What people here who demand Catholics leave their church don't understand.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

122. It depends on the church.

My mother, a lay Catholic, was actually allowed to perform Eucharstic Services on days where the priest wasn't available for daily mass. (A Eucharistic Service is essentially the same thing as a mass with the key exception that the communial hosts have already been previously consecrated--i.e. blessed by a priest--and not by the celebrant of the service.) She said all the prayers, gave a sermon, etc.

Of course, she belonged to a parish with a rather progressive minded (not to mention overworked) priest. I don't know if that would have flown in a parish with a more conservative minded pastor.

And as has been pointed out by some others, there are times where either a nun or a female representative of a church related organization have been invited to speak in lieu of the priest's homily. So you do have times where a female does speak on substantive matters before a congregation.

But I know that's still little solace. And the hierarchy's continued obstinance to consider female ordination (not to mention the ordination of married persons, although that might change sooner than later) is one of the most maddening aspects of the hiearchy to me, given the basic lack of any scriptual authority for it. I hope it will change and I will continue to advocate for such a change. The opening up of the clergy to a wider range of candidates will only go to help address the ongoing issues of sexual abuse in the ranks, not hinder it.

As I have said repeatedly, I have no problem whatsoever with anyone who has chosen to leave the Catholic Church because they believe their differences with the hiearchy to be too great. Religion to me is a deeply personal matter involving one's closest held beliefs, and whether one wishes to remain in a religion or leave it is always up to him or her. The fact that my differences with the hierarchy are not enough of a hinderance to me does not mean that it is likewise for another person.