Church always stands up for dignity of women

IF it is Jennifer Sleeman’s intention to advance the cause of women through her call for a boycott of mass tomorrow, she should do so, informed by the teaching of the Catholic Church on the dignity of women.

Rather than venting her anger at the church, she should promote its teaching, in particular its teaching on the dignity due to women which it has always preached and defended with great clarity.

Pope John Paul II has many great writings, some dedicated entirely to women, acknowledging their role in the church and defending their many roles in society.

In fact, no other institution defends the dignity of women better that the Catholic Church.

Ms Sleeman’s call for women priests ignores the sacramental nature of the priesthood.

Women can participate at many levels in the church, but the priesthood is of Christ. The priest takes the place of Christ who called 12 men to be his apostles and when, after Judas departed, Matthias was selected.

The priesthood therefore, is not a position to be filled by just anyone. It is for a man to be ordained priest, to act in the person of Christ, representing Christ sacramentally and visually.

Sunday is a holy day of obligation, but Ms Sleeman is asking the faithful to deny the worship due to God.

! I wonder had she called for and end to pornography, which is so degrading to women and has been widely identified as the ‘food’ of paedophiles, would she have kindled such an attentive media? Or had she pronounced Humanae Vitae as the most prophetic document ever on the dignity of women, would the media give the ‘good news’ such prominence?

May God protect us all from women ‘priests’ – especially now that we know part of their radical feminist theology includes misleading the faithful into deliberately abstaining from Sunday Mass, which is a grave sin.

Theresa Heaney

‘Deodatus’

Maryborough

Timoleague

Co Cork