Report on the handing in of the
petition to Pope Benedict XVI calling for the restoration of women's
ordination to the diaconate
On the feast of St. Theresa of Avila 15th October 2008 and during the
Synod of Bishops on the Bible, a group of women from Britain, Germany, Japan,
the Netherlands and the United States of America, came together to hand in the
petition calling for the restoration of women's ordination to the diaconate.
Press Conference
They held a press conference which attracted journalists from around the
world. The Associated Press sent a TV camera and photo and print journalists.
Their report went to over 100 news outlets. The Catholic News Service also
attended and published their own article. Even John Allen from the National
Catholic Reporter attended and even reported a quote from Aisah Taylor,
Executive Director of Women's Ordination Conference, in his report on the
Synod.
Speakers at the News Conference
Some of the press at the News
Conference
Demonstration
When the press conference had finished, the group of women wearing
special purple T shirts saying "ordain women" in nine languages and with a
banner stating "Ordain Catholic Women", walked up to Vatican City. Some of the
women were dressed as deacons from the early Church. They held a brief prayer
service outside St. Peter's Square. For the prayer service they had a reading
of a prayer by St. Theresa in German and English. They gave out flyers that
outlined the seven reasons why women should be ordained. These leaflets were in
six languages. They spent two hours inside St. Peter's Square giving out
leaflets and it seemed that they had an overwhelming positive response from the
people, including some male priests.
A time of prayer together
With the banner in front of St.
Peter's and some dressed as deacons from the past.
Handing in the petition
The group returned to St. Peters Square with the intention of handing in
the petition to a Swiss Guard. They were prevented from doing this by the
Italian police. About thirteen policemen gathered round them and demanded to
see the passports of the eleven members of the group. They also took the
material that they were handing out. Eventually they called for the head of the
Vatican police. According to a member of the Italian police, this was the first
time in fifteen years that the chief had been called to question any
demonstraters. The Vatican Chief of Police would not allow them to deliver the
petition to the Portone di Bronzo, but said he would deliver it to the Pope
himself.
A policeman intervenes
Some of the policemen
The petition that was handed in
With permission from the Tablet
The Future
It is our intention to keep the petition open until we get a reply from
the Vatican and from Pope Benedict XVI. We still hope that people will add
their signatures to the petition to show their support for the ordination of
women to the diaconate.
