A big day for Roy Bourgeois
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- November
- 21
Talk about coincidences.
Today is the deadline for Father Roy Bourgeois of Maryknoll to recant his support for women’s ordination as priests—or face likely excommunication by the Vatican.
Today is also the opening of Bourgeois’ annual demonstration outside Fort Benning, Ga., the home of the Army’s School of the Americas, which Bourgeois has been protesting for 18 years.
About 20,000 people are expected to join him.
Bourgeois is a hero to many liberal Catholics for his peace work. But he’s been no hero in Rome since participating in an “ordination” ceremony for a woman in August in Lexington, Ky.
Bourgeois knew the risk he was taking, and has continued to take by publicly stating that the exclusion of women from the priesthood is an injustice.
On the blog for (Jesuit) America magazine, the Rev. James Martin wrote:
Fr. Bourgeois is impelled to follow his conscience; the Vatican is impelled to enforce canon law. The collision course was inevitable.One reflection: The ordination rite in which Fr. Bourgeois participated occurred in August. That means that within three months, the excommunication had been communicated from the Vatican to Fr. Bourgeois. In the eyes of the Vatican, his actions represented a grave offense that required swift action and a severe penalty.
Would that the church had acted with equal swiftness against sexually abusive priests. Would that bishops who had moved abusive priests from parish to parish were met with the same severity of justice.
Were their offenses of lesser “gravity”? Did they cause lesser “scandal”?
Strong words.
And more from the prominent Catholic writer Sidney Callahan:
How do you “recant” and begin to believe something you don’t believe?The Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, or CDF, is ordering Father Roy Bourgeois M.M. to recant his belief and support for women’s ordination. If not, he will be excommunicated in thirty days.But does the CDF have some secret formula or operating instructions for going against one’s conscience when ordered to do so?
I understand how Vatican authorities might solve their problem of dissent by simply expecting people to lie, if you just say the right words all will be forgiven. Inconveniently of course, lying and bearing false witness (even against yourself) has been forbidden since Sinai, so that option is out.
If Bourgeois is excommunicated—as even he expects—what will Maryknoll do? The Ossining-based missionary order has strongly supported his work to close the School of the Americas.
Will Maryknoll feel forced to distance itself from his work? Or will Maryknoll continue its support even after one of their own is “returned to the lay state” and kicked out of the church?
This entry was posted
on Friday, November 21st, 2008 at 10:12 am by Gary Stern.
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The world of religion, we don't have to tell you, is vast. The purpose of this blog is for Stern to note, flag and comment on some of the more interesting religious developments on the scene – weighty and quirky, somber and laughable, far away and just down the road. He won't interpret Scripture, take sides in conflicts or judge anyone. But he will take advantage of the journalist's license to observe.
“if you just say the right words all will be forgiven. Inconveniently of course, lying and bearing false witness (even against yourself) has been forbidden since Sinai, so that option is out.”
Reminiscent of the Salem Witch Trials.
I honor Father Roy for his address of a patriarchal system that is a construct of man, not Christ.
Oh please Dianna you are just another liberal Catholic just like this false priest who wants to declare war on the tradition of the Church. Please do us all afavor and go follow the Episcopalians. You can do anything you want there, salem witch trial..please I am sick of the liberals who have infected the Church like typhus since the 60’s,,, Please God get rid of them
I am deeply saddened by Canisius’ remark that is so far from the Spirit of Jesus.
The Vatican is telling Fr.Bourgeois to deny his conscience. This is contrary to the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church. Most of all, it is contrary to the Gospel of Jesus.
I have great respect for Fr. Bourgeois, who is courageous enough to consistently make a stand for justice.
Roy Bourgeois and the Roman Catholic Womenpriests—http://www.romancatholicwomenpriests.org/—
are leading the Church forward, helping it toward a just and robust maturity, well beyond the current decrepit patriarchy.
Regarding Bourgeois’ conscience, true, he is not mandated to deny his conscience. However, there’s a major disparity between believing something privately, and publicly supporting that belief so as to undermine the Church and its teachings.
The Church is right to excommunicate Bourgeois if he so vehemently protests its teachings. He’s being heretical, and causing scandal within and outside of the Church as a whole.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off…
oh—not a liberal Catholic. I experienced too much hate speak and action in that institution—I went even further out than the Episcapilians—Quaker!!!!
Peace and Love to all of humanity and God bless the heros of humanity- and of Christian theology like Father Roy.
Lance- remember that Jesus threw the money changers out of the temple. I belief this is why he was strung up—the middle man. The change maker. The idealist. The truth.
dianna