On Easter Sunday, April 24, 2011, Bishop Markus Büchel of St. Gallen, Switzerland granted an interview to his diocesan paper Pfarrei Forum [The Parish Forum].We reproduce below parts of that report posted on the Swiss Catholic Portal [Portail Catholique Suisse] website, linked to the Diocese of St. Gallen.

In response to questions, the Bishop affirmed that there is "an enormous" pressure to admit women to the priesthood. It is a difficult topic, he agrees, and it is easier "to discuss the possible marriage of priests, which according to tradition, never existed in the Roman Catholic Church." When the reporter commented on the need to find the steps that would open the priesthood to women, the Bishop of St. Gallen offered this suggestion: "I would imagine that [opening] the Diaconate for women can be this step."

He continued, "But we have to understand if this question is not resolved tomorrow." Nonetheless, he affirmed, even though it was once said it was not a topic of discussion, "in our society today this would be extremely difficult. It can no longer be avoided."

According to Bishop Buchel, the universal Church must evolve so that everything is not decided in a centralized way. The solution according to the Bishop of St. Gallen: "We must be in unity, but not in uniformity everywhere."

Above, Bishop Markus Buchel celebrating Mass with an altar girl, below, posing with his priests, deacons and a woman candidate to the Diaconate.

One sees that the ordination of women is no longer an aim just of the avant garde progressivists (here & here) or radical movements (here & here). We have another Bishop in good standing who calmly opens up the matter for discussion in his diocesan paper. Is he just talking to himself, or does he know that there are others who will support his stance?

This position of Bishop Buchel represents another important step on the road to the ordination of women that deserves to be watched.

Scoop Catapulta - Source Portail Catholique Suisse

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