POPE FRANCIS: PRIESTHOOD IS A CALL TO SERVICE AND WOMEN ARE CALLED

WOMEN'S ORDINATION WORLDWIDE (WOW)

WOW: POPE FRANCIS -- PRIESTHOOD IS A CALL TO SERVICE AND WOMEN ARE CALLED

In his first Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium Pope Francis explicitly challenges global leaders to act against poverty and inequality. While Women’s Ordination Worldwide (WOW) applauds this message as a breath of fresh air, we are troubled by the document’s context on women and equation of priesthood with pursuit of power.

As Francis knows from personal experience, a call to priesthood is a call from God to a vocation of service. Like Mary who freely gave her yes to God to bear Christ for the world, women who are called to priesthood yearn to respond with a yes to sacramental ministry to the people of our Church.

Pope Francis points out that the Church should not be afraid to re-examine customs – even those with deep historical roots – when they no longer serve as a means of communicating the Gospel. A male only priesthood does not communicate Gospel. It jars against the message that there is neither male nor female in Christ. It jars against the proof of women's leadership in the early Church.

Fitting it is then that as we enter season of Advent we ponder: 2,000 years ago, the question was asked: ‘How can it be that God would choose a peasant girl -- Mary-- to bring the Christ child into the world?’And later on, 'how can it be that Jesus would choose a woman –Mary Magdalene -- to preach the Good News of resurrection to the Apostles?' Among today’s Vatican leadership, the same sort of question persists: ‘How can it be that God would choose women to sacramentally bring Christ to the world?’

As Mary knew, with God all things are possible. We pray for our Pope, we pray for our Church, we pray that the will of God be done. Be not afraid, Pope Francis. The Gospel calls.