Yesterday, we received a communication from the Diocese about the Vatican’s latest norms to strengthen efforts against abusive priests. Most of the norms address the priests’ sex abuse scandal. The news article also included the following as a “delicta graviora” (more grave crime): the “attempted sacred ordination of a woman.” In such an act, the Vatican said, the cleric and the woman involved are automatically excommunicated and the cleric can also be dismissed from the priesthood.
Not being a canon lawyer, I have to say I learned new things. One, that a list of “more grave crimes” exists. Two, there are two types of more grave crimes – those concerning the celebration of the sacraments (ordination of women) and those concerning morals (clerical sex abuse and hierarchical cover up). “Vatican officials emphasized” the news article stated “that simply because women’s ordination was treated in the same document as priestly sex abuse does not mean the two acts were somehow equivalent in the eyes of the church.” Right.
It shouldn’t surprise me that the Vatican is still riveted on a celibate, male priesthood. While I have no desire to become a priest in the Catholic Church I’m having trouble believing that the doctrinal congregation isn’t dialing the situation backwards with the inclusion of women’s ordination on the “grave crimes” list. Sinking that pilon even deeper into the foundation of institutional church does not strengthen anything at all.
I will be away next week but feel free to comment if you're inclined...
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