She writes:
I had made a mistake in studying for the priesthood. I confess to the truth of Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis . I confess the authority of the Holy Father on these issues of ordination and recognize that Christ founded the ordination only for men.And, further:
Formally, I relinquish all connection to the program of Roman Catholic Women Priests and I disclaim the alleged ordination publicly with apologies to those whose lives I have offended or scandalized by my actions. I ask God’s blessings upon each of these folks and their families.
Norma Jean Coon, RN, MFCC, PhD
San Diego, California
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Holy God, I ask your blessings on my Bishop and my pastor and priests in Rome who have assisted me in the process of being re-instated into the Roman Catholic Church and I forsake all connection with the Roman Catholic Women Priests program via Internet or otherwise.Good for her and thanks be to God.
I thank you for the efforts of my family in my behalf and ask for Jesus’ Light and Love to pour over my husband of 47 years and my five children.
Forgive me my Beloved Jesus and Mother Mary for pursuing my own will in this matter of ordination and as I consecrate myself to your Divine Will through the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I ask you to pour out Light and Love upon any who have placed themselves outside of your Love and Light Bless us, O Lord, for these thy gifts and place us in the Heart of the Father, as we pray for more priests to serve in our church and for vocations to enrich our Church in the United States.
Forgive us for failing in obedience and enrich us in your Holy Love, I pray through Jesus and Mary. Fiat+
Ach, you beat me to it. Was talking to a co-blogger on Skype last night and we were reading this, me with the ole tears welling up in my eyes. I was to post it today, now I will feel silly! Dratters, should have done it last night ...
ReplyDeleteIsn't it edifying? And cheering?
I am sick of people using culture and religion as a cover for sexism. As far as I'm concerned this is no better than Moslim's forcing their women to cover up. Men are NOT superior to woman (this I say as a 24 year old man myself) and treating women as unworthy of certain positions, to the point where they feel the need to apologise for daring to want to be equal is disgusting. This is why Christianity is losing followers, because it is based on old fashioned paradigms that are just wrong in today's western societies.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous- Going back to the time of Jesus on earth, Jesus chose 12 disciples, all of whom were men. Did you ever wonder that he didn't choose one women? Yet Jesus NEVER treated women as inferior. For example, he showed great love for both sexes. As a woman, I know Jesus loves me just as much as he loves men. I accept the fact that we are made differently, that we complement each other in different ways, yet we are both good. Women have a special role in the Church, we don't need to be priests. We have so much to offer in working for the Kingdom of God here on earth. Sometimes it is a lack of humility and a lack of being obedient that drives women to want the priesthood. Because the role of priesthood is reserved for men does not make women subservient or inferior in any way. I firmly believe that God intended it to be that way- just as he intended marriage to be between a man and a women; for women to share in His plan for motherhood, etc.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I hear many stories of Catholics who have come back to the Faith or who have converted to Catholicism because we have not given in like many other denominations who have allowed female ordinations.
God Bless!
Well done for hiding the word 'obedient' in that sugared diatribe. You say different yet the roles for men in Catholicism are the ones of power. I know Jesus was a good man, but at the time of his life not stoning women to death for showing too much skin was considered quite liberal, so perhaps his 'good-ness' is a bit out of date for our society. Perhaps the church should put one of the bible's most powerful verses at the forefront of its thinking: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus"
ReplyDeleteDiatribe? It seemed very reasoned to me.
ReplyDeleteBut there is male and female - Jesus himself confirms this. Male and female God created them, which is why a man leaves his father and mother and the two become one flesh. In the sacramental economy, two divided sexes become one in marriage, and this unity is expressed through the indissoluble bond of marriage and physically through their sexual union.
Likewise there is still Christ the Bridegroom to be represented sacramentally through the male priesthood ministering to and becoming one with His Bride the Church through the Eucharist. Do away with the Sacraments if you wish but then you no longer have the Church of Jesus Christ.
On the subject of power: this is a divine power excercised as service, not a power of dominion.
Men are not better than women. They are different. But united in the Church in mutual love.
Oh, and do you have a problem with the word "obedience"? All of us must obey, men too.
ReplyDeleteI've decided to add my user name to these posts.
ReplyDeleteI have a problem with the word "obedience" when used in terms of supplication to males.
Of course there are differences between men and women, but to say something like women are equal but do not deserve to be in positions of equal standing to men is hypocritical. They should have equal rights as men, not just be told "yes, you're important too, now be good and listen to what the men are saying."
As for power, of course it's dominion. The patriarchy of the church decides how the church is run. Their decisions directly influence how the followers of the church are treated and treat others. They set the standards and their decisions will, immediately and/or in the long run, have effects on other people.
Am glad you added your username!
ReplyDeleteIt's not obedience to males but to God.
Equal in dignity but not in roles. A man cannot be a mother, a woman cannot be father, a man cannot be a wife, a woman cannot be a husband, a woman cannot be a priest who must sacramentally represent Christ the Bridegroom.
None of us has a right to be a priest - it is the free choice of God, and by accepting the call to priesthood we priests renounce many rights that lay people have and take on huge responsibilities concerning the salvation of souls. People seem very quick to claim rights, but there is not so much talk about responsibility.
It is not just women who must listen to men. Women in the past have exercised prophetic voices and they continue to do so today. Think of St Teresa of Avila, or St Catherine of Sienna and others. Together with over 1,000 priests I listened to profound teaching from Sister Briege McKenna at Ars in 2005. I listened and learned as she called us men to authentic priestly lives.
No, it's not men who decide how the Church is run. It is the Holy Spirit Who guides the Church, admittedly through fallen human beings. Of course the decisions taken by those with pastoral responsibility over the Church affect us - whether we are men or women. But the pastors are not free to decide to change the divine institution of the Church by Jesus Christ.
You are looking at the Church as a purely human institution forgetting that it is divine.
Unfortunately when the 'god controls everything' argument comes out I forgo further discussion. If you want to discuss it in terms of what people do then I'm happy to do so.
ReplyDeleteWell it's actually my parlour you have entered. The subject of this post concerns theology which can only be discussed with God, not man/woman, as the point of reference. You're welcome to set up your own parlour/blog and invite people to discuss things under your terms there.
ReplyDeleteGreat example of humility by Norma Coon. I hope I can emulate that when I get things wrong.
ReplyDelete