I have a new hero—an unlikely guy. He is a 70-year old Vietnam vet and a Southerner, born in Louisiana. My new hero is a Roman Catholic Maryknoll priest named Roy Bourgeois. I am a bit discomfited to say that I had not heard of him until recently. But I admire his background: He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1972, and he went on to work as a missionary with poor people in Bolivia.

Later, Father Bourgeois became a missionary in El Salvador and got engaged in activism related to the rape and murder by Salvadoran soldiers of four Catholic laywomen from the United States. All of the above are terrific reasons for him to become my hero, but the actual reason that he has made my hero list now is because he continues to stand on his principles.
 
Along with being an advocate for the poor and a peace advocate, Father Bourgeois has proclaimed his support of the ordination of women to the priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church. Last August he took part in a ceremony to ordain a Roman Catholic woman.

In response to his participation, he received word from the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that he would be excommunicated if he did not recant within 30 days. Those of us who are parochial school grads may recall that excommunication is the most severe penalty that the legal arm of Roman Catholicism offers. The New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia defines it as: “the principal and severest censure, [and] spiritual penalty that deprives the guilty Christian of all participation in the common blessings of ecclesiastical society.”

My new hero, Father Bourgeois, did not run nor does he seem to be frightened by the threat. He wrote a letter in response that said the following (in part):

“Over the years I have met a number of women in our Church who, like me, feel called by God to the priesthood. You, our Church leaders at the Vatican, tell us that women cannot be ordained. With all due respect, I believe our Catholic Church’s teaching on this issue is wrong and does not stand up to scrutiny. After much prayer, reflection and discernment, it is my conscience that compels me to do the right thing. I cannot recant my belief and public statements that support the ordination of women in our Church.”

Of course the irony here is that the Roman Catholic Church has had many reasons for severe penalties in the last decade as it has contended with long histories of child abuse and sexual molestation by priests. As far as my cursory research can find, there is little evidence that they have chosen that course with priests convicted of sexually abusing minors.

Pope John Paul II affirmed the Catholic Church’s position that, since Jesus only chose men as disciples, women can not be ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood. As a clergywoman, I must admit my bias here—but it seems that the argument is more about culture than commandment. It seems that, if one were to follow this argument, male priests would also not speak English, ride in airplanes or wear pants.

I pray for the day when God’s “beloved community” will exist on Earth. Where all people created by God and in the image of God will take their place at the welcome table—with Christ as our host. My faith and reading of the Bible tell me that the day will come. Come, Lord Jesus!