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Published: August 21, 2008
“Canonical warning”
Maryknoll priest admonished for participating in ‘woman’s ordination,’ order will join him in "collective discernment” over women’s role in the Church
A Maryknoll priest who earlier this month participated in the attempted ordination of a “womanpriest” has said a subsequent meeting with his superiors over the affair was “productive.”
On Aug. 8, Fr. Roy Bourgeois joined Dana Reynolds, a Carmel-by-the-Sea woman who claims to be a Catholic bishop, in the attempted ordination of Janice Sevre-Duszynska at a Unitarian church in Lexington, Kentucky.
 In his homily during the ordination service, Bourgeois equated the Holy See’s teaching that the Church has no authority to ordain women with the segregation of African-Americans in his home state of Louisiana. “No matter how hard we may try to justify discrimination, in the end, it is always wrong and immoral,” said Bourgeois. “As Reverend Nancy Taylor of Boston put it, ‘Prejudice in liturgical clothing is still prejudice.’”
Hearing reports of Bourgeois’ participation in the ordination service, his superiors summoned him to meet with them in Maryknoll, New York. On Aug. 19, Bourgeois told the National Catholic Reporter that he had met with his superiors. They, including Maryknoll Superior General Fr. John Sivalon, agreed, said Bourgeois, that they would join in "collective discernment over issues of justice, including the role of women in the church."
Bourgeois said he told his superiors that Maryknoll and other men’s orders need to be “open enough” and “have courage enough” to discuss with women the matter of ordination. “We don’t have to start ordaining women,” he said, “but can we at least invite women in and just listen? Can we shut up long enough to hear their stories, their experiences of being marginalized in the church? Can we hear the pain they feel?”
Bourgeois said he asked his superiors (who did not respond to the question), “What do we say to Janice and other women who say they are called by God to be priests?”
A joint statement from Bourgeois and his superiors notes that the matter of Bourgeois’ participation in the ordination service has been investigated and sent on to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome. Bourgeois’ superiors gave him a “canonical warning,” informing him of a violation of Church law. A future violation could bring on Bourgeois the penalties of dismissal from his order or excommunication.
Bourgeois told Catholic News Service that he had “no intentions of participating in a similar ceremony in the future."
But what if the Holy See excommunicates him? “I would be very, very sad,” Bourgeois told the National Catholic Register. “I’ve been a Maryknoll priest for 36 years. But if Rome came down with the ax? I’d have to embrace it.”
Posted Thursday, August 21, 2008 12:36 AM By JLS
36 years a religious and he still hasn't matured?! Has he ever wondered what the priesthood is all about?
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Posted Thursday, August 21, 2008 3:34 AM By Mary
We are all in Fr Roy's debt for his courageous and prophetic action and words. It is high time that the whole question of priesthood, what it is and what it's for is properly addressed, if necessary in a Council.
It is ludicrous and totally unjust that to attend and "participate" in an illicit ordination is punishable by excommunication or interdict, while pedophiles get a hush-hush new assignment.
God help us. Time to stand up for justice - now.
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Posted Thursday, August 21, 2008 4:55 AM By Fr. M.P.
“What do we say to Janice and other women who say they are called by God to be priests?” We say the truth - they are not called by God at all, since God calls only males to be priests, because only males can be spiritual fathers. "You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you." Rather, they are being tempted by the devil, and should repent through prayer and fasting.
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Posted Thursday, August 21, 2008 6:30 AM By Dipsy
It is the courageous actions of men like Fr. Roy Bourgeios and women like Sr. Lears who give me hope enough to remain in the Catholic Church. The pedophiliac and homosexual culture of many priests and bishops may be lessened by the inclusion of married men and women along with celibate people in the priesthood. Certainly if they excommunicate Fr. Bourgeois for participating in a woman's ordination and not excommunicate all the pedophile priests and closeted gay bishops who protected them the Catholic Church will have difficulty in evangelizing Protestant and Jewish folk who have no problem with women clergy but abhor pedophile activity. This is not to say the Catholic Church is alone with this problem, but there is more of it and it is a much more public issue.
