Maryknoll Fr. Roy Bourgeois has been threatened with excommunication by the Vatican’s Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith for his support of women’s ordination, according to a letter made public today.
The letter was written by Bourgeois and addressed to the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. It was distributed via e-mail by Bill Quigley, a New Orleans lawyer who represents Bourgeois.
According to Bourgeois’ letter, which is dated Nov. 7, the congregation has given him 30 days to recant his “belief and public statements that support the ordination of women in our Church, or (he) will be excommunicated.”
The letter indicates that Bourgeois received notification from the congregation Oct. 21.
Bourgeois, a priest for 36 years, attended the ordination of Janice Sevre-Duszynska in Lexingon, Ky., Aug. 9 and preached a homily.
Considering that this story comes from the National Catholic Reporter I don’t know how true it is. Though I do hope the CDF has said this and I further hope that Fr. Bourgeois repents. There was about zero chance that the Maryknolls were going to discipline him.
In other news it was one year ago today when an attempted women’s ordination ended in several excommunications.
25 comments
If Fr. Bourgeois does get the boot, it should come as no surprise to him. Given that he’s made his bed… . Cut him loose, perhaps he will come to his senses (… doubt it). Wimmin Preests et le petit Bourgeois.
I thought that under the new rules issued by the CDF he was automatically excommunicated by participating in the fake ordination? Can someone clarify this?
Brian,
Only those receiving the faux ordination or those laying on hands are excommunicated. Being sympathetic or supporting women’s ordination does not result in automatic excommunication.
“In accordance with what is disposed by Can. 1378 of the Code of Canon Law, he who shall have attempted to confer holy orders on a woman, as well as the woman who may have attempted to receive Holy Orders, incurs in a latae sententiae excommunication, reserved to the Apostolic See.”
Maybe Father Roy wandered from the fold. However, I see neither the Vatican nor the commenters on this article appear to be the Good Shepherd trying to bring the lost sheep back. Instead, they insist that he leave the fold completely. Not Good Shepherdry!
The option to bring the lost sheep back is being exercised in allowing a public recantation and apology for his heretical, scandalous, non-Traditional views which fly in the face of the magisterium.
Anything less is not coming back to the fold, but rather confusing and scandalous to the faithful. “Hey, if he can do that and have nothing happen, why can’t I start my own schismatic group too?”
Bernie, I refer you to a relevant wikipedia quote about what excommunication IS:
“it is necessary for the Church to clarify the situation by means of a formal announcement, which informs the laity that this is not a person to follow, and notifies the clergy that this person, by his own willful acts, has separated himself from the Church and is no longer to receive the sacraments, with the exception of Reconciliation. […]
“Excommunication is never a merely “vindictive penalty” (designed solely to punish), but is always used as a “medicinal penalty” intended to pressure the person into changing their behaviour or statements, repent and return to full communion.”
Fr. Roy Bourgeois is a holy man that is moved by the spirit of Jesus. If Jesus talked to the woman at the well, allowed the hemorrhaging woman to be cured just by touching his garment and many other instances where he went against the conventional mores of his time regarding women, he no doubt would ordain woman. The idea that someone would be excommunicated for the mere belief is harsh to say the least.
Paul Amrhein: I have no idea whether Fr. Borgeois is a holy man or not, but in this case he is wrong. He does not merely hold a wrong belief (you are right — excommunication for believing something that is wrong would be very harsh), but he is teaching his error to others and participating in illicit ceremonies. That’ s not okay. Holy people can be wrong too, and history shows that many have been. Holiness does not keep you from making mistakes. As you said, Jesus was perfectly capable and wiling to defy the social mores of his day, and if he had wanted to ordain women he would have. But he DIDN’T.
November 13, 2008
Dear Fr. Roy,
As your classmate all through the seminary for seven years and who was ordained with you on the same day, I ask you now, while there is still time, to reconsider your stand, and make a courageous act of submission to the Church. I know how difficult this will be for you after all your public statements and the great show of public support that has backed up your stance.
This is a different issue from SOA. Here the magisterium of the Church is involved, which we all submit to as priests. Please save yourself and your priesthood while you still have time. Please take the courage after much prayer, and make an act of submission to the teaching authority of the Church. Do not incur excommunication.
