Our Very Own Poncho Lady*

Sure enough, Terrence Berres catches another big one:

Kathy Sullivan Vandenberg, 64, a member of St. Mary Parish in Waukesha, is one of eight Roman Catholic women who expect to be ordained as priests Monday in an unofficial ceremony the Vatican considers invalid.

Unhhh...the Vatican does not "consider" it to be invalid. It IS invalid, period. No consideration is necessary, and none is given.

Two of them - who claim that they were later ordained bishops by unnamed male Roman Catholic bishops - will preside Monday with a third woman "bishop."

And wouldn't we all like to know who those heresiarch-Bishops are?

I have met with Archbishop Dolan. He invited me to come in. We had a very cordial meeting last September. I'm not excommunicated. I'm a full member of the Roman Catholic Church at this time. He was very gracious and we talked about the situation.

Q: And after Monday?

A: We didn't talk about that. (An archdiocesan spokeswoman told the Journal Sentinel on Friday that Vandenberg has had a "time of discernment" and that her case will be forwarded to the Vatican if she goes through with Monday's ordination and does not recant.)

In the Church, that's called latae sententiae excommunication. Doesn't require a Bishop's signature, or anything.

Being an expert in ecclesiastical Latin, I will translate latae sententiae for you:

"You're OUTTA HEEEERE"

Actually, her "ordination" as a "deacon" may have already served as her very own Poncho-Lady latae sententiae excommunication. It's surprising that she hasn't mentioned it to the interviewer, eh?

Q: You say you have a master's of divinity degree from St. Francis Seminary,

Shocked. I say, SHOCKED!! That Seminary closed for a reason, and Ms. Vandenberg is IT!!

I've felt called for about 30 years. I believe that discrimination against women is wrong and has to stop. I've decided not to leave the church because I feel it is important that good people stay so that we can change the church from within.

I think "without" is the operative term. This poor Poncho-Lady (tm) seems to think that the "theology" of LBJ and the ACLU are applicable to Divine Order. Wrong.

Q: Will you hold home liturgies?

A: Yes. I've been involved in small prayer groups, and that will continue. One group in Milwaukee, 15 to 20 women, has asked me to be their pastor. I also plan on going to church at St. Mary's, because that's my parish.

That will present a little problem for the Pastor at StMary's/Waukesha, no?

However, our Very Own Poncho-Lady did NOT state that she 'had respect for' her pastor, Fr. Volkert--that is reserved for Abp. Dolan.

Of course, "respect" doesn't mean obedience, or anything major like that, eh?


*"PonchoLady" tm reserved to Christus Vincit

DomBett also has a few pertinent remarks.