Nov 24, 2009 / 00:01 am
Fr. Roy Bourgeois, a Maryknoll priest who was excommunicated for refusing to affirm Catholic teaching on the ordination of women, has been officially nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by a Quaker group which admires his work in opposing the School of the Americas.
The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) spokesman John Meyer made the official announcement on Sunday at the gates of Fort Benning, Georgia during the annual vigil advocating the closure of the School of the Americas (SOA).
The Quaker group also nominated Fr. Bourgeois’ organization, SOA Watch, for the Nobel Prize, according to the Examiner.com.
In 2008 the priest was excommunicated for refusing to affirm Catholic teaching that only men may be ordained to the priesthood. He has characterized the Catholic position as an “injustice” that excludes women and is “sexist.”