FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 15, 2010
Contact:
Erin Saiz Hanna, 202-675-1006 or ehanna@womensordination.org
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Statement
from the Women's Ordination Conference on the Vatican's New Classification of
Women's Ordination as Most Serious Church Crime
Today, Women's Ordination Conference
(WOC) Executive Director Erin Saiz Hanna made the following statement in
response to the Vatican's announcement that priests who sexually abuse minors,
view child pornography, or sexually abuse mentally disabled adults, along
with those who ordain women or women who attempt to be ordained, will now
be included among the list of "delicta gravioria," or the most
serious crimes against church law. The ordination of women is now
classified as a "crime against the sacraments," which includes any
action that defiles or desecrates the Eucharist. Washington, DC - "The Vatican's decision list women's ordination in
the same category as pedophiles and rapists is appalling, offensive, and a
wake-up call for all Catholics around the world. This new canonical
declaration which names women's ordination as a serious crime against the Roman
Catholic Church is medieval at best. The idea that a woman seeking to
spread the message of God somehow "defiles" the Eucharist reveals an
antiquated, backwards Church that still views women as "unclean" and
unholy. It is clear this recent decision was made out of fear of our growing numbers.
The Vatican is using this attempt to extinguish the widespread call for women's
equality in the church. In a statement published on May 29, 2008 in
L'Observatorio Romano, the Vatican's official newspaper, all women who
"attempt ordination" and the bishops who ordain them are
automatically excommunicated, known as latae sententiae. Adding delicta
gravioria as a scare tactic to already "excommunicated" women and
the priest who support us is ridiculous and does not make a bit of difference. Excommunication did not work, and neither will this. In the face of one closed door after
another, Catholic women will continue to make a way when there is none. We will
continue to speak out. And women will continue to prophetically answer their
call to priestly ordination with or without the Vatican's approval. Furthermore, we are extremely disheartened that the Vatican did not
appropriately use this opportunity to meaningfully address the handling of
sexual predators in its ranks. While some strides were made in this revision of
the 2001 sexual abuse policy, it does not go far enough. We are calling on our
members to take action: express their concern and call for real accountability
by demanding that the hierarchy release the names of all accused Catholic
leaders; reach out to survivors and take steps to make sure children are
protected now; and, discontinue all financial contributions that benefit the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops."
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Founded in 1975, the Women's Ordination Conference is the oldest and largest
organization that works to ordain women as priests, deacons and bishops into an
inclusive and accountable Catholic church. WOC represents the 63 percent
of US Catholics, and millions of Catholics worldwide, who support women's
ordination. WOC also promotes new perspectives on ordination that call for more
accountability and less separation between the clergy and laity. In 1976, the Pontifical Biblical Commission concluded that there is no valid
scriptural reason for denying ordination to women. However, the Vatican ignored
this finding and in 1994, Pope John Paul II officially forbade discussion of
women's ordination. People have been fired from their jobs in Catholic
institutions simply for discussing the issue.
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