My Papal dedication pledges that I will make the Ordination of Women a central aim of my Papacy. At this stage I should declare a vested interest. Someone once wrote that when you have a child you give consent to the agony of watching your Heart walk around outside of your body. The Heart that walks outside of my body is now 15 and though I have nurtured her in the Faith of the Catholic Church throughout her whole life she recently declared that she no longer feels able to be a part of my Church. I did feel an acute sense of agony at the time …… the agony of watching my Heart unable to walk alongside me on the Path to God through Jesus Christ. I wanted to try and reason with her but she is as bright as the star that once guided 3 Kings to a small stable in Bethlehem and I knew that she had a strong foundation for her informed decision to leave the Roman Catholic Church. The scale of clerical abuse of innocent minors , the un Christ like treatment of our Sisters and Brothers in the LGBTQ+ community, the denial of the Church Hierarchy to embrace married priests whilst simultaneously promoting divisive Clericalism , elitism and privilege have all motivated her to turn away from the Church of Rome. Above all, as a strong advocate of Women’s rights , Equality and Justice for all , she cannot reconcile the mysoginist attitude of a privileged and elite (and increasingly out of touch) minority of men who deny women the God given right to Ordination. For my part I have committed the rest of my life to achieving my papal pledge : ” I will dedicate my Papacy to Peace, to overcoming poverty and injustice to continuing the reforms of my beloved Pope Francis, to the cause of women’s ordination and to the ordination of those of our Sisters and Brothers who are married, to the prevention of clerical abuse , to enabling full participation in the Church for our LGBTQ+ family and to caring for our common home but above all I will dedicate my Papacy to the Love of God and the Love of one another”

I do so in the Hope that my Heart will one day look upon a Church that reflects the Truth and Beauty that Jesus sacrificed Himself for and at that point we will walk together, hand in hand, to receive the Blessed Eucharist from one of thousands of wonderful women who have been ordained within a Christ centred Roman Catholic Church.

“The hour comes, the hour has come, in which the vocation of the woman is completed in fullness, the hour in which the woman acquires in society an influence, an irradiation, a power never before reached. It is for this reason, at this moment in which humanity is experiencing such a profound transformation, that women imbued with the spirit of the Gospel can do so much to help humanity not to decay” Saint Paul VI

Please take time to read this inspiring account of pioneering women priests especially their constitution below which is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful ever written.

The Roman Catholic Women priests movement is an initiative within the Church that began in Germany with the ordination of seven women on the Danube River in 2002.

In 2003, Gisela Forster and Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger (two of the original Danube 7) were ordained bishops and in 2005 Patricia Fresen from South Africa (who currently lives in Germany) was also ordained a bishop.

Women bishops ordained in Apostolic Succession continue to carry out the work of ordaining women in the Roman Catholic Church. In 2006, Ida Reming was ordained a bishop and in 2008 Dana Reynolds of California became the first American Roman Catholic Womanbishop. These women and those who have come after them continue to carry on the pastoral work of ordaining women to the priesthood.

Currently there are over 100 members worldwide who are reclaiming their ancient spiritual heritage and are re-shaping a more inclusive, Christ-centered Church for the 21st century. We advocate a new model of priestly ministry united with the people with whom we serve. We are rooted in a response to Jesus who called women and men to be disciples and equals living the Gospel. 

Roman Catholic Women Priests (RCWP) is an International Movement within the Roman Catholic Church.

The mission of Roman Catholic Women Priests is to prepare, ordain in Apostolic Succession, and support primarily women who are called by the Holy Spirit and their communities to a renewed priestly ministry rooted in justice and faithfulness to the Gospel.

This international movement is operating worldwide with two groups formed in the USA referred to as Roman Catholic Womenpriests-USA (RCWP-USA) and the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (ARCWP). Both of these organizations have international members. These women priests are ministering in over 34 USA states and are also present in Canada, Europe, South and Central America, South Africa, Philippines and Taiwan.

THE CONSTITUTION

 OF

THE ASSOCIATION OF ROMAN CATHOLIC WOMEN PRIESTS:

A RENEWED MODEL OF PRIESTLY MINISTRY IN A COMMUNITY OF EQUALS

VISION STATEMENT

The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests is committed to a renewed model of ordained ministry in an inclusive community of equals in the Roman Catholic Church.

