Principles and Standards

of the Women Priests’ website

Overall aims and objectives

1. Our website (www.womenpriests.org) will present all documentation relevant to the ordination of women in the Catholic Church.

2. The site (www.womenpriests.org) will maintain the highest academic standards in all its material, while displaying acute pastoral sensitivity at the same time.

Academic quality

3. This site (www.womenpriests.org) aims at building up a complete academic archive of study and research pertaining to the ordination of women, accessible to all via the Internet.

4. Both the introductory texts and the supporting documents will conform to international standards of scientific honesty and professional publication.

5. Advice shall be sought from experts competent in specialist fields such as: scripture, tradition, patristics, church history, the magisterium, the psychology of gender, and various branches of theology.

6. A fair representation will be given of academic views that oppose the ordination of women.

7. Regarding articles and books published on this website, the authors themselves are responsible for the opinions expressed in such publications.

8. Though English will be used as our basic language of communication, material will gradually be presented on our website in the major international languages available on the Internet.

Responsibility towards the spiritual welfare of the Church as God’s People

9. Our website supports fearless criticism of opinions defended by Church authorities whenever such criticism rests on competent theological knowledge and is inspired by loyalty to truth and to the ultimate good of the Church.

10. Where academic conclusions differ from the position currently held by the Catholic Church’s central teaching authority, the need of reform and review shall be urged without undermining the important role of that authority itself.

11. The academic conclusions arrived at will be presented to the wider audience of non-professionals in a form of presentation understandable to all.

12. Our web site (www.womenpriests.org) will, to the extent this is possible, try to meet the pastoral needs of specific groups, such as confused clergy and laity, alienated women, harassed theologians and teachers, Catholic women who are called to the priesthood.

13. With regard to such specific pastoral needs the advice of competent persons will be sought.

14. www.womenpriests.org will reflect love and respect for our Catholic faith, for the Church, Tradition, Church unity, other Christian Churches and the spiritual welfare of all believers.

Approved by the Trustees
8 February 2003

Related documents:

• The webmaster explains his position
• The duty of speaking out in today’s Church
• Profession of Faith and Oath of Fidelity