Female priesthood equal to pedophilia

Tag: vatican

The Vatican has stiffened its disciplinary measures on sexual abuse in a decree that considers the ordination of women to priesthood a grave crime tantamount to pedophilia.

In a move that has drawn harsh criticism from women's ordination groups, the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday issued revisions to its internal laws including a controversial provision that labeled the designation of women as priests a crime "against the faith", which should be dealt with in the same way as child sexual abuse, AFP reported.

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According to the new rules, priests can be defrocked or excommunicated for pedophilia, sexual abuse of mentally handicapped adults or attempting to ordain women.

Women ordination groups have criticized the new decree, describing it as completely offensive.

“The idea that women seeking to spread the message of God somehow defiles the Eucharist reveals an antiquated, backwards church that still views women as unclean and unholy,” said Erin Saiz Hanna, the head of the Women's Ordination Conference.

While the recent sexual abuse scandals committed by priest have tarnished the Vatican's reputation, the new rules seek to target those erring priests whose wrongdoings have largely been attributed to strict laws concerning celibacy within the Church as well as regulations that bar women from becoming priests.

However, the late Pope John Paul II and his current successor Pope Benedict XVI have both made it clear that appointing women priests as an alternative for establishing gender quality in the Catholic Church is by no means optional.

The Vatican has been mired in child abuse scandals, which have surfaced in Catholic institutions in France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and the US.

Pope Benedict XVI himself has been accused of helping cover up sex abuse scandals and not taking strong measures against erring priests.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=135026