Pope Leads Easter Rituals, Slams Reformists" Calls to Ordain Women

Monsters and Critics
April 5, 2012

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/europe/news/article_1696334.php/Pope-leads-Easter-rituals-slams-reformists-calls-to-ordain-women

Vatican City - Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday marked the first of a series of traditional Easter rituals with a mass during which he criticized a group of Austrian clerics championing the ordination of women as priests in the Catholic church.

Benedict did not directly name the so-called Pfarrer-Intiative (Priest's Initiative), which in recent years have also been pushing for the admittance of married men into the priesthood.

But in his homily - which dealt with the renewing by priests of their vows, including celibacy and obedience to Catholic teaching - Benedict noted how a 'a group of priests from a European country' have 'issued a summons to disobedience.'

These priests were 'disregarding definitive decisions' taken by the church including those on the question of the ordination of women which, Benedict said, had been 'irrevocably' rejected by his predecessor as pope, the late John Paul II. 'The church has received no authority from the Lord,' to ordain female priests, Benedict said, citing John Paul.

During the mass, Benedict blessed holy oils that are destined to be used by priests in Catholic sacraments, including baptisms, confirmations and last rites for the dying.

In an evening ceremony, the pontiff, who turns 85 later this month, was to perform the traditional foot-washing ritual, commemorating the same act carried out by Jesus Christ for his apostles before the historic Last Supper.

Benedict is scheduled to preside over the traditional Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) procession in Rome's Colosseum on Good Friday and an Easter vigil at the Vatican on Saturday.

On Easter Sunday, he is due to celebrate mass in St Peter's before delivering his Urbi et Orbi message and blessing 'to the city and the world.'

Easter celebrates the Biblical resurrection of Jesus Christ and is regarded by Christians as their most important religious feast.