Ordination of 12 woman priests
This article is about women who are being ordained as Roman Catholic priests in the present and past. These ordinations are done on boats because the sacrament is not valid and if done in a diocese will result in the immediate excommunication of the Bishop conferring the sacrament.
(It's important to realize that excommunication isn't something that happens to you, it's something you do to yourself. By performing the sacrament invalidly as such, the Bishop chooses to step outside the church and is thus excommunicated. It took me a while to figure this out...)
The argument for ordination of women is that other church doctrine has changed over time, so why can't this? Here's why:
So that's the paraphrase from the catchism from the compendium. Basically with the sacraments you have 7 things that were instituted by Jesus and the Vatican says you can't argue with Jesus. The second part, about being judged suitable refers to a process called "formation" which men go through for years to prepare to enter seminary. They apply to the Diocese not to become priests, but for permission to be evaluated to apply to seminary. (Priests are fingerprinted, have an FBI file, and have a DCFS check run on them - the Diocese wants to know who they are accepting.)Catechism 1577-1578, 1598
This sacrament can only be validly be received by a baptized man. The Church recognizes herself as bound by this choice made by the Lord Himself. No one can demand to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders, but must be judged suitable by the ministry by the authorities of the Church. (emphasis mine)
Also note the Her/Him pronouns for the church and Jesus. This is to do with the ancient metaphor that the Church is the bride and Jesus is the Groom.
Still, even with all that there are lots of women who think Holy Orders should be open to them. A google search yeilds many sites.
http://www.womenpriests.org/index.asp
http://www.ocw.webcentral.com.au/
http://www.catholic-womens-ordination.org.uk/
All these groups seem to feel that the male priesthood is about power and oppression yet nothing I've ever experienced as a woman leads me to this conclusion. Perhaps it is because I came from Judaism where women really are oppressed or maybe these women have missed the idea that you can still have an active ministry outreach without being an ordained priest... I don't know.
It is interesting though. I had no idea so many women were being ordained.
-e