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Posted Thursday, August 21, 2008 8:03 AM By Eileen
Since Father Ray Bourgeois still refuses to get it...even to the point of telling his superiors...."Can't we just shut up and listen to how they have been marginalized?" Spoken like an un- true follower of Christ. The Maryknoll Order needs a serious housecleaning. Isn't it mind boggling that Father Bourgeois states, "I would be very, very sad if the Holy See excommunictes me?" WHY would he be sad? He obviously can't stand the teachings. By his actions you'd think he'd be thrilled to leave such oppression. Oh, that's right, he'd have to get an actual job that forced him to keep his mouth shut or he'd starve. I wonder how far his tactics would get him with a boss in the corporate world? Father Bourgeois needs to embrace the ax.
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Posted Thursday, August 21, 2008 8:18 AM By Fr. J
I think it's time that Roy "embraced" the axe. Good luck Roy, I hear McDonald's is hiring.
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Posted Thursday, August 21, 2008 9:12 AM By Sick and Tired
Too bad his "superiors" reamined silent when he asked his silly little question. The simple answer is that they can stay in the Unitarian church where their views and opinions are accepted and mainstream and their "calling" can be answered. He's very concerned about the "pain" these women feel about the disallowance of their ordination, but he conveniently disregards the pain WE feel when the actions of mavericks like him bring disgrace to OUR faith. So go "embrace" your true faith that believes in everything, and in nothing, and leave the Catholicism to the Catholics.
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Posted Thursday, August 21, 2008 10:45 AM By Dai Yoshida
His superiors didn't have to consult Rome for this. He should have been canned on the spot. First the Jesuits and now we can't count on the Maryknolls to do the right thing. Thank God for the Carmelites.
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Posted Thursday, August 21, 2008 11:11 AM By Life Lady
Hope in one hand, and spit in the other. Women are not to be ordained as priest into the Catholic Church, like it or not. The primary leader of the church is a man, and we all follow him, as he is King and Center of all hearts, and that man is Jesus Christ. We honor, worship and adore Him, and Him alone. We honor His most Holy Mother, who was not a priest, as the Mediatrix of all graces. Her role has been to be silent when necessary and then to be vocal when called upon to do so. Any women who put themselves above either of those Two, is calling down the Judgement upon herself. To elevate yourself above Them is ridiculous. You do so when you decide that you are called to be a priest. Such an idea is a perversion, and a counterfeit of your true role as a woman in the church. Marginalized? The Blessed Mother has never described Herself in that way. Who are you to question that, or to describe yourself in such a way? The enemy has hold of you, snap out of it, and get help.
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Posted Thursday, August 21, 2008 11:58 AM By George
'Bourgeois said he asked...' “What do we say to Janice and other women who say they are called by God to be priests?”
Are you ready for this - here's the answer: "No"
I would suggest that if they do a little more discernment they will discover that it is not 'God' who is calling them, but the demonic. Satan's only remaining stumbling block on earth is the Catholic Church. These women are Satan's suicide jihadists whom *he* is sending - among others - to corrupt and distort the truth of Christ's Church. Along the way these ladies corrupt weak minded others (Stalin called such as this "useful idiots") such as Fr. Roy to join in their mission. And guess what ladies? Satan's domain is a patriarch. Conversely, the head of Satan is crushed by… a “woman” who serves God in the role He asked her to take. She said “Yes Lord.” Hmmm… Do you think Mary felt "marginalized" in the Church? Does she demand to be called Father Mary?
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Posted Thursday, August 21, 2008 12:04 PM By Sixtus
Polarization by Catholics over this issue is becoming more pronounced and strident. The feminist culture has sent a strong message to the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, and the recent popes and curia have dug in their heels over this struggle. How it will end is anyone's guess, unless you already believe the cause has been irrevocably settled by JPII. I'll continue to stay tuned.
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Posted Thursday, August 21, 2008 12:45 PM By JLS
This pop fad about being called by God, when it ain't true ... Well how about I'm called by God to win the big mega lotto, and it doesn't happen. So, I organize millions of people and protest and demonstrate and whine ... until the lotto officials give in and give us all the money ... which we fairly divide up and each walk away with a dollar. Is there a parallel to the womyn pryyst movement?
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Posted Thursday, August 21, 2008 1:33 PM By St. Christopher
Dear "Mary", "Dipsy" and others who support the scandalous actions of this priest. The Episcopalian church (and others, try the Methodists) will welcome you with open arms. I suggest that you leave. I, for one, have no interest in your attempts to change the Catholic Church. You, and your beliefs, are aking to trying to pray at Mass when a couple with noisy children refuse to leave but serve to disrupt the entire area of the congregation. Leave, leave, leave now, and take the disingenuous priest with you. It is only by this approach that the Church will have peace. No dialog is possible. The Pope and Magisterium have spoken on this issue numerous times. It is finished.
