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Why Women Can Not be Ordained in the Roman Catholic Church.

Father 'Gus' DiNoia is a Dominican Priest and a theologian to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. On May 31, the Pope issued an Apostolic letter to bishops declaring that women could not be ordained as priests. Though not a formal statement of doctrine, the letter was strongly put, and meant to cut off discussion about the issue. In it the Pope writes that the church "has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women," and that "this judgement is to be definitively held by the all the church's faithful." The letter was timed to counter the Church of England's ordination of 1,000 women to the priesthood. Terry will talk with Father DiNoia about his views on it as an official of the church and as a sociologist.

22:21
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Other segments from the episode on June 28, 1994

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, June 28, 1994: Interview with Gus DiNoia; Interview with Bob Moses; Review of Ry Cooder and V. M. Bhatt's and Ry Cooder and Al Farka Toure's albums "A Meeting by the River…
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15:25

The Thirtieth Anniversary of Freedom Summer: Educator and Civil Rights Leader Bob Moses.

Educator Bob Moses. He was a leader in the Civil Rights struggle, helping to register black voters in Mississippi during the Freedom Summer of 1964. He's still a civil rights activist, though his weapon now is Math. He's the director and creator of the innovative Algebra Project which opens up educational opportunities for young African-Americans. Moses established the project in Cambridge, Mass in 1982. Since then it's been implemented across the country, and has reached 9,000 inner city youths. (REBROADCAST from 3/22/93)

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05:25

Ry Cooder's Efforts at Fusion Produce Mixed Results.

World Music critic Milo Miles reviews guitarist Ry Cooder's two new collaborations: with Indian musician V.M. Bhatt ("A Meeting by the River" -- Water Lily Acoustics label), and with African Guitarist Ali Farka Toure ("Talking Timbuktu" -- on the Hannibal/World Circuit/Rykodisc label).

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30:02

"The Power and the Spirit."

"The Power and the Spirit," is a documentary produced by Anne Bohlen and Celeste Wesson that examines the ban on the ordainment of women in the Catholic Church. The documentary features women who would like to become priests and women who favor more traditional roles and support the ban, as well as a bishop.

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Women's Place in the Early Church and Today

Jo Ann Kay McNamara talks with Terry Gross about her book "Sisters In Arms: Catholic Nuns Through Two Millennia." It is published by Harvard University Press. McNamara is a Professor of History at Hunter College and at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

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45:56

How to Save the Catholic Church

Andrew Greely is a priest, sociologist and writer. He has written a book with his sister, theologian Mary G. Durkin, about how Vatican II dispensed with traditions which they believed were essential to Catholic identity. In order to stay vital, they believe the Church should adopt more positive attitudes toward sexuality and the role of women.

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