Letters

Women priests

Francis Vrizmoed

Contents - Aug 2012 - Buy a copy now Assumption homily: Mary: The true Ark of the Covenant - Pope Benedict XVI Benedict XVI sets up Anglican Ordinariate for Australia - Monsignor Harry Entwistle News: The Church Around the World Youth: Young adult Catholics peer ministry in WA and Queensland - Br Barry Coldrey Religious freedom: US Supreme Court upholds Obamacare - Babette Francis Vocations: Australian religious Sisters: 'In the true spirit of Vatican II' - Kate Cleary MGL Events: Equipping Christian leaders for the challenges of secularism - Philippa Le Feuvre Marriage: Archbishop Hickey: the Eucharist and the Christian family - Archbishop Barry Hickey The Virgin Mary's key role in our salvation history - Cedric Wright Parents' love for their children: finding the right balance - Andrew Kania Letters: Fact-filled article - Thomas and Patricia Watkin Letters: Caritas - Lance Eccles Letters: Old Testament God (1) - Fr Brian Harrison OS Letters: Old Testament God (2) - Frank Mobbs Letters: Emily's List - Maureen Federico Letters: Transubstantiation - John Young Letters: Real Presence - Theo Jorna Letters: Women priests - Francis Vrizmoed Letters: Marriage - Peter J. Young Books: LESSONS IN A ROSE-GARDEN: Reviving the Doctrinal Rosary, by Aidan Nichols O.P. - Peter Westmore (reviewer) Books: THE NEW EVANGELISATION: Issues and Challenges for Catholic Schools - Br Barry Coldrey (reviewer) Books: HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL IN THE PRIESTLY BREAST: Procedural Justice - Michael Thomas (reviewer) Books: Order books from www.freedompublishing.com.au Reflection: The Pietà: the love of our heavenly Mother - Anne Lastman

According a survey conducted in February 2012 by the Irish radio station, News Talk, 70% of Irish priests favoured the ordination of women.

As Ireland is known as a country with an age-old solid Catholic culture, the conclusion of this survey could be that the overall proportion of Catholic priests favouring women's ordination would be roughly be the same (70%), if not higher.

Such a situation is shocking, given that the question of women priests concerns sacramental theology and is therefore not a matter of discipline like clerical celibacy.

Catholics holding such a view are in effect claiming that the Catholic Church is no longer the one true Church of Christ, since it has, from the very beginning, refused to administer one of the seven sacraments to half the population of Catholic faithful.

Since Pope John Paul II made clear in his apostolic letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis that a male-only priesthood was definitive Church teaching and not open to debate, any Catholic, priest or lay person, who holds this view is no longer a Church member in good standing.

FRANCIS VRIZMOED
Yuen Long, NT,
Hong Kong, China

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 25 No 7 (August 2012), p. 16