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Posted Thursday, August 21, 2008 2:36 PM By Patrick Clark
Poor old Father. I think he was led astray by others.
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Posted Thursday, August 21, 2008 4:21 PM By cjo
Dai is right.. Why wasn't he canned ? Hmmm ..
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Posted Thursday, August 21, 2008 4:50 PM By simone dubois
Whatever happened to patiently and silently bearing our pain, suffering and burdens with joy and offering them up in union with the cross and Him crucified? These folks have invented their own god, heck, it sounds like they think they are god.
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Posted Thursday, August 21, 2008 5:14 PM By Joe
I fully agree with Fr. M.P. and Eileen's comments.This errant Maryknoll priest must have been INVITED to the so-called ordination. He ACCEPTED with no qualms. I would hate to be on the hot seat when he appears before the Almighty when life passes out from him. There are weak Cathol;ics all around, but we must follow the Magisterium. JMJ
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Posted Thursday, August 21, 2008 6:15 PM By Therese Glassmeyer
For Fr. Bourgeois and all like-minded. Jesus would say to these pious killers of his Spirit: "Forgive them, Lord, they know not what they do." And to the pharisees--Church laws can be changed; they are not infallible. Your clinging to tradition does not give you higher moral ground.
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Posted Thursday, August 21, 2008 11:23 PM By George
A question for Therese Glassmeyer: Please tell us who appointed you and granted you the moral authority to dispute Church Tradition?
Perhaps you should study up a bit.
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Posted Friday, August 22, 2008 8:28 AM By JLS
Glassmeyer evidently believes that people can kill the Spirit of God.
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Posted Saturday, August 23, 2008 7:50 AM By Therese
In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.'
8
You disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition." 9
He went on to say, "How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition! 10
---------------
George, You put words in my mouth. I am referencing Christ's words. We've changed many traditions in our church by following the Spirit. For example, we no longer have a Church law that says women need to be 'cleansed.' BTW, I have studied. :) Peace.
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Posted Saturday, August 23, 2008 8:33 AM By Cath
What do you tell a woman when she tells you God called her to be a priest?
The same thing you tell a man who tells you God called him to be a mother.
You're both crazy.
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Posted Saturday, August 23, 2008 10:00 PM By JLS
These wymyn who claim God calls them to be men or priests or whatever, amount to the practicioners of the ancient mystery religions ... I think, anyway. What else would they be manifesting? In other words, what would their spiritual description be? When Jesus cast out demons, He called them by their names, I recall being taught. Theologians develop descriptions and their labels for such things as ideas important to know about.
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Posted Sunday, August 24, 2008 10:16 AM By JPeterman
Yes, yes Mary lets call a Council!! Wait, how do we call a council? Oops, I forgot the Church isn't a Democracy. The US is a democracy Mary and you're free to worship any place you choose but you can only be a Catholic by following the teachings of the Magisterium. If you don't like that, the US is a democracy and you're free to worship somewhere else. Pray for discernment and enlightenment.
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Posted Sunday, August 24, 2008 11:01 PM By Dan
I have been on retreat for a week and come back to this from Fr. Bourgeois:“We don’t have to start ordaining women,” he said, “but can we at least invite women in and just listen? Can we shut up long enough to hear their stories, their experiences of being marginalized in the church? Can we hear the pain they feel?” Translate: I cannot convince you that what I did was correct now, but if you just take some time to feel the pain of these women, you will come over to my side and advocate the ordination of women. Fr B -- what about the angst of a woman desiring an abortion -- shall we listen to her and then tell her, yes, we feel your pain; go ahead to Planned Parenthood? What about the pain of someone who has been wronged? Shall we listen to his pain, and suggest he go seek revenge? "Life is pain; anyone who says different is selling something" (from the Princess Bride) . What these women should seek is what all of us should: holiness -- simplicity and purity. God has spoken through Peter -- that is our faith. As a convert, I can tell you that the wisdom of the Bishop of Rome was a strong element in my conversion, especially the very wise words of Paul VI in Humanae Vitae. Dipsy, the Church will be most effective in evangelization when she is most truly herself, not when she attempts to dilute her teachings with the "wisdom" of the world.
