: Peter M

9. Adam Armstrong: There is no Biblical evidence that Jesus didn't ordain a woman.
   Proof texting is not an entirely Protestant preserve; it is just that most Protestants are more biblically literate than the average traditional Catholic.

   Posted By: JR,Sydney

10. In Catholic sacramental theology, the priest stands in personae Christae during transubstantiation.
    Fr roy should know better than supporting female ordination.
    A male is required to transubstantiate the host.

    Posted By: Bob Burke

11. Bob Burke: Your assertion is based entirely on tradition.
    Tradition also has it it that transubstantiation is not possible if a man is a eunuch or has a deformity of his hands, and until recent times, a man born out of wedlock could not be accepted for priestly training, presumably because he could not possibly preside during transubstantiation.

    Posted By: JR,Sydney

12. I readily agree that Father Roy Bourgeois of the Maryknoll Missionaries has technicaully disobeyed Canon Law, and according to the above statement the American Bishops Conference and so on, this is sad.
    But I see so much good in that priest and his Sacramental Seal of the Priesthood, will go with him from this earth to Eternity.
    I would rather face Jesus any day!
    He always spoke up for the poor and the powerless, he inspires me. I will pray for him and all our other priests. He is in good company two of our own great and brave Bishops have been sidelined the very mention of women seems to scare our leaders witless.
    What I ask is the reason for Bernard Cardinal Law's elevation from Boston where he had to resign because of the tragic sexual abuse scandals rampant in his Diocese, to the Vatican?

    Posted By: Margaret M. Coffey

13. Bill Brady: Yep.

    Posted By: Paul Keen

14. We Catholics certainly have strange priorities - ten posts to this site concerning the rights or wrongs or almost horrors, of ordaining women, yet yesterday a plea from Fr Carty about the inhumane conditions for asylum seekers on Nauru only brought forth two responses.
    Perhaps a caring woman could remind us of some aspects of the gospels, such as someone saying ;when I was naked you clothed me, when I was hungry you fed me'...
    Seems we are a bit unfamiliar with that bloke Matthew and his message.

    Posted By: Greg

15. Adam Armstrong: Where did Jesus ordain anyone?

    Posted By: Francis

16. JR: None of those things are part of the Tradition.

    Posted By: David Kennedy

17. JR said: 'There is no Biblical evidence that Jesus didn't ordain a woman.'
    There's no Biblical evidence he didn't converse with Martians either.
    

    Posted By: David Kennedy

18. David Kennedy: Paul refers to a female as being notable in the ranks of the the apostles ( Romans 16:7).
    Women disciples, apostles, prophets are part of the Tradition.

    Posted By: Francis

19. I'd probably agree with you on that one, JR, but you've missed the point. If there is nothing to say that Jesus did ordain women, and since the Rev. would appear to be a Protestant Minister, how does that fit in with the Protestant mantra of Sola Scriptura?
    In other words, if the Bible doesn't say so, it didn't happen.

    Posted By: Adam Armstrong

20. Francis: At the Last Supper. This is affirmed by Pope John Paul II.

    Posted By: Adam Armstrong

21. Francis: The passage you refer to doesn't even make it clear whether Andronicus and Junia were 'amongst' apostles, or whether they were 'prominent (i.e. highly regarded) amongst' the apostles.
    Most translations have used the latter interpretation.
    For the women priests argument to have any real legs, you'd need historical evidence of a Christian community led by a woman bishop ('bishop' as defined by Ignatius of Antioch) in the apostolic age are soon thereafter. That evidence doesn't exist, because it never happened. And never will.

    Posted By: David Kennedy

22. Adam: Just where at the Last Supper is there any reference to Jesus ordaining anyone.
    If ordination were part of his thinking then we would expect some reference to it.
    The argument from silence is aslways dangerous.

    Posted By: Francis

23. David Kennedy: The Douay-Rheims RC Bible says that Andronicus and Junia 'are of note among the apostles' but C K Barrett argues that the translation 'who are notable in the ranks of the apostles' is much more probable than 'well known to the apostles' or 'are of note among the apostles'.
    It is well known that there were apostles other than the 12 chosen by Jesus.
    You state that most translations use the interpretation favoured by you. Which translations are you referring to?

    Posted By: Francis

24. Great to see the Vatican acting so swiftly against these dissidents.
    I am not disputing that Roy Bourgeois is a good person, however you can't call yourself a Catholic priest and support female ordinations to the priesthood.
    God intended the sexes to have different roles in life.
    Let's keep his will alive in the Roman Catholic Church.

    Posted By: David Rabe

25. Francisa: Fortunately we do not have to rely on silence.
    In the Gospels, we see Christ instituting the Sacrament, and then commanding the 12 Apostles to 'Do this in Memory of Me.'
    None of what I am saying should be new or controversial. This is standard Catholic Doctrine 101.
    You should also note that the Church recognises Apostolic Tradition as a genuine source of Divine Revelation, as well as the Holy Bible. The Bible itself says that not everything Jesus said is written in Scripture, and that all the books in the world would not be able to contain all of His works.

    Posted By: Adam Armstrong

26. Adam: Where at the Last Supper did Jesus ordain anyone?
    Please give us the Scriptural references. Nice try quoting John but it adds absolutely nothing to the poor exegesis that the Last Supper was some sort of ordination ceremony.
    Strange that something so important is kept so silent. Also, note that nowhere in the NT is any person in the NT, other than Jesus, referred to as being a priest.

    Posted By: Francis

27. David: Interesting that a priest gets sacked for supporting women priests but a convicted bishop in the USA who supported a priest child abuser does not even get a reprimand.

    Posted By: Francis

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