 PART I.  MISSION

The Association of Roman Catholic women priests, therefore, responds to this call from the Holy Spirit, in our time, by preparing, ordaining and supporting qualified women and men, from all states of life, who are committed to a model of Church grounded in Jesus’ vision of an open table, where all are welcome. 

By our living and ministering within a community of equals, we are respectful of differences among people.

In the tradition of our mystics and prophets, we challenge the dominance of patriarchal systems by promoting practices of equality that lead us to recognize and stand for justice on behalf of all people, locally and globally, and on behalf of the urgent needs of Eco-justice for our planet.

PART II.  VALUES

We believe:

1. Equality

We believe women and men are created whole and equal by God and as baptized persons can equally represent Christ. We ordain women and men in Apostolic Succession as a matter of justice and faithfulness to the Gospel. Because equality is a human right, we are called to work for structural, systemic change that eliminates discrimination and sexism in the church and in the world.

2. Justice

We strive to live as justice makers in right relation to self, to others, and to the earth. Aware of the interconnectedness of all, we believe that action on behalf of justice is constitutive to the Gospels. Because we understand how unjust structures marginalize people on the basis of class, race, gender, sexual orientation, and mental and physical challenges, we collaborate to create alternative structures that are inclusive of all and are deeply based in the traditions of social justice within our church.

3. Accountability

Accountability is a hallmark of our commitment to circular leadership.  We are co-responsible to live our vision of a renewed priestly ministry in a community of equals.  We are called to be open to the Spirit as our movement evolves and grows. As models of empowerment, we are united in vision and mission, and respectful of our differences, and we open ourselves to ongoing discussion and prayer in actualizing this responsibility. 

4. Collegiality

Our vision is to live as a community of equals in decision making as an organization and within all our faith communities. We make decisions by using a circular model including consensus and/or democratic vote of all members. We reject all forms of domination and control.

5. Prophetic Obedience

We are called by the Spirit to read the signs of the times and to respond in solidarity with the human rights and justice movements of our times. As disciples of Jesus, we stand on the margins with the marginalized, advocating for justice rising up in our church and world.  Illumined by the mystical and prophetic tradition, we use the insights of evolutionary, feminist, liberation, womanist, and mujerista theologies in our spiritual and professional ministerial development.    

6. Spirituality:

Spirituality is at the heart of our commitment to the Holy One. We are called to be women and men of prayer and action.  All of life is sacrament, a sign of God’s presence that reflects our holiness as co-creators in the community of life. Through conscious awareness and committed activism, we work for a more just, peaceful and egalitarian church and world where all beings thrive together.  As members of the Community of the Baptized, we are aware that the entire church celebrates sacraments. We preside at sacramental liturgies in inclusive, empowered, egalitarian communities where all are welcome to experience God’s extravagant love. 

7. Compassion:

Compassion allows us as healers to enter into the journey of others in times of heart break, grief and loss.  In all our communications, we strive for deep understanding, and we respond with openness to listen, to learn, and to love and to share God’s faithful presence always with others in their struggles. 

 IN SUMMARY

The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (ARCWP) is an international community within the International Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement.   As a community of equal disciples, our calling is first and foremost to follow Jesus the Christ, our model of liberation, and to grow in unity with all in the heart of God. Aware of our deep connectedness to one another, and to the community of creation, our mission is to live Gospel justice and inclusiveness by ordaining women and men as equals and partners in the Roman Catholic Church

Manifesto for a Lay Pope. My promise to you; If I am elected Pope I will decree that:

The ordination of women will be enshrined within Catholic Canon Law

If you want to know more about the Holy Spirit led Movement for the Ordination of Women please visit their websites.
romancatholicwomenpriests.org
arcwp.org

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“I may speak in tongues of men or of angels but if I am without Love I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal. I may have the gift of prophesy and know every hidden truth; I may have Faith strong enough to move mountains but if I have no Love I am nothing. I may dole out all I possess or even give my body to be burnt but if I have no Love I am none the better. Love is patient; Love is kind and envies no one. Love is never boastful nor conceited nor rude; never selfish, not quick to take offence. Love takes no score of wrongs; does not gloat over others men’s sins but delights in the Truth. There is nothing Love cannot face; there is no limit to its Faith, its Hope and its Endurance.”
1 Corinthians 13: 1-7

In a letter to participants at the recent EU Youth Conference in Prague Pope Francis urged that we should eat less meat to “break this self-destructive trend” of consumerism and prioritise sustainability in a bid to take better care of the environment.

