(Image source: The New York Times)

BY: ANTHONY MARTINEZ

You're watching multisource politics video news analysis from Newsy.

Catholics across the globe are standing in line -- but not for communion.

In three countries- Austria, Australia and the United States- some Catholics are challenging the Pope's authority to excommunicate women calling themselves "priests" within the Church.

Here’s the story from one Catholic community in San Diego.

"Their are 150 families in this community here in San Diego, and I have found this a very interesting and a very balanced community of Catholics. We have two women priests now and one male priest. This is a community that is really very environmentally sensitive, gender sensitive. Women's needs and roles in society, very sensitive to that."

The Catholic Church has always had a men’s-only rule for the clergy.  According to The Fatima Network, Canonical 1378 says...

“..^.he who shall have attempted to confer Holy Orders on a woman, as well as the woman who may have attempted to receive Holy Orders, incurs …excommunication ...”

Being excommunicated is like losing your driver’s license, except you are not allowed to drive or associate with drivers till your behavior improves. In a religious community-it’s practically the ultimate form of banishment.

One priest in Chicago has taken it upon himself to ordinate women into the Church.

Meet Rev. Roy Bourgeois.

"I've been a Catholic priest now for 38 years, and I want to apologize, really to all of the women in my church, our church, for taking me so long to see this injustice. This injustice involves the exclusion of women from ordination in our church."  

And according to the New York Times -- he’s not the only one.

"…157 priests would sign a statement in support of the American priest, because he did much more than speak out: he gave the homily and blessed a woman in an illicit ordination ceremony conducted by the group, Roman Catholic Women priests... He sent the Vatican a long letter saying that he was only following his conscience. The Vatican never wrote back, he said."

So the question is -- can the Church change the sacrament of the priesthood? 

According to Catholic Answers -- the sex of clergy members -- shouldn’t be subject toreinterpreation.

"Certain aspects of the sacraments may change over time, such as the language of the liturgy or the manner in which penance is received. However, male-only ordination is something that has never changed, nor can it ever be changed. The Church’s attitude may appear archaic, but it is one of fidelity to a universal tradition in both the East and the West, extending throughout the history of the Church."

As of now, the Vatican has declared the question of female priests- not open for discussion, even for priests.

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Transcript by Newsy.