Roman Catholic Womenpriests (RCWP) is an international initiative within the Roman Catholic Church. The mission of Roman Catholic Womenpriests North America is to spiritually prepare, ordain, and support women and men from all states of life, who are theologically qualified, who are committed to an inclusive model of Church, and who are called by the Holy Spirit and their communities to minister within the Roman Catholic Church.

History

The Roman Catholic Womenpriests movement is an initiative within the Church that began with the ordination of seven women on the Danube River in 2002.  Reclaiming our ancient spiritual heritage, womenpriests are shaping a more inclusive, Christ-centered Church of equals in the twenty-first century.  Women bishops ordained in full apostolic succession continue to carry on the work of ordaining others in the Roman Catholic Church.  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.

RCWP-USA 2010

Information about RCWP priests and their communities may be found in the RCWP Regions section under ministries and liturgies.

True and False About Women's Ordinations

FALSE: Women (by virtue of their sex) cannot image Christ.
TRUE: It is the call of every female and male Christian to image Christ; and it is the call of every female and male Christian to see Christ in every person.

FALSE: Roman Catholic women have never been ordained.
TRUE: Epigraphic evidence exists of women bishops. Until at least the ninth century the Church gave women the full sacramental ordination of deacons. Women priests existed in the West during the 4th and 5th centuries according to literary evidence, and according to epigraphic evidence.

FALSE: Roman Catholic women have not been ordained deacons or priests
in the modern era.
TRUE: Ludmila Javorova, ordained priest, December 28, 1970, among other women ordained. For a list of other women ordained, please visit the History Page.

FALSE: These ordinations as women priests are not recognized or valid.
TRUE: The group "RC Womenpriests" receives its authority from Roman Catholic bishops who stand in full Apostolic Succession. These bishops bestowed sacramentally valid ordinations on the women listed above. All the documents pertaining to these ordinations have been attested and notarized. All minutes of the ordinations, including data about persons, Apostolic Succession, and rituals, together with films and photos are deposited with a Notary Public.

FALSE: Mandatory celibacy goes back to the earliest days of the church.
TRUE: Scripture citations refer to the marriage of Simon Peter. Citations also refer to married bishops, priests and deacons in the earliest Christian churches.

1.) Jesus heals Simon Peter's mother-in-law Matthew 8:14; Mark 1:30; Luke 4:38.

2.) 1 Timothy 3:2 A bishop must be irreproachable married only once. 1 Timothy 3:4 A bishop must manage his own household well, keeping his children under control with perfect dignity.

3.) 1 Timothy 3:12 Deacons may be married only once and must manage their
children and their households well.

Ordinations

Roman Catholic Womenpriests reject the penalty of excommunication issued by the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith on May 29, 2008 stating that the “women priests and the bishops who ordain them would be excommunicated latae sententiae.” Roman Catholic Womenpriests are loyal members of the church who stand in the prophetic tradition of holy obedience to the Spirit’s call to change an unjust law that discriminates against women. Our movement is receiving enthusiastic responses on the local, national and international level.  We will continue to serve our beloved church in a renewed priestly ministry that welcomes all to celebrate the sacraments in inclusive, Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered communities wherever we are called.

The Roman Catholic Womenpriests formation program is
broad-based and includes the following areas:

Ministry

Ordained women are serving the People of God in many ways including:

We follow Christ’s model of inclusivity in a discipleship of equals.
  All are welcome at the sacred Eucharistic table.