BELGIAN Cardinal Godfried Danneels, seen as a possible successor to Pope John Paul II, argued in favour of appointing women to the Roman Catholic clergy in remarks published on a Dutch religious website today.
“Two of my substitutes are women. I therefore cannot see why a women could not lead a Catholic congregation,” said the cardinal, who is also archbishop of Brussels, in remarks quoted by the Katholiek Nederland website.
“Today the power structure within the church is male, but it does not necessarily have to remain that way,” he said.
“Even if the Church is clearly male in its composition… we do not refer to ‘Our Father the Church’ but to ‘Our Mother the Church’,” he said, stressing that the Catholic church had certain inherently “feminine” aspects.
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In a small way I would almost want to see one of the progressives become the next Pope. Just to see the hissy fit that the National Catholic Reporter and those of that ilk would have when none of their agenda items happens. When the Pope does not declare that women can be priest, or that homosexual acts are not grave sins, or that contraception and abortion are licit.
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The second bishop in two weeks to call for this, good ol’ Bp. Gumbleton here in Detroit being another. Nice to dissent coming right out into the open. Of course, nothing’s going to happen to either one of them.
Being a bishop has its privileges.
ohhhhhhhh – be careful what you wish for.
After those remarks, they’ll have to re-word the article to say “ONCE seen as a possible successor to Pope John Paul II”!
I echo Cathy’s remark.
It’s always interesting to hear who the media deems is “a possible successor to Pope John Paul II”. Typically it’s who the press corps would like to be the next Pope, rather than a rational analysis of who might actually become the next Pope.
Maybe Cardinal Danneels was reading his own press clippings . . .
I would like to point out that I am, in fact, a possible successor to John Paul II. Sure, I’m married, but so was Peter. So there’s precedent.