Danube Seven
Encyclopedia
The Danube Seven are a group of seven women from Germany
, Austria
and the United States
who were ordained on a ship on the Danube
on 29 June 2002 by Rómulo Antonio Braschi
, an Independent Catholic bishop whose own episcopal ordination was considered 'valid but illicit' by the Roman Catholic Church
.. The women's ordinations were not, however, recognised as being valid by the Roman Catholic Church. As a consequence of this violation of canon law and their refusal to repent, the women were excommunicated in 2003. Since then several similar actions have been held by Roman Catholic Womenpriests
, a group in favor of women's ordination in Roman Catholicism.
Currently there is a lobby within the Roman Catholic Church
in favour of the ordination
of women to the priesthood. However, the church officially teaches that the ordination of women is impossible:
The canon law
which governs the administration of the sacraments limits the matter for ordination to males alone. Canon 1024 states, "Only a baptised man can validly receive sacred ordination."
The admission of women to the priesthood in many parts of the Anglican Communion
, including the Church of England
in 1992, fueled some Catholics' calls for a greater role for women in ministry
. At the same time the Anglican Communion
's moves created an apparently insurmountable obstacle to Anglican-Catholic unity. Pope
John Paul II wrote of the theological impossibility of ordaining women, arguing that the action is unfounded in holy scripture
and absent from the church's bimillenial tradition
. Pope John Paul II maintained that it is ontologically
impossible for the church to ordain women because the priesthood is a participation in the relational aspect of the Trinity which is dependent on a masculine nature. Supporters of women's ordination argue that there are both indirect scriptural references to women's ministry
, and an ancient tradition
of ordaining women, some say intentionally clouded over by the male hierarchy
.
The Danube Seven have chosen a controversial path, that of ordination
by an Independent Catholic bishop
not in communion
with Rome
. The sacramental validity of the ordination
is not recognised by the Roman Catholic Church. Bishop
Rómulo Antonio Braschi
left the Catholic Church to lead an international missionary
congregation, the Catholic Apostolic Charismatic Church of “Jesus the King”
. Although the women believe that they are validly ordained, the Roman Catholic Church believes that because the matter for ordination (in this case a male person) was not present, no ordination took place. It is claimed that this teaching is based on Divine Law
. Despite the opinion of these seven women and some liberal
Catholics, the Roman church continues to consider the ordination of women to be impossible.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
who were ordained on a ship on the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
on 29 June 2002 by Rómulo Antonio Braschi
Rómulo Antonio Braschi
Rómulo Antonio Braschi is an Argentine Independent Catholic bishop, not in communion with the Vatican.Born in Buenos Aires, and ordained a Roman Catholic priest in August 1966, he was associated with members of the worker-priest movement in Argentina and the Movimiento de Sacerdotes para el Tercer...
, an Independent Catholic bishop whose own episcopal ordination was considered 'valid but illicit' by the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
.. The women's ordinations were not, however, recognised as being valid by the Roman Catholic Church. As a consequence of this violation of canon law and their refusal to repent, the women were excommunicated in 2003. Since then several similar actions have been held by Roman Catholic Womenpriests
Roman Catholic Womenpriests
Roman Catholic Womenpriests is an Independent Catholic international group that asserts a connection to the Catholic Church. They are descended from the Danube Seven, a group of women who claim to have been ordained as priests in 2002 by Rómulo Antonio Braschi, an independent bishop...
, a group in favor of women's ordination in Roman Catholicism.
Currently there is a lobby within the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in favour of the ordination
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
of women to the priesthood. However, the church officially teaches that the ordination of women is impossible:
The canon law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
which governs the administration of the sacraments limits the matter for ordination to males alone. Canon 1024 states, "Only a baptised man can validly receive sacred ordination."
The admission of women to the priesthood in many parts of the Anglican Communion
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
, including the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
in 1992, fueled some Catholics' calls for a greater role for women in ministry
Christian ministry
In Christianity, ministry is an activity carried out by Christians to express or spread their faith. 2003's Encyclopedia of Christianity defines it as "carrying forth Christ's mission in the world", indicating that it is "conferred on each Christian in baptism." It is performed by all Christians...
. At the same time the Anglican Communion
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
's moves created an apparently insurmountable obstacle to Anglican-Catholic unity. Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
John Paul II wrote of the theological impossibility of ordaining women, arguing that the action is unfounded in holy scripture
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
and absent from the church's bimillenial tradition
Sacred Tradition
Sacred Tradition or Holy Tradition is a theological term used in some Christian traditions, primarily in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox traditions, to refer to the fundamental basis of church authority....
. Pope John Paul II maintained that it is ontologically
Ontology
Ontology is the philosophical study of the nature of being, existence or reality as such, as well as the basic categories of being and their relations...
impossible for the church to ordain women because the priesthood is a participation in the relational aspect of the Trinity which is dependent on a masculine nature. Supporters of women's ordination argue that there are both indirect scriptural references to women's ministry
Christian ministry
In Christianity, ministry is an activity carried out by Christians to express or spread their faith. 2003's Encyclopedia of Christianity defines it as "carrying forth Christ's mission in the world", indicating that it is "conferred on each Christian in baptism." It is performed by all Christians...
, and an ancient tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
of ordaining women, some say intentionally clouded over by the male hierarchy
Hierarchy
A hierarchy is an arrangement of items in which the items are represented as being "above," "below," or "at the same level as" one another...
.
The Danube Seven have chosen a controversial path, that of ordination
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
by an Independent Catholic bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
not in communion
Communion (Christian)
The term communion is derived from Latin communio . The corresponding term in Greek is κοινωνία, which is often translated as "fellowship". In Christianity, the basic meaning of the term communion is an especially close relationship of Christians, as individuals or as a Church, with God and with...
with Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. The sacramental validity of the ordination
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
is not recognised by the Roman Catholic Church. Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Rómulo Antonio Braschi
Rómulo Antonio Braschi
Rómulo Antonio Braschi is an Argentine Independent Catholic bishop, not in communion with the Vatican.Born in Buenos Aires, and ordained a Roman Catholic priest in August 1966, he was associated with members of the worker-priest movement in Argentina and the Movimiento de Sacerdotes para el Tercer...
left the Catholic Church to lead an international missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
congregation, the Catholic Apostolic Charismatic Church of “Jesus the King”
Catholic Apostolic Charismatic Church of “Jesus the King”
The Catholic Apostolic Charismatic Church of "Jesus the King" is an independent international religious association of Catholic origin and character, with headquarters and legal recognition in Munich, Germany.It has been described as a derivative movement of the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church...
. Although the women believe that they are validly ordained, the Roman Catholic Church believes that because the matter for ordination (in this case a male person) was not present, no ordination took place. It is claimed that this teaching is based on Divine Law
Divine law
Divine law is any law that in the opinion of believers, comes directly from the will of God . Like natural law it is independent of the will of man, who cannot change it. However it may be revealed or not, so it may change in human perception in time through new revelation...
. Despite the opinion of these seven women and some liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
Catholics, the Roman church continues to consider the ordination of women to be impossible.
External links
- BBC story, 5 August 2002
- Women Priests?, EWTN