Letters

Holy Orders (letter)

Francis Vrijmoed

Contents - Jun 2003 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Three Feasts: Ascension, Pentecost, Trinity - Peter Westmore Liturgy: John Paul's new encyclical on the Eucharist targets liturgical abuses - Michael Gilchrist AD2000 staff members awarded federation Centenary Medals - AD2000 News: The Church Around the World - AD2000 Interview: Vatican II and the liturgy, 40 years later - Zenit News Service Events: Corpus Christi Procession - Brisbane, 22 June 2003 The environment: rediscovering the balanced Catholic perspective - Michael Casanova Laity: The role of lay Catholics in a time of crisis - Mary Ann Glendon Those dreadful old Catholic hymns? - Fr Fabian Duggan OSB The seal of confession: how a priest put his life on the line - Clem Lack Letters: Eucharistic encyclical and the priesthood (letter) - John Kelly Letters: Requirements fulfilled (letter) - John Young Letters: Four conditions (letter) - Fr G.H. Duggan SM Letters: Holy Orders (letter) - Francis Vrijmoed Letters: Brisbane Synod (letter) - Alistair Barros Letters: Catechetics (letter) Letters: Teilhard de Chardin (letter) - Grahame Fallon Letters: Latin Mass (letter) - Philip Robinson Letters: Death by 'nice blokes' (letter) - Lisa-Maree Letters: Abortion (letter) - Betty Griffin Letters: Prayer to Our Lady of Good Counsel (letter) - Marie E. Curtin Books: Culture and the Thomist Tradition : After Vatican II, by Tracey Rowland - Fr Peter Joseph STD (reviewer) Books: From Physics to Metaphysics, by Fr Francis J. Selman - Michael Casanova Books: The Story of Christianity : 2000 Years of Faith - Anthony Cappello (reviewer) Books: Family in the Bible, edited by Richard H. Hess and M. Danial Carroll - Bill Muehlenberg (reviewer) Books: Our books are the cheapest! Reflection: Church scandals: focus on the message, not just the messengers - Fr Kevin Brannelly

I would like to comment on the letter "Infallible" by Fr John Crothers PP in which he observes that John Paul II's statement on women's ordination, Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, has never been proclaimed as an infallible statement by the Holy Father.

As every Catholic is bound to obey any official teaching of the Catholic Church, may I ask what difference it would make for a Catholic whether it had been proclaimed infallibly or not?

The answer is none, according to article 752 of the Church's Canon Law, which reads: "While the assent of faith is not required, a religious submission of intellect and will is to be given to any doctrine which either the Supreme Pontiff or the College of Bishops, exercising their authentic magisterium, declare upon a matter of faith or morals, even though they do not intend to proclaim that doctrine by definitive act, Christ's faithful are therefore to ensure that they avoid whatever does not accord with that doctrine."

In this connection it may be appropriate to keep in mind that the decision of the Catholic Church not to allow married priests (for the Latin Rite Church) and not to ordain women are two completely different issues. Allowing a married priesthood is a matter of changing Canon Law which the Church has authority to do.

The ordination of women touches the essence of the sacrament of Holy Orders, meaning it is a matter of sacramental theology, which the Church has no authority to change, even if she wanted to. This must be the reason why the Holy Father has forbidden Catholics to continue to discuss the issue of women's ordination.

FRANCIS VRIJMOED
Hong Kong, China

[Editor: There have been numerous other letters expressing similar sentiments to the above which could not be published, due to space constraints. We thank the writers of these letters for their contributions.]

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 16 No 5 (June 2003), p. 14