South African bishops affirm male-only priesthood after ex-nuns claim ordination
November 28, 2014
The Catholic bishops of South Africa have issued a public statement reaffirming that women cannot be ordained to the priesthood, the Fides news service reports.
The statement—issued by Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town, the chairman of the South African Catholic Bishops’ Conference—explained that the Church does not have the authority to ordain women. The bishops said that this doctrine of the Church is to be definitively held by all the faithful. Archbishop Brislin said that “Catholic women who accept to be ordained to the priesthood separate themselves from the Church and the sacraments.”
The bishops’ statement was released after two former Dominican nuns said that they had been ordained as priests.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
