This story appears in the Benedict Resigns feature series. View the full series.
February 11, 2013
The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI is a "holy shakeup" in the Catholic church, states one of the associations for women who wish to be ordained as Catholic priests.
"The Pope’s resignation is a positive sign that the Spirit is at work renewing the church," states the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests in a statement.
"We need a top down shakeup and new structures of accountability in the Roman Catholic Church," states the association, which ordains women outside the formal structures of the church. "Married priests, women priests, are only a few of the necessary steps the Vatican needs to take in a more just and compassionate church that honors the gifts of God in the people of God."