FutureChurch
Statement on Canonical Warning Issued to Fr. Roy Bourgeois
FutureChurch deeply
regrets the recent canonical warning from the leadership of the Maryknoll
Fathers and Brothers threatening to dismiss Fr. Roy Bourgeois because of his
support for womenÕs ordination to the priesthood.
While FutureChurch works
within the current structures of Catholicism, we respect the leading of the
Spirit and primacy of conscience of women seeking to obey their priestly call
outside the present canons of the Church. Likewise, we respect the consciences
of faithful priests, such as Fr. Roy Bourgeois, who support them.
Requiring someone to
violate his or her conscience by ÒrecantingÓ a well-thought-out and firmly held
belief creates an impossible dilemma. To recant because of a threat would be a
shameful--perhaps sinful--act, but to give up a position in which a person such
as Fr. Roy has accomplished much good and expects to be able to continue to do
so, is a terrible price to pay.
Is there no place in the
Roman Catholic Church for respect for conscience? Will the lesson from
the treatment of Galileo never be learned?
In the early Church the
function of leadership was to bear witness to the action of God in the
community and make decisions based on what the Spirit of God was doing within
the people of God.[1] In the same
way, we call on contemporary Catholic leaders to make decisions based on
discernment of GodÕs action in the Church.
We renew our call for a
moratorium on the imposition of church sanctions, including the penalty of
excommunication, on those witnessing to their experience of the action of God
with regard to womenÕs ordination.
We strongly urge Church
leaders to enter into dialogue with women who experience a priestly call, as
well as with those priests and other members of the Catholic Church who support
them.
We ask for widespread
discussion of restoring women to the diaconate and further study, discussion
and prayer about Church teaching on the non-ordination of women, especially in
light of the 1976 statement from the Pontifical Biblical Commission that found
nothing in Scripture to prohibit womenÕs ordination.
3/31/2011
[1] Acts 15 shows Peter
behaving not as a judge but as a witness to the gifts the Holy Spirit had
already poured out on the Gentiles even before they had been baptized. Paul and
Barnabas witnessed to the action of God leading Gentile communities to Christ
throughout the Hellenist world. The action of God to which they witnessed, led
both leaders and the baptized to decide that new converts did not need to be
circumcised before becoming Christian.
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