His words now have Catholics considering what they should eat.

In his book ‘The Lost Religion of Jesus: Simple Living and Nonviolence in Early Christianity’  Keith Akers suggests that the central event of the Christian faith, the Crucifixion, was predicated upon Christ’s willingness to fight for animal rights.

“On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves,  and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.  And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: `My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it `a den of robbers.’   (Mark 11:15-18)

For Christians the critical thing to realise here is that one of the most important sources of income for the priests was the temple centred buying and selling of animals, cattle, fowl, lambs and doves for ritual sacrifice. When Yeshua ( Jesus ) throws the merchants from the Temple He is not just overturning tables He is overturning the source of income which sustains the powerful and wealthy priestly class thereby setting himself in conflict with them and ultimately paving the way for His Crucifixion at their hands.

‘‘The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.” (Mark 11: 18)

If it is not acceptable for these animals to be slaughtered as an offering to God why would it be acceptable for them to be slaughtered as an offering on a plate for mankind particularly when God himself has Divinely gifted an abundantly rich and varied source of sustenance which avoids appalling pain and cruelty to animals.

God also said, ‘I give you all plants that bear seed everywhere on Earth and every tree bearing fruit which yields seeds : they shall be yours for food.’ ( Genesis 1:29-30 )

Of course all of the arguments above are irrelevant when it comes to the main reason that Christians should not eat flesh. Genesis tells us that the 6th Commandment says: ‘‘Thou shalt not kill’’. There is no qualification on the tablet that Moses brought down from Mt. Sinai which says that we should not include animals in this new Covenant. God himself carves out The Commandment in stone as an eternal reminder that all life is sacred , ALL LIFE , not just mankind’s.

In the whole history of mankind it has never been easier to fulfill the 6th Commandment and refrain from slaughtering the innocent. In the past neither technology , agricultural policy or the will existed to replace a human extinction diet with a planet saving one but now the world is slowly realising that God’s gift of : ‘‘….all plants that bear seed everywhere on Earth and every tree bearing fruit which yields seeds…..’’ can offer humanity not just a wide variety of cruelty free deliciously healthy culinary delights but more importantly a way of saving ourselves from extinction.

Manifesto for a Lay Pope. My promise to you; If I am elected Pope I will decree that:

• All Catholic institutions serving food including schools will be supported to provide a mouthwatering range of organic, planet friendly, pesticide free and health giving plant based menus.
• All Vatican media outlets will offer free advertisements and promotions to the plant based food industr
• An independent advisory body will be established by the Vatican to bring about divestment of  Vatican shareholdings in the meat and related industries and re investment of those funds into ethical and healthy meat free alternatives.
• A new Catholic high street fast food chain will be launched offering a wide range of ethically sourced healthy and delicious non meat food and drink refreshments with all profits invested in charities supporting people in food poverty.
• The Vatican will lead the way in encouraging all Catholics to adopt a meat free lifestyle by removing all meat products from its food outlets.
• Vatican media will be instructed and funded to create a range of social media interventions dedicated to establishing the Catholic Church as a world leader in planet friendly meat free, healthy living.

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“I may speak in tongues of men or of angels but if I am without Love I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal. I may have the gift of prophesy and know every hidden truth; I may have Faith strong enough to move mountains but if I have no Love I am nothing. I may dole out all I possess or even give my body to be burnt but if I have no Love I am none the better. Love is patient; Love is kind and envies no one. Love is never boastful nor conceited nor rude; never selfish, not quick to take offence. Love takes no score of wrongs; does not gloat over others men’s sins but delights in the Truth. There is nothing Love cannot face; there is no limit to its Faith, its Hope and its Endurance.”
1 Corinthians 13: 1-7

 Galatians 3.28 ‘‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.’’

