Roman Catholic Women Priests Join Walk With Women in Rome

Left to right: Kathleen Gibbons Schuck, Gisela Forster, Bridget Mary Meehan, Sara Rule , Virginia  Saidanha, Mary Theresa Streck On Friday, October 6, Mary Theresa and I joined Women’s Ordination Worldwide (WOW) in a procession through the streets of Rome calling upon the Catholic Church to open all ordained ministries to women. Members of the international Women Priest community have traveled to Rome, Italy, from Canada, Germany, India, South Africa, Spain, and the United States to "Walk with Women." https://youtube.com/shorts/278GrkRlpoU How long must women wait? https://youtu.be/CuHKlqcjis0 https://youtu.be/pFkrg1ktx6o Bishop Gisela Forster, one of the Danube 7 who was ordained on June 29, 2002, joined us. https://youtu.be/CKV5Beus3qQ https://youtu.be/CKV5Beus3qQ?si=NDzRtmdEn5ShGFJb In addition to Roman Catholic WomenPriests (RCWP) and the Association of Roman Catholic WomenPriests (ARCWP), a number of women's organizations participated, including Be the Change in New Zealand, the Catholic Network for Women's Equality (CNWE) in Canada, the worldwide Catholic Women's Council (CWC), Catholic Women's Ordination (CWO) in the UK, Dignity USA, the Wijngaards Institute for Catholic Research, and the Women's Ordination Conference (WOC) in the United States. Press Contacts: Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP + 1 703 505 0004 Roman Catholic Women Priests USA Kathleen Schuck RCWP kschuck55@gmail.com 1-215-872-1096   Women’s Ordination Worldwide Press Release Activists from around the world will assemble on the steps of the Roman church that contains a relic of Saint Mary Magdalene’s foot. The inscription by the reliquary reminds us that her’s was ‘the first foot to be entered into the tomb of the risen Christ.’ Recognised by the Vatican as the Apostle to the Apostles, Mary Magdalene is the model of priesthood for women, empowered by Jesus to go and tell his followers the Good News of his Resurrection. The women of WOW walk in her footsteps, urging the church to listen to the voices of women calling out for equality.

In the spirit of Pope Francis’ ongoing Synod on Synodality, a meeting to discern and attend to the needs of the church today, the demonstration will make visible the injustice of women’s exclusion from full participation in the life of the church.

If the church is truly listening, it must walk with women—especially those who have discerned a sincere call to priesthood— throughout the synodal process and recognize the vibrant and necessary gifts they bring to the church. If the church is to attend to larger issues of oppression, violence, and injustice in the world, it must begin with affirming women’s equality.

When: Friday, October 6th. Activists will gather at 2.30pm and begin to march at 3pm.

Where: Route begins at San Giovanni dei Fiorentini (Via Acciaioli, 2). We will proceed to Lungotevere Castello (where we have a permit to demonstrate) and some will attempt to process toward St. Peter’s Square, risking police interference.

What: Walk with Women is a witness organized by Women’s Ordination Worldwide, calling the institutional Catholic church to walk with women as equals and open all ordained ministries to people of all genders.

Who: Founded in 1996, Women’s Ordination Worldwide (WOW) is an international network of organizations and groups whose mission is the inclusion of Roman Catholic women in all ordained ministries. Founded on the principle of equality, WOW opposes all discrimination. ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.’(Galatians 3:28)

Women's Ordination Conference Kate McElwee + 1 607 725 1364 or + 39 393 692 2100 kmcelwee@womensordination.org

Women's Ordination Worldwide Miriam Duignan + 44 7970 926910 miriam.duignan@wijngaardsinstitute.com