Chronicle of the Damned, part 9

"Roman Catholic Womenpriests"
(Yes, this is the actual name of the organization, and no, they don't put a space between women & priests.)

Where do we start with this? Like the Dutch, their crimes are without number. A glance at their website provokes laughter, which suddenly turns into sadness mingled with scorn as you realize it isn't a joke. Quickly, you start laughing again so as to keep from crying. Surely, you think, this must be a fantasy or a prank. You click your browser's refresh button frantically, thinking there must be some mistake. It just has to be.

But it isn't.

The mosaic image at the top of their homepage is meant to suggest some sort of historical allusion along the lines of "the original Church did [fill in the blank], but the practice or belief was snuffed out by the reactionary/patriarchal hierarchy. Such baseless drivel is endless, it seems. In this case, the "fill in the blank" is women's ordination. Faithful Catholics and Protestants alike are united against this idea.

"The goal of the group "RC Womenpriests" (Roman Catholic Womenpriests) is to bring about the full equality of women in the Roman Catholic Church. At the same time we are striving for a new model of Priestly Ministry." Ordination isn't about equality or rights--no man has a right to ordination. God doesn't call men to be mothers, and He doesn't call women to be fathers. Priesthood is spiritual fatherhood, plain and simple. But they're half right--it is certainly a "new model." Women's ordination was never part of the Christian tradition until introduced by various Protestant sects in recent centuries. But let's not get bogged down in the facts.

"The movement "RC Womenpriests" does not perceive itself as a counter-current movement against the Roman Catholic Church. It wants neither a schism nor a break from the Roman Catholic Church, but rather wants to work positively within the Church." One would think that you don't work positively within something by separating yourself from it, but that is exactly what these women do. It matters little what they "perceive" themselves as--a man usually doesn't "perceive" that he drinks too much or drives too fast, but reality may suggest otherwise.

Their homepage is even complete with a "Myths and Truths" section, which would be fine if the two were reversed. There, among other bunk, is the claim that "The group 'RC Womenpriests' receives its authority from Roman Catholic bishops who stand in full Apostolic Succession. These bishops bestowed sacramentally valid ordinations on the women." Nevermind that a valid sacrament requires valid matter, which for Holy Orders according to Church law is a man (it would be like using corn tortilla chips instead of pure wheat bread for Holy Communion. Doesn't work)...not to mention that even if proper matter is used, if the person doing the ordination was invalidly ordained in the first place, you still don't have a sacrament. A larger question, however, looms here: if these are valid ordinations with legal "authority from Roman Catholic bishops," why do they have to perform them on a boat in international waters or in some place that doesn't fall into any bishop's jurisdiction?

Take a look at this picture. Look out the window towards the left. That ain't no cathedral or church. They're on a boat. They boast of ordinations in international waters between the U.S. and Canada and on the Danube River. The other absurdities in the photo aside (and there are soooo many), this betrays that they know what they're doing is in open defiance of they very organization to which they claim allegiance.


"Roman Catholic Womenpriests" websitehas evenprovided lotsof picturesof theiractivities. Wehave providedthe captions.

Typically, the person who is vested is the one who gives the blessing. Then again, there's so much here that typically doesn't happen

Here they prostrate in humble submission to the god of International Waters

One of these is supposed to be a bishop. Can you guess which? We sure can't

We have no idea what this is. Perhaps they're all raising their hands to ask which one is the bishop?

Look at all the pretty colors.

Huh????

Great stuff. It's all the evidence we need to rest assured their place in the afterlife is secure.

These images certainly do convey the sense of sublime beauty, sacramental mystery, and sacredness that faithful Christians search for in their journeys. If only we could embra...(cough, yack, chuh, hucchchhchew...sorry, I just threw up a little). Anyway, I'm sure the Episcopal Church will welcome these new priests ministers.

In the world to come, Lucifer will give these women their own diocese in Circle Six, where heretics dwell. Under the guidance of Bishop Margaret Renewal, this group will also sink lower to occupy Circle Eight, where the purveyors of fraudulent rhetoric and the falsifiers roam. May the Lord, in His infinite mercy and kindness, take pity on those who are deceived by these miscreants.