There are over 1.2 billion Catholics on the Earth. We are led by our Pope. Out of 1.2 billion of my Sisters and Brothers in Christ only around 120 men are allowed to vote to elect the Pope. Why is this when Jesus made it so clear that we are all equal in God’s eyes. The Church suffers when so few decide who our Pope should be. Enabling all Catholics aged 16 and above to vote for our Pope is not an exercise in democracy…. It is an exercise in fulfilling the Will of God !

Manifesto for a Lay Pope. My promise to you; If I am elected Pope I will decree that:

Every baptised Catholic aged 16 and above will be allowed to vote to elect future Bishops of Rome

Cardinals are considered the Princes of the Church. I will remove this notion and make all members of the Church, Laity and Clergy, equal.

The term Cardinal derives from the Latin word for hinge used as a metaphor to symbolise that it is they that the Church revolves upon. Some of these hinges have slammed the door of the Gospel in the faces of the faithful . This is contrary to the teachings of Jesus and I will ensure that the Church revolves around the Laity as Christ demands.

Every Catholic parish on Earth will be obliged to publish a section on their parish website dedicated to profiling every Cardinal and other candidate eligible for the Papacy in order for the electorate to get to know candidates intimately and be better informed in their voting choice. The Vatican media centre will make available to all parishes the CVs and manifestos of all Papal candidates at the appropriate time.

The Vatican media centre will support every Parish on Earth to develop their Parish website to include a function that allows parish members over the age of 16 to vote for their preferred candidate online.

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Do you know what language Yeshua ( Jesus ) spoke?

Imagine what it would have been like to be sitting with Yeshua ( Jesus ) at the Last Supper. He would certainly have said the Lord’s prayer.

Of course you wouldn’t have understood a single word. The apostles, women and children sitting with him would have understood his words because they, like Yeshua (Jesus) spoke Aramaic. This is what He would have said:

Abwûn d’bwaschmâja ( Oh Thou, from whom the breath of life comes, who fills all realms of sound, light and vibration)

Nethkâdasch schmach ( May Your Light be experienced in my utmost holiness )

Têtê malkuthach ( Your Heavenly domain approaches )

Nehwê tzevjânach aikâna d’bwaschmâja af b’arha ( Let Your will come true in the universe, just as on Earth that is material and dense )

Hawvlân lachma d’sûnkanân jaomâna ( Give us wisdom, understanding, assistance for our daily need )

Waschboklân chaubên wachtahên ( Detach the fetters of faults that bind us )

aikâna daf chnân schwoken l’chaijabên. ( like we let go the guilt of others )

Wela tachlân l’nesjuna ( Let us not be lost in superficial things, materialism, common temptations)

ela patzân min bischa. ( but let us be freed from that what keeps us off from our true purpose )

Metol dilachie malkutha wahaila ( From You comes the all – working will, the lively strength to act

wateschbuchta l’ahlâm almîn ( The song that beautifies all and renews itself from age to age)

Amên. ( Sealed in Trust, Faith and Truth, I confirm with my entire being )

Because I had no idea how to pronounce Aramaic I searched on the internet and was led by the Holy Spirit to these you tube videos. A short way into listening to these it suddenly struck me that for the first time in my life I was listening to the Lord’s Prayer as it would have sounded coming from His own lips. I wept . I learned how to say the Lords Prayer In Aramaic whilst in lockdown. When you pray the Our Father in the same tongue as Yeshua it is extraordinary .

When you press play on this next video close your eyes. Better still, close your eyes and wear headphones .When I did I found myself in a small room just outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem sitting with the Apostles and the women and children who shared the Last Supper with our Saviour. Yeshua (Jesus) was standing in front of me breaking bread.

Manifesto for a Lay Pope. My promise to you; If I am elected Pope I will decree that:

If I am elected as Pope I will instruct the Vatican media centre to produce a range of social media to help any of our Sisters and Brothers, if they so desire, whatever their age, to learn how to say the Lords Prayer and the Hail Mary in Aramaic.

I will also launch an annual international competition for school and community choirs to perform a prayer or psalm in Aramaic. The winners will receive an all expenses paid trip to Rome to be presented with their awards from the Pope and to perform at the Vatican.

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