The Vatican has threatened to excommunicate well-known Catholic priest and long-time peace advocate Father Roy Bourgeois this Friday unless he recants his support for the ordination of women into priesthood. The Maryknoll priest of 36 years has organized the annual protest against the US Army"s School of the Americas in Fort Benning, Georgia for over two decades.

This August he took part in a ceremony to ordain a member of the group called Roman Catholic Womenpriests. He was informed last month that he would face the harshest form of ecclesiastical punishment–excommunication–unless he recanted within 30 days.

Earlier this month Father Bourgeois sent a letter to the Vatican saying there was no justification for excluding women as priests. He wrote: “Over the years I have met a number of women in our Church who, like me, feel called by God to the priesthood. You, our Church leaders at the Vatican, tell us that women cannot be ordained. With all due respect, I believe our Catholic Church’s teaching on this issue is wrong and does not stand up to scrutiny. After much prayer, reflection and discernment, it is my conscience that compels me to do the right thing. I cannot recant my belief and public statements that support the ordination of women in our Church.”

Roy Bourgeois, Maryknoll priest facing excommunication. For the past two decades, he has organized the annual protest against the US Army’s School of the Americas at Fort Benning, Georgia

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