Letter To The Editor

This Letter to the Editor was in today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Priesthood changes

As a lifelong, practicing Catholic, with 16 years of religious education, I hope our next bishop is not a staunchly conservative, priggish prelate whose main qualifications for the post are a sonorous voice, Cheshire cat smile and svelte figure. The devastating problems in the American Catholic Church will not be ameliorated by adult religious re-education, as one high-ranking Pittsburgh clerical pundit recently suggested in the Post-Gazette.

I am becoming increasingly uncomfortable belonging to an organization that outsiders view as chauvinistic, to the point of misogyny. Women are the backbone of our church. They are the majority of Mass attendees and, in most Catholic families, ensure that the children attend religious services and CCD classes. If pious Catholic women become disenfranchised, the church will not survive in this country.

It is imperative that new bishops foment the issues of female ordination and marriage for clergy. If these changes are ever implemented, the dwindling ordination rate will explode and the almost " unmentionable" abuses by the clergy will cease.

Maybe I am naive believing the soul is genderless and so should be the priesthood?

ROBERT BILLER
Fombell

Yes, Robert. You are naive.

Here is the Letter I wrote in response:

I have just read a letter to the editor which you published by Robert Biller and would like to respond. He seems to think that just because the Catholic Church will not allow women priests, it is misogynistic and degrading towards women. Nothing could be further from the truth! There are many woman saints and the most blessed of all God's creation is His mother Mary. How could anyone say that the Church looks down on women, when the most revered saint in the Church is a woman? Mary points us toward Christ. She is the prime example of true fidelity to God.

He is also wrong about the soul being genderless. We are distinctly male and female beings. Our soul is the source of our life. God didn't create us as androgynous persons.

As for the priesthood, it was established by God. It is not a right that all people have. It is a privilege.

A priest acts In Persona Christi (In the person of Christ). Christ was not a female, so a female cannot act in Christ's person! Also, the greek word for priest is presbyteroi, which means bearded one. When women start growing beards, they can become priests.

God's original intention was for the father of the family to be a Priest, Prophet, and King. The firstborn son inherited the title. If anyone has a right to the priesthood, it is the firstborn sons of antiquity. However, because of the sinfulness of the firstborns, they lost their right to the priesthood.

After that, the Levites ordained themselves as priests by slaughtering the 3,000 who worshipped the golden calf. But God never intended for just the Levites to be priests. This was a temporary designation until the True High Priest (Christ) came.

When Christ came he established a new priesthood with the 12 Apostles(who were all men) which was more like God's original priesthood.

Not anyone can be a priest. To be a priest is to be set apart as a leader to God's people. A priest is called to a higher standard of holiness. Yes, they are sinners like the rest of us, but nonetheless they are called to a holier life. To say someone has a right to be a priest is an insult to the priests who are truly called and who sacrifice their lives to be leaders who bring people to Christ.

Contrary to Mr. Biller's beliefs,the devastating problems in the American Catholic Church WILL ameliorated by adult religious re-education and also a greater discernment of who is allowed into the priesthood.

It's not a coincidence that orthodox diocese's have no shortage of vocations to the priesthood.

Mr. Biller would do better to obey the Pope, than to try to be his own.