CINCINNATI (CNS) A decision deemed to be a personnel matter in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati has garnered international attention for Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk and the woman religious he has determined can no longer teach religious education on behalf of the archdiocese. Sister Louise Akers, a 66-year-old Sister of Charity, met with the archbishop in early August at her request to discuss the fact that in April the archdiocesan Office of Catechesis and Evangelization removed her from its list of approved teachers and speakers for archdiocesan programs and events.
The private meeting was first reported in the National Catholic Reporter Aug. 31.
The two discussed Sister Louise’s public support for the ordination of women in the Catholic Church; her name and photo had appeared on the Web site of the Women’s Ordination Conference, and she was listed as an advisory board member for the group. The archbishop told Sister Louise that she needed to publicly dissociate herself from this group and rescind her support of women’s ordination in order to receive permission to teach and lecture in the name of the local church.
In 1994 Pope John Paul II issued a document saying that because Jesus chose only men as his apostles the church is not authorized to ordain women. He also said the position was a definitive, ordinary church teaching that must be firmly held by Catholics and is not subject to change.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "Only a baptized man validly receives sacred ordination. The Lord Jesus chose men to form the college of the 12 apostles, and the apostles did the same when they chose collaborators to succeed them in their ministry. … The church recognizes herself to be bound by this choice made by the Lord himself. For this reason the ordination of women is not possible."
Sister Louise removed her name and photo from the Web site following the meeting but has said she cannot publicly withdraw her support for the ordination of women. For that reason, her permission to teach has been revoked.
"Questions have been raised about the role of a diocesan bishop and the teaching of catechetics in his diocese," Archbishop Pilarczyk told The Catholic Telegraph, the archdiocesan newspaper, Sept. 3. "It is a bishop’s responsibility to provide authentic and orthodox Catholic teaching in his diocese. Persons who are not in accord with the teaching of the church should not expect to be allowed to teach catechetical leaders or others in the name of the church."
Her public position, he noted, is in defiance of the church’s teaching.
"We don’t hire people to teach only infallible doctrine; we hire people to teach what’s in the Catechism of the Catholic Church," he explained. "As a result, Sister Louise may not teach in the name of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati or at any venue for which the archdiocese is responsible."
Sister Louise entered the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati in 1960 and earned degrees from the College of Mount St. Joseph there and from the University of Dayton. She earned a doctorate in feminist theology from the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Mass. Her doctoral project was titled "Patriarchal Power and the Pauperization of Women."
She told The Catholic Telegraph that she cannot recant her support for the ordination of women in the Catholic Church.
"Foremost, for me, is primacy of conscience which has always been of paramount importance in the history of our church," she said. "For me to publicly support the current church teaching forbidding women’s ordination would be a lie. The value, dignity and equality of womanperson is at the core of my stance."
Sister Barbara Hagedorn, president of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, said in a statement that Sister Louise is "a member in good standing of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati" but "as a matter of conscience Sister Louise is unable to refute her beliefs on" the issue of women’s ordination.
"Because this is a personnel matter of the archdiocese, the issue remains between the archbishop and Sister Louise Akers," she added. "The Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati support Sister Louise and all those involved in this difficult situation with our prayers and concern."
Sister Louise said that in other areas of church teaching "I believe historically we have seen an evolution of doctrine. … This has happened for a number of reasons — some scientific, others through a dialogue of theologians and Scripture scholars with the magisterium of the church."
"I believe even though it is difficult within the climate of our church and our country it is vitally important that dialogue continue," she added.
"If there are penalties for raising questions — which many are doing including some bishops and priests — then, yes, I will accept them," she said. "However, I do not understand why this is happening now. I have been public for over 30 years regarding the role of women in the church."

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