CHARLESTON, S.C., April 22, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- With scandal and confusion dominating the Roman Catholic Church in recent years, Sally Moran takes another look at one of the church's long-standing positions: the exclusion of women from the priesthood. In her new book, Women of the Covenant: The Case for Female Roman Catholic Priests (now available through AuthorHouse), she uses the same resources and texts to support a more prominent role for women that the church uses to justify a male clergy.
As congregations around the world question the validity of a celibate male clergy and the number of new priests dwindles, the laity longs for great change, Moran writes. An introduction of female clergy is one change the church needs, she adds. She delves into four millennia of history, lore and custom to give readers a well-written, sound view of the relationship between women and the faith.
The author covers the church's oppression of females through the lives of biblical women, historical events and examples of inequality in dogma. She successfully tackles the poor treatment of women in western civilization, driven by what Moran claims is the Vatican's unfair and unjustified position regarding women.
Perfect for anyone involved in the Catholic faith or anyone interested in women's rights, Women of the Covenant is a powerful book that provides a compact and thorough look at the treatment of women by the Church and makes a strong argument for opening the doors of the clergy to women.
Moran has been writing since her retirement from an administrative and educational position in health care delivery. She has written numerous professional articles for journals and newspapers, in addition to her previously published book, A Woman for All Seasons, a book about Mary of Nazareth. She has also lectured extensively and holds a master's degree in education and a doctorate in religious education.
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