The "received" tradition in the church of women as
inferior has excluded them from the sacramental role of
priesthood and from other decision-making roles. St.
Thomas Aquinas' opinion that "woman is by nature in
subjection (to men), but a slave is not (by nature in
subjection)" seems to be shared by today's hierarchy.
The earliest traditions show
that in New Testament times women were leaders of
Christian communities (Romans 16:1, 12, 15, 1
Corinthians 16:19, Philippians 4:3-7).
This tradition was lost. Likewise in the past women have
been great leaders, e.g. women as abbesses like Hilda of
Whitby. These traditions evaporated. To consider women
for priesthood is a recovery of these earlier
traditions, and of the Scriptural ideal. In the past,
one tradition in the Church, expressed by Aquinas, has
been to consider women as defective human beings, and
the idea of women priests as therefore unthinkable.
However, to teach that women are equal but different, as
the Pope now does, is in itself a break with an earlier
world view, both secular and religious. Is it not
illogical for him to consider women equal but not
adequate for priesthood?
John Wijngaards has written extensively on women in the
early church see
www.womenpriests.org and his book
No Women in Holy Orders?
Experience
Given the distortions in the present
theology of the church on women, it is
urgent that we must listen to international
women's voices today as they articulate
their call to priesthood. The institutional
Roman Catholic Church continues to ignore
and sometimes denigrate and insult women who
believe they have a Spirit-inspired vocation
to the priesthood, which they cannot explore
or test. This is not only, an institutional
injustice, but a serious refusal to listen
to the Holy Spirit; a refusal, which if
continued, will have serious repercussions
in the Christ-like credibility of the
Church.
Justice
It is unfair to men to expect them to
shoulder alone the burden of celibate
priesthood. It is unfair to women that 80%
of pastoral workers in the worldwide church
are women, yet few, and numerically
disproportionate positions of authority, are
held by women.
The last supper - men only??
Christ
instituted the Eucharist with those present
at the Last Supper. Who was there? The Last
Supper was the Passover Seder Meal
celebrated by Jews at which the whole family
and friends would be present. The woman of
the household had a particular liturgical
part to play. It was much later that the
male priesthood, as we now know it, was
developed. The Gospels do not mention that
the women (including Mary) were sent out of
the room...Did he say only to the men at the
table "Do this in remembrance of me."?
Image copyright BASIC Ireland
BUT say our critics...
Surely Jesus didn't ordain
women...
He didn't ordain men either!
This came later in the Church's
history. Jesus called women as
well as men to be his disciples.
However, a patriarchal tradition
was inserted into the Church by
the culture of the times that
men alone could be priests. It
is important to note that the
arguments that have upheld this
notion have shifted through the
ages, culminating in the 'icon'
theory of Inter Insigniores,
1976, of Paul VI's and
re-instated as 'definitive' by
John Paul II in 1994 , in his
apostolic letter ' On Reserving
Priestly Ordination To Men
Alone'. This latter document is
also known now as the 'Dubious
Dubium', questioning the
authority of the Pope in
releasing the letter as
'definitive'; i.e. just below
defining the non - ordination of
women as infallible.
In contrast, Jesus
went out of his way
to include women
among his disciples.
We know Jesus called
the woman at the
well to be the
apostle to the
Samaritans. (John
4:1-42).
The first apostles
of the Resurrection
were Mary Magdalen
and her friends.
(John 20.1-18)
There were also many
other women
appointed as
apostles by the
risen Christ. (1
Corinthians 15:6)
A woman cannot be an ikon or likeness of Christ
"Man and woman are both with one and the same dignity 'in the image of God'. In their 'being man' and 'being woman' they reflect the Creator's goodness". (Catechism of the Catholic Church section 369). In Baptism men and women are equally baptised into Christ (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1267-1268). In Holy Communion we feed on Christ in order to become 'ikons' of Christ and share his characteristics of love, compassion, personal concern, nurturing, wisdom and sacrifice. If women are not to be ikons or representatives of Christ why are they admitted to Holy Communion?
Image
courtesy
of Roy
M.
Thottam
Pope
John
Paul II
stated
the
matter
must not
be
discussed
in 1994
(Dubius
Dubium
1994 see
above)
In
conscience,
we
believe
that the
issue
must be
examined
and that
Canon
Law may
be
criticised
when it
leads
away
from its
object.
Law may
be
revised
to meet
new
situations.
Paul
uses
images
of woman
in
childbirth
(Galatians
4:19)
and as
nurse (1
Thessalonians
2:7) to
describe
God's
ministry
- a
recognition
that
prophetic
gifts
are
found
among
women as
well as
men.
