International News and Actions

June 2, 2002
Press Release

Catholic Network for Women's Equality (CNWE) members support recent ordinations of Roman Catholic women as a step in the right direction

Toronto, Ont. - Seven Roman Catholic women were ordained priests on June 29, 2002, in Austria. The seven include four Germans, two Austrians and one American. The Catholic Network for Women's Equality (CNWE), a Canadian based movement, strongly and joyfully supports these women as they respond to the Spirit's call to serve the community through the ministerial priesthood.

"CNWE believes this is a prophetic gesture on their part," said Dr. Veronica Dunne rndm, CNWE coordinator. "These women are following an inner imperative from the Spirit of God, rather than conforming to human canonical regulations based both on an incomplete theology which claims to be whole, and an incomplete understanding of human personhood."

To quote theologians Dr. Iris Mueller and Dr. Ida Raming, two of the women ordained:
"The women are aware that the step they take is in contravention of a valid canon in Church Law and also against the magisterial opinion of the Church leadership. But: This canon (only a baptized man can validly receive sacred ordination" - Can. 1024) and the Church teaching that underpins it are based on a grave lack of respect for the human dignity of women and their Christian existence. That valid ordination is reserved exclusively to men ignores the status of woman as baptized and confirmed persons. This implies that Can.1024 and its underlying teaching denies that women are created in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1,27) and the teaching of Vatican II (Lumen Gentium, para. 32 et al.), and Galatians 3: 27-28 that says:

'All baptized in Christ, you have all clothed yourselves in Christ, and there are no more distinctions between Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female, but all of you are one in Christ Jesus.' "

With these ordinations CNWE believes the work of women within the Roman Catholic Church has taken a historic step. Still much remains to be done. Until the day when women are ordained to a renewed, and renewing Roman Catholic priestly ministry within a transformed church, the church will have failed to reflect fully the glory and gifts of all God's people. Until then, CNWE will continue its commitment to have women recognized as full persons, created in the image and likeness of God, called and able to represent Christ through the celebration of the Eucharist in the Roman Catholic Church.

About CNWE

CNWE's mission is to enable women to name their giftedness and from that awareness to effect structural change in the church that reflects the mutuality and co-responsibility of women and men within the church. One of its aims is to work towards the full inclusion of women in all aspects of the daily life and structure of the church: prayer, language, images, public worship, and all ministries, including ordained ministries. CNWE is a participating member in Woman's Ordination Worldwide (WOW) a coalition of organizations from around the world who share the common aim of working and praying for the ordination of women to a renewed priestly ministry in the Roman Catholic Church. WOW was established at the First European Women's Synod in Gmunden, Austria, in July 1996. Visit CNWE's Website at http://www.cnwe.org or contact us at cnwe@telus.net

Contact: Kathy McWilliams, CNWE media co-coordinator, (403) 293-5359, or kmcwill@telusplanet.net