Disobedient Women Religious (Nuns)

"The traditional liturgical forms of the Church prohibit women (young girls, married, religious) from serving* the priest at the altar, even in women's chapels, houses, convents, schools and institutions. In accordance with the rules governing this matter, women may (a) Proclaim the scripture readings, with the exception of the Gospel, (b) Offer the intentions for the Prayer of the Faithful, (c) Lead the congregation's singing, play the organ or other approved instruments, (d) Give explanatory comments to help people understand the services and (e) Fulfill other services, as ushers and collecting offerings" (LITURGIAE INSTAURATIONED, 9/5/70).

*This refers to acting as an acolyte (altar girl), not to serving communion to the people .

In spite of these prohibitions, many progressive priests have allowed women to function as not officially allowed.

From APOSTOLIC LETTER MULIERIS DIGNITATEM, John Paul II, This letter, `On the Dignity and Vocation of Women' defines motherhood and virginity as the major vocations of women.

The Apostolic Letter ORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS, May 22, 1994 reserves priestly ordination to men alone.

CATHOLIC JOURNALS

Letter in CATHOLIC PICTORIAL, 11/15/92, page 21. "Massing Priests.

"...Most Anglicans see their clergy as `Ministers of the Gospel', a ministry that is open to male and female alike, whereas the Catholic priest is ordained as a `Massing Priest' to celebrate the continued renewal of Christ's Sacrifice on Calvary...What the Church teaches (a woman) cannot do is to act as alter Christus to renew the Sacrifice which was offered for our redemption by Him who is both God and man."

From THE WANDERER, 6/16/94. An interview with Jose Cardinal Sanchez, prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Clergy.

Q: In several key archdioceses there is a concerted effort to train and appoint women as "pastoral administrators." How do you see this?

A: Whatever functions people who are not ordained can do, they cannot perform actions capable of giving grace. The word "pastoral" is reserved for the ordained. To put unordained people in charge of parishes is a little risky. This will not remedy the shortage of priests, but will actually limit the number of men interested in the priesthood...To build the supernatural life, you need priests.

Q: In Rochester, NY one woman was actually given a "vesting ceremony" at which she was presented with an alb which she now wears while concelebrating Mass.

A: This is a complete and total abuse...The bishop should not allow this to happen.

From THE WANDERER, 12/7/96. The ordination of male priests is part of the "constant and universal tradition of the Church"; this is the gist of an official declaration issued on Nov. 18th by the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, headed by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. . . . This declaration, endorsed by Pope John Paul II himself, further specifies that women can never become priests in the Catholic Church because doing so would violate the irrevocable and infallible doctrine of the Catholic faith.

From THE RECORD, Louisville, KY, 1/25/98. "Woman disrupts Lexington ordination. As Charles Howell presented himself to Bishop Kendrick Williams of Lexington, Ky., for ordination to the priesthood, a woman joined him, asking the bishop to ordain her too.

"When Bishop Williams called Howell forward to be ordained Jan. 17 in Lexington's Cathedral of Christ the King, Janice Sevre-Dunszynska followed him into the sanctuary.

"`I am called by the Holy Spirit to present myself for ordination. My name is Janice. I ask this for myself and all women,' she said.

"Wearing a white alb and carrying a lily, Sevre-Dunszynska, 48, prostrated herself on the sanctuary floor.

"The bishop explained that he could not ordain her . . .

"`I understand your difficulty and that you feel you are called,' Bishop Williams told her. "I feel your pain and pray to God for women like you.' . . .

"Later in the Mass as the priests in attendance filed up to lay hands on the newly ordained Father Howell as part of the rite, Sevre-Dunszynska joined the queue but was intercepted by the cathedral rector, Father Gregory Schuler . . .

"When the last priest had imposed hands on him, Father Schuler brought Sevre-Dunszynska forward to exchange a sign of peace with the new priest.

"During the Mass at the sign of peace, Bishop Williams walked to Sevre-Dunszynska's seat and embraced her. . ."

SECULAR JOURNALS

From DAILY OLYMPIAN, 1/21/70. "The Brides of Christ Are Having Trouble With In-Laws In Church

Roman Catholicism's nuns in the United States, once the silent and submissive symbols of Church stability, are now leaving at a startling rate.

"Although their reasons for leaving vary, the dominant new fact is that nuns are in the midst of a female rebellion - no longer willing to be told by male religious authorities how to live their lives to the last detail.

"Believing that their struggle is getting them nowhere, many give up in sheer exasperation and drop out...

"The ranks fell last year from 176,000 to 167,000. The loss of 9,000 was more than double the decline in 1968, when 4,000 left.

"`You just cannot have a man sitting in the chancery office telling you that you must all be in bed at 10 p.m.,' remarked a sister...`We cannot stand this intrusion...We have...pastors who try to run the school but are not educated and don't know beans about education....'

"The Rev. Johannes Neumann...an advocate of more freedom for nuns...(said), `They still are refused real responsibilities. As a result and to a growing extent, educated Catholic women are beginning to be alienated from the Church because they do not find themselves taken seriously.'"

From ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL, 10/11/1986, page 6, Section A. "Church Downplays Women's Role, Survey Shows.

"Catholic parishes could not function without the constant participation of women, but women are getting little official recognition of their participation, said Mary Mascarenas and Pauline Antoine.

"The two women have conducted several of a series of Catholic women's hearings being held around the state.

"`Women have always seemed to be second class citizens in the Catholic Church,' said Miss Antoine, summarizing the reactions of women at the hearings."

From ORLANDO SENTINEL, 4/3/90. "A panel of U.S. Catholic bishops, in the final draft of a pastoral letter on women distributed Monday, said that men unable to deal with women as equals should not be considered fit for the priesthood. But the committee's proposed declaration reiterated the church ban on female priests.

"The admission of women in all ministries not requiring ordination was also endorsed by the committee of six bishops.

"Excluding women as lectors or altar servers seems `to contradict our mandate that women be more visibly involved in the life of our church,' the committee said.

"The panel urged that the Vatican soon study whether women deacons may be ordained and expressed hope that women will not leave Catholicism because of the church's consistent practice of an all-male priesthood.

"The 99-page document praises `Christian feminists,' women who are faithful to church teachings yet promote the status of women as equal with men."

From ORLANDO SENTINEL, 6/1/94. "Roman Catholic groups supporting women's ordination said Tuesday that Pope John Paul II's 'definitive' ban on female priests would only promote further debate on the issue

"'I declare that the church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by the church's faithful,' the pope said.

"Although the letter was not specifically labeled as infallible, its solemn tone would make it difficult for a future pope to alter the ban, church sources said."

From ORLANDO SENTINEL, 6/21/94. "After rejecting the possibility of female priests, the Vatican is seeking to expand and reinforce the roles of nuns and women lay workers.

Back to the Vatican Bank

Back to the Home Page