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Posted Monday, August 25, 2008 2:06 PM By Jan Wnek
I enjoy reading these posts.....they reveal the deviation of the Constantinian element in the Church from the truth of Jesus' Gospel of Nonviolent Love of All...even enemies....God hasn't spoken through Peter alone...He has spoken through Jesus, His only-begotten Son.....now, my friends, who has "seniority"?...Jesus? or "Peter"? Of course, if you're a "Burger King" Catholic, your reply is obvious....who needs Jesus, when you have an "apologist" for your actions? Pace e bene,
Jan
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Posted Monday, August 25, 2008 10:37 PM By Dan
"He has spoken through Jesus, His only-begotten Son.....now, my friends, who has "seniority"?...Jesus? or "Peter"? If by chance you are a catholic, Jan, then you know that the pope is our principle link with our saviour Himself. Or do you not believe our Lord when he said he would build His church on Peter? Your continual sniping from a position of supposed superiority is quite tedious reading IMO; I don't know how anyone else feels.
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Posted Tuesday, August 26, 2008 4:49 AM By Fr. M.P.
Jesus left us Peter and successors to guard and promulgate everything He told us. Matthew 16:18 "And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, * and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and
whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." This was long before Constantine.
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Posted Tuesday, August 26, 2008 6:13 PM By Jan Wnek
MP and Dan - your quote:"If by chance you are a catholic, Jan, then you know that the pope is our principle link with our saviour Himself. Or do you not believe our Lord when he said he would build His church on Peter?" My answer: No talk of Peter's "successors", is there? Seems to me it's limited to Peter.......once the "church" institutionalized itself and became an ally of Caesar and "the kingdoms of this world", the "Peter principle" went by the wayside.....Jesus didn't actually extend his conferral on any of the successors of Peter, did He? Where is the quote? He could have easily said "...and these keys of the kingdom which I give you will extend to your successors until the end of the world." But He didn't say that, did He? Aye, there's the rub.....
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Posted Tuesday, August 26, 2008 8:12 PM By JLS
Jan, you should take a course in dot-connecting 101.
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Posted Wednesday, August 27, 2008 5:29 PM By Jan Wnek
JLS:thanks for the advice.......
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Posted Wednesday, August 27, 2008 6:26 PM By Fr. M.P.
Jan W, you talk like the perfect Protestant, which beliefs, of course, are heretical for anyone calling himself a Catholic. I wouldn't be surprised if you were really a Protestant masquerading as a Catholic here. Are you? Why not check out Acts of the Apostles when Pope St. Peter had a new successor appointed? Not only talk but action after Jesus had Ascended. Infallible Scripture shows the process as soon as the traitor Judas needed to be replaced. How about John 17:18, John 20:21, Matthew 28:19. Luke 10:16, Matthew 18:18, Matthew 16:15, Luke 22:19, John 20:23, 1 Corinthians 4:1, 2 Corinthians 5:20, Acts 1:8? The Apostles and their successors, always headed by a successor to Peter the Pope. Get Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma (by Ludwig Ott) and read the section on the Church, which talks about the origin and purpose and explains what you reject, but what you *must* accept to be a Catholic.
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Posted Wednesday, August 27, 2008 8:46 PM By Jan Wnek
MP: All your references deal with the apostles who surrounded Jesus during His earthly life.....no talk of a transfer of "power' to any "successors" of Peter.....the concept of "priest" and "pope" was one which evolved over the first century of Christianity....Jesus certainly didn't unequivocally state that there should be a succession....unless you can provide me with a quote from the New Testament which supports your position. Then you have the "problem" of James the Just, the "brother of the Lord", who led the church in Jerusalem. It might be interesting for the readers of this website that the title of "pontifex maximus", which has been given to the Popes since the 4th century, was the title of the chief pagan Roman high priest in the Roman empire......but that is the way of Constantinian "christianity".....nothing could be more "logical" for a institution which allied itself with the "kingdoms of this world".
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Posted Wednesday, August 27, 2008 9:44 PM By Jimmimac
Patrick Clark, I agree: poor, dumb guy. So many comments suppose that the fact you feel you should be ordained means that you really should. And yet they want all pedophile priests laicised. Some men who thought they should be ordained should NOT have been then, don't you agree?
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