Archdiocese of St. Louis - Questions and Answers Regarding Excommunication of Those Involved in Attempted Ordinations

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As Catholics in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, in communion with the Bishop of Rome, we are called by our Lord Jesus Christ to be His Church and live His Gospel. With joy, we strive to fulfill our Baptismal calling by prayer and worship, teaching and sharing our faith, serving others, and fostering unity in diversity. Guided by the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves to the responsible stewardship of all God's gifts.

Questions and Answers Regarding Excommunication of Those Involved in Attempted Ordinations

Q. What is the most recent development?

A. Archbishop Burke has declared Ms. Fresen, Ms. McGrath, and Ms. Hudson excommunicated.

Q. What does it mean to be excommunicated?

A. Excommunication is knowingly and willingly placing oneself outside the full communion of the Catholic Church. A person excommunicates himself/herself. When the archbishop declares an excommunication, its purpose is meant to be healing, and a call for the person to reconsider the action and reconcile with the Catholic Church.

Q. Were they given any warning by the archbishop, and, if so, what kind of warning?

A. The archbishop wrote each party asking them to refrain from the attempted female ordination, and invited each three times to meet with him to be reconciled.

Q. What is the Church's stand on female ordination?

A. In the apostolic letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, Pope John Paul II reaffirmed that the Catholic Church has no authority to confer priestly ordination on women. This teaching is to be held definitively by all the faithful as belonging to the deposit of faith. For more information, click here.

Q. Why is the archbishop delclaring excommunication of Ms. Fresen when she is in Germany?

A.Ms. Fresen is being excommunicated because she committed her offense here in the Archdiocese of St. Louis and her actions have brought scandal and harm to the faithful of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

Q. Why does the Church need to declare the excommunication of Ms. Fresen if, as she says, "her sect is outside the hierarchy of the One True Church."?

A. She still proclaims herself Catholic and professes that she validity celebrates the Eucharist even though her beliefs are contrary to the Catholic Church. Her actions and statements could lead others astray, so the need was seen to proclaim publicly that her views are contrary to the Catholic beliefs, and thus she is outside the communion of the faith.

Q. Can Roman Catholics attend a service led by the women?

A. Any attendance at or direct participation in their supposed sacred rites is strictly forbidden.

Q. How can priests, deacons, and Eucharistic ministers refuse them Holy Communion if they do not know what the women look like?

A. The only people who come to Communion who would be refused communion would be those who are known to be outside the communion of the faith. A minister should not refuse communion unless they are sure that this person has been excommunicated.

Q. Is excommunication final, or can the women come back to the Church?

A. They must publicly repent and make amends for the offense that they committed and unite themselves once again with the doctrine and practice of the Catholic Church.

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