The ordination of a woman as a priest by dissident bishop Pat Buckley is declared invalid by Irish Catholic bishops.
Saint Andrew's Church, a former Protestant church in the County Louth village of Omeath is run by Pat Buckley a former Catholic priest who has been excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church. In June 1998 Pat Buckley was ordained a bishop by the Tridentine breakaway bishop Michael Cox.
As Pat Buckley claims he is a valid bishop, he officiates over the controversial ordination of a 67 year old woman who has already taken vows to be a hermit nun in the Catholic Church. The ceremony is concelebrated by Michael Cox.
London born Sister Frances Meigh explains that during ordination the Holy Spirit ordains the soul because,
It is not the body that is ordained it is the soul, which is why the gender doesn't matter.
Following her ordination Sister Frances Meigh is known as Mother Frances Meigh.
Pat Buckley is forbidden to officiate on behalf of the Catholic Church and immediately after the ceremony Catholic bishops reject the ordination of Frances Meigh saying it is invalid.
Spokesperson for the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference Father Martin Clarke makes it clear that Pat Buckley had no mandate or authority to ordain anyone as the Catholic Church does not recognise his consecration as a bishop. He also highlights that Church teaching through the centuries has been consistent,
It does not have the power to confer priestly ordination on women and therefore the ordination of Sister Frances Meigh is not recognised as valid by the Church.
Brothers and Sister in Christ (BASIC) is a group of almost 200 Catholics, including nuns and priests who actively seek the ordination of women. Spokesperson for BASIC Soline Vatinel is critical of Frances Meigh’s ordination as it could have a negative impact on Christian unity,
We don’t want another parallel church to split up the Church and that’s the real danger.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 14 September 1998. The reporter is Joe Little.
