Daily French Roast

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Suzanne Dunn (left) and Jeannette Love image by Paul WellmanThe Santa Barbara Independent introduces us to Suzanne Dunn and Jeannette Love, two women considered to be modern day heretics, two who tend a small, slowly growing South Coast Ca congregation.

The two women are part of Roman Catholic Womenpriests, a movement that also supports not only women priests, but gay and married priests as well. We’ve introduced AOC readers to the organization, as we track the ongoing demands of some Catholics for a reform movement within the church and the Vatican’s insistence that under no circumstances will the church ever yield on its current policies.

Pope Benedict denounced a group of Austrian priests who have launched the Pfarrer Initiative — or pastor initiative — calling on priests to “follow our conscience and act independently” of the pope’s orders. The group now has more than 300 Austrian priests and deacons, causing top Austrian bishops to see counsel from the Vatican on how to handle the situation, reports AP.

While reported in the press as being a harsh indictment of the renegade priests, the Rev. Hellmut Schueller has downplayed the tough talk, saying that “I cannot see it as a very sharp wording.”

Episcopalian Church Revised Priestly Vision in 1974

Writing for Huffington Post today, the Rev. Malcolm Boyd dials back the years to America, July 1974 when the Episcopal church shattered tradition by ordaining 11 women priests. “I believe that a priest must be less and less a privileged member of an elite, more and more a brother/sister in an open community.” Worker priests in France are excellent examples of this new model, writes Reb Boyd.

More DFR

Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker speaks to an audience at a Waukesha County Republican dinner in Pewaukee, Wis., Saturday, March 31, 2012., Steven Senne / AP Photo

Wisconsin Repeals Equal Pay Laws

Last Thursday, Wisconsin governor Scott Walked signed a bill that repealed the state’s 2009 Equal Pay Enforcement Act. While Republicans insist there is no war on women, Governor Walker moves favor gender gap pay inequality.

When the law went into effect in 2009, the Wisconsin gender gap in pay rates moved from 36th to 24th in the national gender-parity nationally. Presumably those gains for women’s wages will now be lost for Wisconsin women.

Elizabeth Warren Again Outraises Brown

The Boston Globe reports that Elizabeth Warren has raised $6.9 million in the first quarter, more than twice as much as her opponent, Senator Scott Brown. Warren says that $2.5 million has been raised from in state donors and the rest from voters outside Massachusetts.

“The incredible enthusiasm we have seen from people across the Commonwealth who are contributing to this campaign shows the strong grassroots momentum behind Elizabeth’s fight for middle class families,” said Warren campaign manager Mindy Myers.

The Warren campaign has provoked a major response from groups outside of Massachusetts. We’re not talking about a Karl Rove fund, which surely will come to the assistance of Senator Brown’s efforts as the election gains momentum.

In the case of Elizabeth Warren, 83 percent of the donations were $50 or less. Warren also outraised Senator Brown in the last quarter of 2011 $5.7 million vs $3.2 million.