The hot new trend everyone's been talking about in the Catholic blogosphere, of course, is this sort of thing:
Nine Roman Catholic women have been unofficially ordained as priests and deacons in North America, risking excommunication by the Vatican.
The ceremony took place aboard a tour boat near Canada's capital, Ottawa.
The women - seven Americans, a Canadian and a German - were ordained by three female bishops, who were also unofficially anointed in 2003.
Four of the nine women were ordained as priests and five as deacons aboard the Thousand Islander III boat that sailed on St Lawrence River.
I'm not sure I understand the point of these always being on boats, but there you go.
Here's what I'd like to ask each of the women involved (honestly, I'd like to know the answer):
"So, do you believe that the most important gift you've received by going through this ceremony is the ability, by the power of God working through you, to transform bread and wine into the real and present flesh and blood of Jesus Christ?"
Public statements seem to indicate otherwise:
The newly ordained women called their ordinations a spiritual and political act they hope will bring about change.
I am the first to admit that the sacrament of Holy Orders is theologically difficult for me to understand, but I am positive it's not a "political act."
Comments