11 July 2002
Following on the ultimatum by the CFD, all hell is breaking loose in the German and Austrian press. Here are some glimpses culled from News ORF:
- The ORF (Austrian Radio & TV) reminds its listeners that "excommunication" means the loss of all rights in the Church, such as participation in the sacraments and church burial. Only listening to the sermon during a service is allowed.
- Christine Lumetzberger has declared that she will not be able to give in to Rome. “How can I declare my ordination invalid when a validly ordained bishop has imposed his hands on me while speaking the ordination prayer?”
- The seven ordained women have written a letter to Pope John Paul II, asking him to enter into dialogue with them about the ordination of women, rather than threaten with excommunication.
- The Archdiocese of Munich is starting legal proceedings against the Patmos Publishing House, which brought out a book on the ordination: “Wir Sind Priesterinnen”. It seems that the complaint states that the Publisher has announced the book as an ordination by a ‘Roman Catholic bishop’. The diocese maintains that this damages the rights of the real Roman Catholic Church.
- Ingrid Thurner, the chair person of “We Are Church” has characterised the Roman ultimatum as an unacceptable over-reaction, especially in the face of the overwhelming evidence in favour of the ordination of women.
- Susanne Mandelkow, chair of the Maria of Magdala movement in Germany, has published a statement of support for the seven women, even though the movement recognises that there are other ways of achieving the goal of arriving at the ordination of women in the Church.
| Ordinations 29 June | RC women called to the priesthood | Theologians on the teaching of the CDF | The duty of speaking out | Mistaken teachings by Popes in the past | Womenpriests home page |
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