A Response To The RCWP's Renunciation Response

An alert AoftheA reader directed me to the RCWP's response to Norma Jean Coon's "Renunciation of Ordination to Diaconate" (reported here). The response is posted at Bishopette Bridget Mary's blog:

"Obeying God Trumps Obeying Pope": Response of Association of Roman Catholic Women Wanna-be Priests to Norma Jean Coon's "Repudiation"

We understand the decision made in conscience by Norma Jean Coon, now a former RCWP deacon (California Catholic Daily, February 24, 2011). She has every right to change her mind and has an obligation to follow her conscience. We remain ordained Roman Catholic Women Priests who continue to follow our informed consciences and, simply put, obeying God trumps obeying the Pope.

It is the firm conviction of the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests that women who are ordained into a renewed priestly ministry are following primacy of conscience. According to official church teaching, "the final authority in any moral decision-making must always be one's conscience, even if said decision is contrary to church teaching. As the church teaches, "the gospel has a sacred reverence for the dignity of conscience and its freedom of choice" (GS, 41) and "in all activity [one] is bound to follow [one's] conscience faithfully." (See: Vatican Council II, Gaudium et Spes (GS) 16, 41.

Roman Catholic Women Priests follow Jesus who treated women and men as equals and partners in contradiction to the religious establishment of his times. Scholars have found evidence of women deacons and priests in the early centuries of the church’s history. (See Gary Macy, The Hidden History of Women’s Ordination) We stand in the prophetic tradition of holy obedience to the Spirit’s call to a renewed priestly ministry in a community of equals. We are challenging an unjust law that discriminates against women. Roman Catholic Women Priests are leading the church into a new era of justice and equality for women.

Those have to be the three most profound paragraphs of humble pride and unpretentious conceit ever written. I am so out of my league here. I'm incapable of arguing from both sides of the same coin as adroitly as Bishopette Bridget Mary.

I'm not even going to attempt it. This requires the assistance of someone with similar levels of intelligence, wisdom and sound thinking.

Therefore, AoftheA has invited Colonel Moammar Gadhafi to help put the RCWP's response in perspective. Colonel?

I understand the decision made in conscience by Hosni Mubarak, now a former Middle East nation dictator. He has every right to change his mind and has an obligation to follow his conscience. I, who remain in complete control of Libya, continue to follow my informed conscience and, simply put, obeying Allah trumps obeying the U.N.

It is my firm conviction that leaders who fire on their own citizens are following primacy of conscience. According to official church teaching (which I normally do not follow, but I will co-opt it nonetheless), "the final authority in any moral decision-making must always be one's conscience, even if said decision is contrary to church teaching. As the church teaches, "the gospel has a sacred reverence for the dignity of conscience and its freedom of choice" (GS, 41) and "in all activity [one] is bound to follow [one's] conscience faithfully." (See: Vatican Council II, Gaudium et Spes (GS) 16, 41.

I follow Mohammed, who taught that one's enemies must be defeated. Scholars have found evidence of oppressive subjugation of peoples in the early centuries of Islam's history. I stand in the prophetic tradition of holy obedience to Islam's call to a renewed deathgrip on people's freedoms. I am challenging an unjust law that claims all are equal and deserve freedom. I am leading Libya into a new era of justice and equality for myself.

Thanks, Colonel. Now it makes sense.