Madam, – Leo Talbot (July 21st) and Timothy Howard (July 22nd) are correct that the Vatican is not equating women’s ordination with clerical paedophilia by referring to them in the same document.
In fact, the penalties in the document suggest the Vatican considers attempting to ordain a woman to be a more grave offence than sexually abusing a child.
A cleric who attempts either offence may be punished by dismissal or deposition, but a person who attempts to ordain a woman is also automatically excommunicated, as is the woman who attempts to be ordained.
These are the moral priorities that one might expect from a church that last year excommunicated a Brazilian mother for helping her raped nine-year-old daughter to have an abortion, without announcing any penalties on the man who raped the child.
Ethical issues should be evaluated on the basis of human rights, compassion, well-being and suffering, not on the basis of theological dictates from people who believe they are getting messages from the creator of the universe. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Is it now time for Pope Benedict XVI to apologise for a Vatican document issued in his name during the week? This document is unchristian, highly insulting and offensive to women and also to our Protestant people.
If this is what Canon law is proclaiming, then it is past time to throw it aside, and start looking to the Christian message of the Gospel. Start spreading Good News – that Jesus is here with all of us, as we continue to build a community of Christians for the Kingdom of God, open to the Spirit.
A bit of advice from a woman for what it’s worth: When you have more of these offensive revelations from Canon law to proclaim, why not keep them within your own all male, clerical, celibate club in Rome, or under your own “hats” and stop embarrassing us? – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Paul Kokoski sought to explain why women should not be ordained as priests in the Catholic Church, (July 20th), and outlined the reasons for his viewpoint. He cited Christ’s choosing of male disciples, and said in so doing, Christ acted in a “free and sovereign manner”.The church, he believes, needs to make its choices likewise.
This fills me with great hope, Christ chose to turn water into wine at the Wedding Feast at Cana, will the Catholic church be sending a male priest to do likewise at every wedding? Christ also exercised his freedom to feed the 5,000 with five and loaves and two fish. Does this mean the Catholic church will send a male priest to Electric Picnic and the like, to feed all the festival-goers, cutting out the need to pack sandwiches? What about all the healing miracles needed in the various A E departments? Will the male clergy choose in that Christ-like way to dash to our overcrowded hospitals and exercise their “free and sovereign” choice to heal the sick? Possibilities in perpetuity. – Yours, etc,