Fr. Steven Scherrer
Ossining, NY
Oh what IRONY! That he preached the homily at the woman’s “ordination.”
Oh what IRONY! That he preached the homily at the woman’s “ordination.”
Change the title from “could be excommunicated” to “should be excommunicated”.
His letter came out today in the NCReporter:
“With all due respect, I believe our Catholic Church’s teaching on this issue is wrong and does not stand up to scrutiny. “
http://ncronline3.org/drupal/?q=node/2545&page=4
I do not beleive Roy Bourgeois was ever called by Jesus Christ, to be a priest of The One True Church! The teachings of the Church, THE SIXTEEN DOGMA’S, states that, “IF A BAPTISED PERSON DELIBERATELY DENIES OR CONTRADICTS A DOGMA, HE OR SHE ARE GULITY OF SIN OF HERESY AND AUTOMATICALY BECOMES SUBJECT TO THE PUNISHMENT OF EXCOMMUNICATION.” According to Dogma VI. CATHOLIC CHURCH, Article #9, states that the Pope possesses full and supreme power of jurisdiction over the whole Catholic Church, not merely in matters of faith and morals, but also in Church discipline and in the government of the Church. And what does the Pope teach about the ordination of women to the priesthood? That it is impossible So Chris and Paul A., if you don’t like the TRUTH as Jesus Christ passed it to His Church then perhaps you should both join Roy D. as you are commiting heresy with him-start your own PROTEST-ant denomination since you are protesting the CATHOLIC CHURCH thus JESUS CHRIST!! According to DOGMA XIII,HOLY ORDERS Article#7 states that The ordinary dispenser of all grades of Order, both the sacramental and the non-sacramental, is the validly consecrated Bishop alone! So Roy D. is a heretic, plain and simple! I do not understand why he has been allowed to continue misleading the faithful for so long! The sooner we are rid of all the HERETICS the better our Church will be! We had a priest here in California who “came out of the closet, so-to-speak, about a month ago only because he could not ask his parishoners to support a proposition 8,which came up for a vote Nov.4. This proposition protected marriage thus the family. He called a local news station to cover his 11:am mass where he supported homosexual and lesbian so-called marriage. He said that the Church was immoral and was attacking the homosexuals! He also gave this news station an interview where he came out and admitted he was a homosexual! A few weeks later he was present at a rally against prop.8 and had the nerve to not only use our beloved Saint Agustine, but to say he was on their side! He used Agustine’s quote, “Love God and do what you will.” conveniently leaving God out!! Pope Benedict has said that the Church is about to get smaller but it will be holier!
I for one can’t wait!! Rose
Had Pope John the 23rd lived longer, we would have had women priests by now. Bishop Charles Buswell, made bishop by Pope John the 23rd in 1959 also proposed that women become priests. He was very much like Fr. Roy Bourgeois. Here is a link to an obituary about Bishop Buswell:
http://www.coloradocatholicherald.com/print.php?xrc=1021
“let him who is without SIN cast the first stone..” Reading your blogs only continues to affirm that we are still so far from understanding GOD and HIS (true, not modified)teachings. I even now you still don’t get it!
I’m not a Catholic, but I have studied various religions for over 50 years & it seems to me the basic beliefs concerning women’s roles in the RCC have been proven false &/or conflicting. Even if we assume Mary Magdalene was not a disciple (which I don’t believe we can anymore), the rule against women’s ordination is bogus & man made. After all, at least one disciple was a married man who chose to abandon his family to follow Jesus. Does that mean all men or at least all priests should do the same? I just cannot believe that G-d would require that of anybody, and at the same time make marriage last forever and only between one man & one woman.
The Bible, the Torah, the Koran as we know them, are all translations going through many human hands. Humans make mistakes & until we recognize that & accept that nothing except what we feel in our hearts is directly from G-d, we will continue to act in our own best interests, which are not necessarily what G-d wants. Witness the millions of people discriminated against, killed, maimed, etc. “in G-d’s name”. Sorry folks, I’ll go with what I believe G-d tells me, not what some people in a rarefied atmosphere who live in another world tell me G-d says.
I hope and pray for more Bishops, Priests and Religious Brothers and Sisters to grow in holiness every single day and to life holy and exemplary lives, and who by their example leads souls to heaven. Enough of this grandstanding already!
