Roy Bourgeois, U.S. Priest Who Backs Women's Ordination, Detained

VATICAN CITY — A U.S. Catholic priest who supports ordination for women was detained briefly by police Monday after marching to the Vatican to press the Holy See to lift its ban on women priests.

The Rev. Roy Bourgeois and about a dozen supporters had marched down the main boulevard leading to the Vatican holding a banner "Ordain Catholic Women" and chanting outside St. Peter's Square "What do we want? Women priests! When do we want them? Now!"

Police prevented the group from entering the piazza and told them to take down their banners since they didn't have a protest permit. When police then tried to confiscate the banners, members of the group resisted, resulting in Bourgeois and two supporters being taken away in police cars, witnesses said.

The three were detained for about two hours at a Rome police station and released without being arrested or charged, though prosecutors were still investigating, said Bourgeois' attorney, Bill Quigley.

Bourgeois and members of the Women's Ordination Conference and other groups that support women priests had come to Rome to deliver a petition signed by some 15,000 people backing Bourgeois, who is facing dismissal from his Maryknoll order for his support of women's ordination.

The Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2008 ordered Bourgeois to recant his support for women priests or risk excommunication after he delivered the homily at the ordination of Janice Sevre-Duszynska, one of several women who have defied the Vatican and begun passing themselves off as Roman Catholic priests.

Church teaching holds that the priesthood is reserved for men, since Christ chose only men as his apostles. Proponents of women's ordination say there is no theological basis for excluding women from the priesthood, that there is evidence of women priests in the early church and that the Vatican's ban is purely sexist.

"If the call to be a priest is a gift and comes from God, how can we as men say that our call from God is authentic but God's call of women is not?" Bourgeois wrote in an open letter to Vatican officials.

The women's ordination movement, while still small, has become something of a thorn in the side of the Vatican: Earlier this year, Pope Benedict XVI removed an Australian bishop for suggesting the church consider women priests.

Last year, the Vatican made ordaining a woman one of the gravest canonical crimes, on par with sexually abusing a child.

And in Austria, some 300 Catholic priests have joined an initiative "Call to Disobedience" calling for women priests and an end to priestly celibacy, among other church reforms.

Comments

[DeanWormer]

01:21 PM on 11/16/2011

Why don't these people go join one of the many churches that do permit women priests/pastors? Nobody is forcing them to remain Catholic.

[dgr]

12:20 PM on 12/09/2011

Quite true. Roy Bourgeois is in fact no longer a priest. He has been excommunicated. He considered his false views on woman's ordination of more worth than his priesthood....go figure. Anyway, there is no longer any reason to be following a false prophet like Mr. Bourgeois. It is a non-story.

[Michele Somerville]

12:32 PM on 10/20/2011

For more on this Read "Roy Bourgeois Shows the Vatican What Primacy of Conscience Means" http://tinyurl.com/34nz4zn

[iknowscottyknows]

08:11 PM on 10/19/2011

Since the bible expressly forbids women leading a church, one wonders what would inspire a devoutly religious woman to do that very thing.

In simpler terms: "I want to do this, the bible says no, but I still want to."

In even simpler terms, we are all self-centered and want what we want when we want it.

[goatini]

10:36 PM on 10/19/2011

Since Christ is the leader of the Church, you also think that men who want to be priests are self-centered, right?

[Lucy0808]

10:35 AM on 10/20/2011

It is sexist from any perspective, even your own.

It is treating a majority of citizens unfairly. However, it is clear that a religion is not a democratic institution, but simply a dictatorship. Keeping that in mind, I never saw the purpose to be involved in such an institution especially ruled by men.

[SecularJoe]

05:19 PM on 10/19/2011

"Last year, the Vatican made ordaining a woman one of the gravest canonical crimes, on par with sexually abusing a child."

Well, since they don't take abusing a child very seriously, perhaps this is a progressive step toward women priests?

[Hectrev1]

01:04 AM on 10/31/2011

Lol, yeah, they don't see sexually abusing a child as a serious crime, at least not serious to call the police about it. So there really was no reason to arrest the priest.

[StevenM]

10:21 AM on 10/19/2011

Re: "The Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2008 ordered Bourgeois to recant his support for women priests or risk excommunication ..."

Advocating the ordaining of women risks excommunication, but molesting children doesn't? A Kansas City bishop has yet been indicted for failing to report a priest found to have pornographic photos of children, including children of his congregants. Human rights lawyers and victims of clergy sexual abuse have filed a complaint urging the International Criminal Court in The Hague to investigate and prosecute Pope Benedict XVI and three top Vatican officials for crimes against humanity for what they described as abetting and covering up the rape and sexual assault of children by priests. As long as the Roman Catholic Church continues to harbor pedophile priests, everything else they do is going to look silly.

