Pittsburgh, USA - A group of Roman Catholic women plans to ordain 12 female priests and deacons in a ceremony on a Pittsburgh cruise boat.
The ordination, scheduled for July 31, will be the fourth of its kind since 2002, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. The previous three have not been recognized by the Vatican.
Joan Clark Houk -- who lives in the Pittsburgh area and plans to be ordained as a priest on board the Majestic -- said she believes she has a calling to be a priest. Houk, 65, was born a Catholic and has been active in the faith for most of her life.
'It is a sin for the church to discriminate against women and to blame God for it,' Houk wrote in a letter to Pittsburgh Bishop Donald W. Wuerl and to the priests in the diocese.
The Rev. Ronald Lengwin, a spokesman for the diocese, said the church is not free to change Biblical teachings and the women would be opposing the church if they continue with their plans.
'I would say they have freely chosen to separate themselves from the church,' he said.