If the Church allowed everone who “felt called to the priesthood” to become priests, then we would certainly not have a priest shortage because we would have married men and women, children, and everyone with a whim lined up for miles outside our churches waiting to be ordained. Thank God the Chatholic Church has what is called “discernment!” and even then some undesirables slip through the cracks periodically and become priests…ahem…
People that study a little about several diffrent religions, tend to know very little to nothing, about any one of them and usually do not study the right documents! The Catholic Chruch is the only Church that Jesus Christ founded and that can be traced back to Him!
All that His Church teaches is what He has taught us, His faithful. PROTEST-ants have not been given the gift of faith thus cannot be expected to beleive with a Cathlic heart! A person that has not spent many years humbly lstening, learning and studying the FAITH, should not pretend to know what is best for the ONE TRUE CHURCH!
As far as so-called women priests in the Catholic Church, thanks be to God, it will never happen!
Please try to understand that this subject is not open for discussion! Protestants are not required to beleive this teaching, but if you want to call yourself a Catholic, you have to beleive it, as a teaching of every Pope since Pope St. Peter! Stop trying to change something that has been in effect for over two-thousand+ years and is still working!
Fr. Roy Bourgeois is a good man whose example of holiness and devotion to justice for the poorest among us will last long after all this nonsense with Rome is forgotten. No one can ever take that away from him.
Why he or anyone would want to be a priest is beyond me, but apparently there are both men and women who do. When they have completed the training and preparation required for ordination, they should be ordained.
How Sad! How Sad! Fr. Roy has touchjed thousands of people (Catholic and non-Catholic)who are doing all they can to live and promote the Gospel of noi-violence. Meanwhile someone like Cardinal Law gets promopted for all his coverups.
I find it strange that today thousands of Cathoilc communities are without Eucharist simpley because there are are not enough “male celibate clerics”. Given this fact I have come to the awareness that the Bishop of Rome and the Bishops of the Church do not beleive in Eucharist. If they did they would not permit thousands of communities to be without.
Yes, I too, believe that women ought to be called to Priesthood. Until this happens the Church will remain dysfunctional.
Lord have mercy! I’ve just found this gem of a site!
I cannot speak for Fr. Bourgeois’s holiness. What I can speak of is that he made a lousy soldier, along the lines of John Kerry; he had his own agenda and could not follow simple orders from his superiors. Obvoiusly, this has been the pattern throughout his life. Again, as a priest, he has his own agenda and cannot follow simple orders from his superiors.
Can you imagine how ineffective the United States Military would be if every man and woman in uniform ran around “doing their own thing?” The same can be applied to the Roman Catholic Church. There are reasons for having Rules and following orders; to complete the mission with as few casualties as possible…the same applies to every walk of life; military, civilian and religious life.
As far as his peace protests are concerned, his dishonesty directed toward good and holy Christian men and women serving in the military who might disagree with him or have a different idea as to how to accomplish the same goal, leads me to wonder not only about his integrity but more so about his sincerity.
Joe Z., If you think women should be called to the priesthood you need to take it up with Jesus Christ, because He is the only one that does the calling and He has chosen to call males only!
I really hope you are not going around telling people that you are a catholic because you are not you are a heretic. You can’t pick a choose what you want to beleive!
Caryle- Mary Magdalene was a disciple of Christ which means she was a follower. The catholic church never said she wasn’t! What she was not was an Apostle! Nobody cares what you don’t believe.
Why don’t you faithless people just leave us alone and let us do what God has taught us to do and you do your own thing where ever you do it!! Because remember Jesus Christ started only one church and that church is CATHOLIC!!
What does (G-d) mean anyway?
I have known Roy for eleven years and can attest to his holiness, his devotion to the sacramentality of the Roman church, the simplicity of his life, and his enormous courage.
Re: Roy Bourgeois
You guys are in a choir singing to each other. Fr. Bourgeois represents the future. If you read his letter carefully, you will see that he his wholly consistent and rational and makes a moral argument that is in the best tradition of peace and justice. He has dedicated his life to service and has demonstrated courage time and again. If you want to excommunicate him, then ex post facto, toss Thomas Merton out too.