Women’s Ordination Conference Supports Appeal to Retract Threat of Excommunication

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 11, 2006

CONTACTS: Nidza Vázquez: 703 352-1006

Women’s Ordination Conference Supports Call to Action/Nebraska in Appeal to Retract Threat of Excommunication

Washington, D.C . — Last week, Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Nebraska, released a letter from Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, stating his support for the bishop’s ten-year-old threat of excommunication against members of Call to Action/Nebraska. The Women’s Ordination Conference (WOC) stands in solidarity with Call to Action (CTA)/ Nebraska and supports them in their appeal to the Vatican.

“In stark contrast to Cardinal Re’s statement that CTA/Nebraska members are ‘causing damage to the Church,’ they have built the Church up by actively addressing critical issues, such as the clergy sex abuse crisis, women’s full equality, and the ban on female altar servers,” stated Aisha Taylor, executive director of WOC. “Bruskewitz is the only bishop in the U.S. that continues to cling to this sexist practice that robs young girls of the chance to serve their church and to see images of themselves on the altar during Mass, which is so important for them to feel included, nourished and empowered in their spiritual home.”

“Jesus did not back down from the religious hierarchy of his time—even in the face of death—and WOC is pleased to hear that Call to Action/Nebraska will not back down either. We support them in continuing to attend Mass, working for justice in the church and society, and standing up against this oppressive action. We wholeheartedly support their appeal to the Vatican, and we look forward to continuing to partner with CTA local chapters and CTA/USA,” Taylor concluded.

WOC represents the majority of U.S. Catholics who support women’s ordination to a renewed priesthood. A 2006 National Catholic Reporter survey of U.S. Catholics found that 62% of respondents support ordaining women as priests, and 81% support ordaining women as deacons. An Associated Press/Ipsos poll conducted in April 2005 found that 64% of U.S. Catholics support women’s ordination.

Please visit CTA’s website for more information regarding this matter, www.cta-usa.org.

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Founded in 1975, the Women’s Ordination Conference is the oldest and largest national organization working solely for women to be ordained as deacons, priests and bishops to a renewed priestly ministry in the Catholic Church. For more information, visit WOC’s website at www.womensordination.org.