[Michele Somerville]

08:03 AM on 10/19/2011

For more on this read "Roy Bourgeois Shows the Vatican What Primacy of Consciences Means.
"http://tinyurl.com/34nz4zn

[Syllogizer]

02:01 PM on 10/19/2011

No Roman Catholic priest who is faithful to his oath will support the ordination of women. It is and always will be against the teaching of the Catholic Church, which teaching the oath binds him to support.

YOU may think that teaching is sexism, but your opinion doesn't count.

[gungavin]

04:27 PM on 10/19/2011

While we do disagree, I'm pleased that you are such a wonderful example of a Christ-like person. We should do lunch someday.

[mpcham4011]

11:15 PM on 10/18/2011

The Vatican, made ordaining a woman one of the gravest canonical crimes, on par with sexually abusing a child and since they have done so well with the first I wish them great sucess with the later. Eventually the Church will pull its Alpha out of its Omega. It may take another 1000 years, when someone future Pope says "Oh will you look at that Jesus did have women disciples, sorry for not understanding that earlier"

[charlesrfd2003]

03:52 PM on 10/18/2011

And add baby theft in Spain. That was confirmed by the Spanish government today.

[Robert Frano]

03:45 PM on 10/18/2011

It's been, roughly, 40 years since I contributed, every Sunday, to the R.C. bishop's ‘horny-clerics-bail’ fund, L.O.L.! My spiritual path now uses ‘Valkyries’, 'Ragnorak' & ‘mead halls’ for It's afterlife imagery…
It's curious that an advocate for female priests like Fr. Roy Bourgeois or Fr. Alberto Cutie, now a married, 'reverse-poached' Anglican clerical ‘brood-mare’, are ‘laicized’, faster than Neil Armstrong, announcing ‘Tranquility Base'...
...While Bernie-Cardinal-Law, escaping a Boston grand jury by 'fempto-meters', (my play on the word 'femptosecond', which, at a 'billionth, of a trillionth, of a billionth' of a second, denotes the smallest time measurement), is punished by 6 months, (‘hard labor’?, L.M.A.O.!), at a nunnery, then given Mary-Major Basilica, just as prestigious as the Boston diocese!
The founder of the Legion-O'-Christ, the late bishop M. Delgado, (like Mr. Fritzel's 'daughter-in-a-dungeon x 25 years/incest-children' story), was also ‘sentenced’ to a nunnery...
Why does the Vatican’s 'punishment’ of wayward clerics, (when they even bother), involve the ‘threat’ to place the 'offender' cleric near...woman? Is that why the 175,000 American nuns, back when I left 'N.A.M.B.L.A., International's 'Roman Franchise', is now 60-70,000 nuns?
Was Richard Williamson assigned to work with Jewish woman after his 'holocaust denial’ interview? Was Belgium's bishop Venguelewe assigned to be near woman after HIS interview, (he admitted a
multi-year incest with 2 nephews, but ‘doubted’ he’d committed a crime / sin /caused PTSD, etc.?

[NancyMarie]

02:20 PM on 10/18/2011

There is such vast misunderstanding of the nature of the priesthood, and such vast commentary everywhere by those who hate the Catholic Church. But those who really know and understand what the Church teaches can't help but fall in love with her. Yes, the Church is feminine, just as the priesthood is masculine, and the Church can no more undo that reality as God created it than she can declare a man "mother" or a woman "father". It can't be done by lists of signatures or by politically correct rhetoric, because it does not reflect reality as revealed in the very nature of humanity. The Catholic Church teaches reverence and respect for both men and women, yet is reviled, while the world denigrates women by making them sexual objects and is lauded. It makes no sense. The Catholic Church teaches that man and woman, together, are created in the image of God. The Catholic Church teaches that God chose a young virgin to become his own mother, and that she is to be honored and revered, as all women are meant to be honored. Christ took the Church as His Bride, sanctified her and loves her and died for her. We are the Bride. The priest stands "in persona Christi" as the Bridegroom. The mystery of God's infinite love, told in the beautiful language of human marital love. Ephesians 5.

[charlesrfd2003]

03:40 PM on 10/18/2011

It would be lovely if we had real discussion that included the historical and theological information. Unfortunately, All that business about Christ being the persona Christi so he must be a male is balderdash. Made up reasons to support a conclusion.

[NancyMarie]

04:26 PM on 10/18/2011

What rich sources you cite: Balderdash, isn;'t he the great theologian and Christian historian? I can't argue with that, since you failed to provide any historical and theological information for a real discussion.

[NancyMarie]

08:13 PM on 10/19/2011

I really should have given you a better answer yesterday, but the temptation to sarcasm was too great... sorry. I hope you will read some of the other posts I wrote to explain my position using as much theology as I could squeeze into these comment boxes. For more info, please look into John Paul II's Theology of the Body. Absolutely groundbreaking and earthshaking. Historically, there is no tradition of a female priesthood, although there were female deacons in the early Church. There are volumes of resources to learn about Church history as well, so I hope you will take time to investigate. God bless.

