Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Former Jesuit's Wife, Now Heretical Woman Priest

After a decade in the convent, she left to try to figure out what God had in store for her. She met and fell in love with Don, a former Jesuit priest. The couple married, settled in town and started a family. Their lives were full: For three decades Don taught astronomy and was a counselor at West Valley College in Saratoga, while Juanita began her career as a teacher in the child development/education division at De Anza College in Cupertino. She also works as a nurse and Don serves on the board of trustees for the West Valley/Mission College District.
Ever committed to her faith, Cordero remained in close contact with clergy members from various religions. She even contemplated becoming an Episcopalian minister when that role became available to women. But, she says, "In my bones I'm Catholic, and the Lord kept calling me back to that faith." Then she attended a conference of Women's Ordination Worldwide, an international organization that advocates for the ordination of women as deacons, priests and bishops. She met members of Roman Catholic Womenpriests, whose numbers included Bishop Patricia Fresen. Fresen had been ordained a priest in 2003 by three German bishops. The trio chose to hold Fresen's ordination ceremony aboard a boat on Germany's Danube River.
"Not only was this a symbol of 'baptism,' it also happened to be outside of the jurisdiction of other bishops who might try to put a stop to it," Cordero says with a laugh. But all three of the bishops were in good standing with the Vatican, which Cordero says is the key to the "validity" of Fresen's ordination. Fresen herself was then elevated to bishop two years later. Link (here)

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