Sir, – Soline Humbert’s recent article seeks to make sense of the Catholic Church’s leadership and its continued resistance to the ordination of women (“Denial of a vocation to women isn’t just ‘discomfort’, it is spiritual abuse”, Opinion, April 5th).
The challenges within Irish dioceses intensify. We are witnessing fewer Masses, prolonged church closures and increasing restrictions on funerals, weddings, baptisms and confirmations. At the same time, pastoral care is in steady decline within an increasingly diminished and troubled faith community, with little evidence of meaningful evangelisation.
This is occurring even as Dublin’s archbishop, Dermot Farrell, has publicly stated he sees no impediment to the ordination of women as deacons. His appointment by the former pope Francis might reasonably be interpreted as signalling some openness to such perspectives. Yet indications suggest Pope Leo’s position remains unchanged.
History offers a telling parallel. In the 1980s, the late and much-loved priest of Ballyfermot, Peter Lemass, introduced altar girls. He was swiftly instructed by archbishop Dermot Ryan to discontinue the practice, such was the prevailing attitude at the time.
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Is it sustainable for Rome to insist on a “one-way only” approach while communities face a crisis? Are we moving towards a church where access to the Eucharist or church services becomes increasingly limited, and where parish life resembles essential services operating at reduced or emergency capacity, akin to some Garda stations, post offices or medical services?
My support for the ordination of women is not rooted solely in the shortage of priests. It is grounded in a deeper theological principle, that men and women share equal dignity through Baptism. To restrict the priesthood on the basis of sex appears inconsistent with the church’s teaching on equality and at odds with its mission to provide the Eucharist and pastoral care to all.
Some argue that a priest must represent Christ, who was male. Others contend that Christ’s maleness is not essential to his role as Saviour. What the priest represents is Christ’s humanity, not his gender. On that basis, women are no less capable of serving as ordained priests.
Women who have a genuine vocation should be ordained. As Humbert suggests, denying equality in the eyes of God risks becoming a form of spiritual injustice. – Yours, etc,
THOMAS MORRIS GORMALLY,
Rathangan,
Co Kildare.