[AlanDente]

06:43 PM on 10/18/2011

When this same God instructed the children of Israel to massacre their enemies upon conquering them, but to take the virgins for themselves (i.e. forced rape and assimilation of unwilling girls, likely to be aged 13/14) was that all part of the great equality plan also?

What about later when the Lord's trusted servant Paul instructed women to be silent during church services and obedient to men?

I'm only asking being as these two examples are from your own Holy texts.

[NancyMarie]

12:02 AM on 10/19/2011

You'll have to give me a citation for the Old Testament passage you mentioned, and I will see what I can find out. I don't know of an order to take virgins, but I know there are OT passages that call for a "ban" or genocide. These passages are thought to reflect a complete elimination of the idolatry and sin that the people of Israel would encounter in the pagan nations, and may refer allegorically to the complete turning away from sin that God requires of us. However, reaching back to Old Testament passages doesn't really make your point, since these do not constitute Church teaching.

As for Paul's instruction, obedience and silence can be beneficial. But his words also do not constitute Church teaching. Both men and women teach in the Catholic Church. You see, we don't operate on scripture ALONE but on the teaching authority of the Pope and the Magisterium, in harmony with Tradition and scriptural truth as handed down from Jesus Christ and his apostles.

[mpcham4011]

12:23 PM on 10/18/2011

Cradle catholic that's me. Since the the Vatican, equates ordaining a woman one of the gravest canonical crimes, on par with sexually abusing a child, I would suggest we should have several hundred female priests by now. Since the world wide Church is bleeding millions of dollars, for all that sexual abuse that it has covered up. I think the Church should have a little parity. One molestation equals one new female priest. That would take care of the priest shortage.

[Ramsis]

03:24 PM on 10/18/2011

get a life

[goatini]

07:14 PM on 10/18/2011

We Catholic women have been denied an authentic life for millennia, for NO reason except dogma and power.

[gungavin]

04:42 PM on 10/19/2011

I disagree a bit with your statement, but I'm sure you're a good, Christian person who only means to wish mankind the best. We should have a joint together, someday.

[Valksy]

12:15 PM on 10/18/2011

Just makes me wonder why on earth women bother being part of the sausage-fest that is the catholic church.

Go and find someone who will accept your gender, please. And stop letting yourselves be treated like a bloody footstool, you are an embarrassment to all women when you participate in it. Stop attending their churches, stop giving them your money, stop propagating their beliefs. If your faith is important to you, seek a denomination that will not condemn and discriminate against you.

And if you don't, you get what you deserve. Congratulations on embracing being a second class citizen.

[signgrrl]

02:47 PM on 10/18/2011

YAY !! F/F

[goatini]

07:15 PM on 10/18/2011

We would prefer that our faith not be hijacked by the radical fundamentalist backlash of the Ratzofarian Magisterium.

[lizzythegreek]

10:37 AM on 10/18/2011

No women shouldn't become priests at all! Thank God I'm Orthodox. Orthodox it means complete we never change anything in our religon! We have nuns but not women as priests. The orthodox religon is so powerful no other religons do what we do. During the lent of Easter 40 days we fast no meat, dairy, put it this was it's being a vegan for 40 days. But no way do I support for women to become priests! It looks so stupid! I would be surprised if the catholic church will except this!

[goatini]

07:17 PM on 10/18/2011

So, a bunch of celibate men wearing dresses doesn't look stupid to you?

[lizzythegreek]

09:46 AM on 10/19/2011

For your information back in the day when Jesus was on earth and so on that's what they wore right! Our priests under they wear plants. The orthodox religon we never take anything out like some other religons do. When it comes to Easter time we light a candle and that little light comes all the way from Jesus tomb. The only light out of all religons that's always lit is the orthodox even other priests from different religons said the same thing why because the orthodox is the true religon! Still I don't think it's right for women to become priests! Now that looks really stupid!

[ThinkCreeps]

07:26 AM on 10/18/2011

Making sense? You'll have to come with us.

Making sense is a serious crime in these parts, Signore.

[Realist Optimist]

06:11 AM on 10/18/2011

"Last year, the Vatican made ordaining a woman one of the gravest canonical crimes, on par with sexually abusing a child."

im so embarrassed as a Catholic right now

[ThinkCreeps]

07:28 AM on 10/18/2011

To be honest, that's surely good news for the ordainers of women, since the vatican seems to regard the sexual abuse of a child as a trifling matter.

[OvertOddity]

07:50 AM on 10/18/2011

A sign that maybe you should reconsider your affiliation?