The Pope Preys on the Marginalized

Perhaps I'm mistaken, but I thought the Pope was the leader of the Roman Catholic Church! What was he doing becoming involved in an Australian parish that welcomed ordinands from a local Episcopal Church? Their Church had burned and they had no place for their ordinations. The Roman Catholic priest welcomed them and the Pope forbade the ordinations in that Roman Catholic Church because several of the ordinands were women and the Roman Catholic Church does not allow women to be ordained.

What does one have to do with the other here? It is not the place of the Pope or any other Church leader to making sinful rulings. No one expected the Pope to recognize the newly ordained priests. Certainly, they were not looking for support from the Roman Catholic Church; only simple hospitality at a time of unfortunate circumstances.

Yes, these questions do fit into a blog on spirituality and the poor. Consider the ordinands as well as the Roman Catholic pastor who were involved in this craziness. The Roman Catholic Church speaks of ecumenism, but obviously does not want to become too deeply involved in outreach and pastoral care.

The poor in this story are those who have been called to priestly ministry in the Episcopal Church and who have no place for the ordinations to take place. Additionally, the considerate and pastoral parish priest is poor in that, despite his best intentions, the Pope rescinded the invitation to use the parish church based upon his marginalization of women and refusal to consider the roles that women assumed in the early church (Yes, before there was a Pope).

If we are going to be Christ-like women and men, we must move beyond outrage at what hymns are sung on Sunday, where the altar candles should be placed, women in the Church speaking to important issues and concerns, and many other areas of minutia. How? I certainly don't have all of the answers, but I am formulating letters to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, to the Vatican (hopefully to Benedict), Local bishops, clergy, and others in both Roman Catholic and Episcopal parishes as well as our own Presiding Bishop.

I believe that if Jesus ever meant to marginalize anyone, the first would have been Peter and his inability to "get it." Obviously, that was not the case. Jesus taught us to respect all persons and to accept and love one another as equal. Perhaps Benedict simply has not read the gospels with an open mind and heart.

If you are so moved, I urge you to write to your bishops and priests; to write to diocesan newspapers and local news sources and have them make this sinful marginalization by the Pope known to all. Trust me, the idea of doing this is daunting. The need to do so is immediate.