One Manitoba woman is taking a stand in Rome alongside activists from around the world, protesting for the right for women to become priests in the Catholic Church.

Despite the Virgin Mary being one of the most revered figures of the Church, women cannot become priests under current rules.

Therese Koturbash traveled from Dauphin to stand alongside a group of activists called “Women can be Priests.”

The group is burning pink incense in protest of the exclusion of women within the conclave. They believe change needs to happen to acknowledge the modern world.

Koturbash said, “115 men, who are celibate, I respectfully submit are not in touch with what the lives of modern people are about.”

Miriam Duignan, a representative of the group, said Jesus did not exclude women. “Jesus encouraged women and actively sought to include them.

“So why do the cardinals who are supposed to represent Jesus make a point of actively excluding women?” she asked.

There are some possible avenues the church can pursue in terms of expanding the role of women. Rev. Dr. Greg Zubacz, a priest in the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Winnipeg, said the role could grow in the Church, but that likely won’t include ordination because Jesus didn’t choose women to form the 12 Tribes of Israel, nor did he include women among his picks for the 12 disciples.

“Our priesthood is based on these choices that Jesus made. He could have chosen women to be part of his college, but he chose not to,” said Rev. Zubacz. “And as a result, there’s no authority in scripture for the Church to be ordaining women.”

The ordination of women is not just forbidden in the Catholic Church. In 2010, it was added to a list of offenses that could result in excommunication. Its gravity is so severe that it sits alongside with breaking the seal of confession and pedophilia.

Koturbash believed the Church comes down harder on women who have been ordained than priests who have committed other offenses. She said, “The interesting thing is that if you’re a woman who’s ordained, you’re immediately excommunicated. I still haven’t heard of a pedophile priest that’s been excommunicated.”

Koturbash said there was a time when women weren’t allowed to serve behind the alter or even sing in the choir.

She plans to keep fighting for the day they will be able to preach the word of God in the Catholic Church without any man standing in their way.

 

- with a story by CTV’s Caroline Barghout