The latest on Fr. Roy Bourgeois
I've been wondering what's been happening with Maryknoll priest Fr. Roy Bourgeois since he refused to recant his beliefs about women's ordination.
Today I saw a post about the situation at NCR - Maryknoll votes on Bourgeois' dismissal from order. Apparently the order has voted but the consequences of that vote - two for dismissal and three abstentions - is unclear and Fr. Bourgeois and his lawyer, Dominican Fr. Thomas Doyle, are not being kept apprised of what's happening. Here's a bit of the post ...
[...] In his interview, Doyle said the vote regarding Bourgeois' removal from the order is "especially interesting now," considering the stance the U.S. bishops' conference is taking regarding freedom of conscience over a controversial federal mandate requiring coverage of contraceptive services in health care plans.
"All these American bishops are speaking about freedom of conscience and exercise of religion," said Doyle. "But they will not respect one of their own people who wants to appeal to the same dynamic."
For his part, regardless of the uncertainties surrounding the dismissal vote, Bourgeois said the fact that several members of the council had apparently not endorsed his dismissal has given him a "glimmer of hope."
"I'm always talking about solidarity -- that we should be in solidarity with women called the priesthood -- and I felt it was a very good expression of solidarity with a member of the community," Bourgeois said. "To be very honest, I felt some joy and a glimmer of hope because I am fighting ... to stay in our community."
For those interested, here's a little about Fr. Bourgeois from Wikipedia ...
He attended the University of Southwestern Louisiana and graduated with a bachelor of science degree in geology. After graduation, Bourgeois entered the United States Navy and served as an officer for four years. He spent two years at sea, one year at a station in Europe, and one year in Vietnam. He received the Purple Heart during a tour of duty in Vietnam.
After military service, he entered the seminary of the Catholic missionary order of Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers (Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America). He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1972 and sent to Bolivia.
1972-1975 Fr. Bourgeois spent five years in Bolivia aiding the poor before being arrested and deported for attempting to overthrow Bolivian dictator General Hugo Banzer.
1980 Fr. Bourgeois became an outspoken critic of US foreign policy in Latin America after four American churchwomen, Sister Maura Clarke, Jean Donovan, Sister Ita Ford, and Sister Dorothy Kazel, were raped and killed by a death squad consisting of soldiers from the Salvadoran National Guard, some of whom had been trained at the School of the Americas.
1990 Fr. Bourgeois founded the School of the Americas Watch or (SOA Watch), an organization that seeks to close the School of the Americas, renamed Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC) in 2001, through nonviolent protest.
1998 Fr. Bourgeois testified before a Spanish judge seeking the extradition of Chile's ex-dictator General Augusto Pinochet ...
There's something seriously wrong with a church that will lift the excommunication of someone like Holocaust denier Richard Williamson but will excommunicate and fire a man like Roy Bourgeois.
Today I saw a post about the situation at NCR - Maryknoll votes on Bourgeois' dismissal from order. Apparently the order has voted but the consequences of that vote - two for dismissal and three abstentions - is unclear and Fr. Bourgeois and his lawyer, Dominican Fr. Thomas Doyle, are not being kept apprised of what's happening. Here's a bit of the post ...
[...] In his interview, Doyle said the vote regarding Bourgeois' removal from the order is "especially interesting now," considering the stance the U.S. bishops' conference is taking regarding freedom of conscience over a controversial federal mandate requiring coverage of contraceptive services in health care plans.
"All these American bishops are speaking about freedom of conscience and exercise of religion," said Doyle. "But they will not respect one of their own people who wants to appeal to the same dynamic."
For his part, regardless of the uncertainties surrounding the dismissal vote, Bourgeois said the fact that several members of the council had apparently not endorsed his dismissal has given him a "glimmer of hope."
"I'm always talking about solidarity -- that we should be in solidarity with women called the priesthood -- and I felt it was a very good expression of solidarity with a member of the community," Bourgeois said. "To be very honest, I felt some joy and a glimmer of hope because I am fighting ... to stay in our community."
For those interested, here's a little about Fr. Bourgeois from Wikipedia ...
He attended the University of Southwestern Louisiana and graduated with a bachelor of science degree in geology. After graduation, Bourgeois entered the United States Navy and served as an officer for four years. He spent two years at sea, one year at a station in Europe, and one year in Vietnam. He received the Purple Heart during a tour of duty in Vietnam.
After military service, he entered the seminary of the Catholic missionary order of Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers (Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America). He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1972 and sent to Bolivia.
1972-1975 Fr. Bourgeois spent five years in Bolivia aiding the poor before being arrested and deported for attempting to overthrow Bolivian dictator General Hugo Banzer.
1980 Fr. Bourgeois became an outspoken critic of US foreign policy in Latin America after four American churchwomen, Sister Maura Clarke, Jean Donovan, Sister Ita Ford, and Sister Dorothy Kazel, were raped and killed by a death squad consisting of soldiers from the Salvadoran National Guard, some of whom had been trained at the School of the Americas.
1990 Fr. Bourgeois founded the School of the Americas Watch or (SOA Watch), an organization that seeks to close the School of the Americas, renamed Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC) in 2001, through nonviolent protest.
1998 Fr. Bourgeois testified before a Spanish judge seeking the extradition of Chile's ex-dictator General Augusto Pinochet ...
There's something seriously wrong with a church that will lift the excommunication of someone like Holocaust denier Richard Williamson but will excommunicate and fire a man like Roy Bourgeois.
posted by crystal | 11:48 PM
3 Comments:
"There's something seriously wrong with a church that will lift the excommunication of someone like Holocaust denier Richard Williamson but will excommunicate and fire a man like Roy Bourgeois."
You should join a church you actually like.
There are still parts of the church I like, it's the guys running the show right now that I don't care for.
A house divided cannot stand. Roy Bourgeois is causing division within the fold. I think he should be excommunicated. It seems like he already started his own religion, with women as priests. Funny, I never read about any women priests in bible.
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