www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Higher Calling? Women Ordained to the "Catholic" Priesthood

I suppose one could say if he wanted celibate people he would have picked them, or if he wanted gentiles he would have picked them, etc. It's conjecture, and your justification for men vs. women in this instance is really just negative affirmation. A weak basis for an argument in my opinion.

This is not a real soapbox issue for me. I think the arguments are weak to simply being without merit however for not ordaining women. If the decision was made to ordain women tomorrow, I would be all for it. Hopefully it will happen.

"If the decision was made to ordain women tomorrow, I would be all for it."

I would more likely consider such a position if the Fathers gave justifications for the argument. I won't dismiss their wisdom, or scriptural wisdom, with a personal judgment of sexism. My prime concern would not be for the rights of women, but for the Eucharist. Could the Eucharist be consecrated between a woman's hands?

Terry

I have actually been sympathetic to the idea of female priests most of my adult life.

One of my reservations against them has nothing to do with theology or doctrine- namely, that the denominations that ordain women seem to be engulfed in heresy and circling the drain!

It is not a hill I am going to die on either way, however. If the Apostolic Churches are wrong in not ordaining women, I still must belong to one of them.

For me the essential teaching of the Catholic Church outweighs the questions for female priests.

I think we should have female deacons.

Your wish is granted. lol
There is longer tradition of them in the East and more need of them in the traditional Eastern method of total baptismal immersion!

I would be more likely to take that as a sufficient justification if the Fathers and the Bible didn't give justifications for positions we now ignore or disavow ourselves of vis-a-vis women.


I've never made the claim of sexism. I've simply said I see no justification for not ordaining women. I actually think it's even crazier to have a policy of mandatory celibacy for men.


Yes.

That too.

And historically it always was like that - the Catholics didn't do it; a few Gnostic churches claiming to be Christian did.

There are female ministers in conservative Protestant denominations that are exploding in growth. That's not a for/against. It's just a fact.

Young Fogey,

I think you hit the nail on the head. If we look to the era of the Early Church, amongst whom were women ordained - the Gnostic sects. Not a single orthodox church did.

I seem to recall from my studies years back that in the 4th century there was a local 'synod' in Asia Minor that enacted a canon stating that woman were not to be ordained to the priesthood. The context of this canon though has been lost to us today. Were woman validly being ordained priests and the bishops, acting under increasing social and cultural presure from civil authority in Constantinople stopped the practice? Or, like today, were there 'break-a-way' groups in the Church trying to be inovative?

If it was the former occasion, then why would the problem not have been addressed at a general counsel?

Thank you!

I should like to add that:

There were also Gnostics who as part of their anti-body and anti-sex views were very anti-female.

I wasn't trying to say women ministers today are all Gnostics! There are lots of Christians among them. No, I simply was saying the practice is not Catholic.

It is not Catholic, and it is definitely unorthodox.

Women cannot become priests because it is the infallible teaching of Apostolic Tradition pure and simple, period.
It needs no defense.
Stephanos I
PS As someone pointed out if these women want to simulate celebrating the Eucharist there is a place to do it!
Outside the Church of God.

I went to a TLM mass today! Yeah me!
The sermon was on St Matthew and vocations.
One point the priest made is about the number of vocations sent by God. There are plenty of vocations to the male priesthood but they are either aborted or contracepted!