Kvinnliga diakoner/präster - pressrelease

Commemorating Ordained Women During The Year of the Priest

‘A document that provides the names and biographical details of women who were ordained deacons in the Early Church will be handed to Pope Benedict XVI in Rome on June 8, 2010. The presentation will be made by dignitaries of international Catholic groups. It happens in the context of the Catholic Church’s concluding celebrations for the Year of the Priest. The representatives will ask the Pope to give formal recognition to the women’s historical diaconate and to begin the reforms needed to include women in priesthood.’ A press conference in Rome’s ADISTA news agency will follow at 11 am that day. A demonstration in Saint Peter’s Square to raise awareness about women’s call to priesthood will also be held.

Historical Background

Historical records document the service of tens of thousands of ordained women deacons in parishes during the first millennium of the Church (Romans 16, 1; 1 Tim 3, 8-11). Their service is witnessed in literary records and inscriptions on tombs. Some women deacon saints are commemorated in the current liturgical calendar. Ongoing historical research now makes many of these women known to us by name. Ancient manuscripts preserve the exact rite of their ordination (for more, see: womenpriests.org/deacons/default.asp).

Why is the Vatican is Suppressing the Historical Facts

Analysis of the woman deacons ordination rite shows that it was a true sacrament with a bishop laying hands on the candidate and invoking the Holy Spirit. In all essentials it was identical to the one for men deacons. This means women did receive Holy Orders. This evidence gives further supports to the case which says there is no justification for the exclusion of women from Holy Orders, ie priesthood today. It is known that on July 15, 1563 the Council of Trent defined that the diaconate as much as the priesthood and the episcopacy belongs to the sacrament of Holy Orders. ‘If anyone says that in the Catholic Church there does not exist a hierarchy, established through divine ordination, which consists of bishops, priests and deacons, let him be anathema.’ (Denzinger no 966).

Women as Priests?

In an interview, Therese Koturbash, a Canadian lawyer and International Coordinator of Women Can Be Priests! womenpriests.org confirms: ‘Thanks to historical research, we now know conclusively that women did receive the sacrament of Holy Orders in our faith tradition. But somewhere along the way, the door to women slammed shut. Those ordained women deacons have been forgotten in this year’s celebrations [for the Year of the Priest.] Today the Vatican justifies exclusion of women from priesthood by saying that we don’t look like Christ. This kind of thinking is new to Catholic faith. It is unorthodox theology. Christ teaches that we see His face in every person we meet,’ she said. ‘What has become clear is that ancient unChristlike prejudice against women has crept into the Church and bars women from priesthood today. Little more than one hundred years ago, the Vatican maintained that slavery was willed by God. We don’t want this same kind of mistake to continue about the dignity of women. During this Year of the Priest, we have asked that women’s historical service in Holy Orders be remembered and that reforms be put in motion to welcome women into priesthood! Women can and should be priests!’

The Document Containing the Names of the Ordained Women:

The document to be presented to the Pope is based on historical research and was compiled by a Team working under the direction of Dr. John Wijngaards at womenpriests.org in England. The team is made up of faithful Catholics who believe that women should be ordained. They are working to help make that happen.

International dignitaries who will be present at the function include Therese Koturbash (UK and Canada), International Coordinator womenpriests.org and National Work Group member of Canada’s Catholic Network for Women’s Equality (CNWE), Erin Saiz Hanna (USA), President of Women’s Ordination Conference (WOC), Colette Joyce (UK), New Wine, along with others from countries around the world including Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Japan and other countries.