It pains me that there is a push for women's ordination. It pains me even worse when it's Catholic women religious who are pushing for it. One response I received basically indicated that since women are teaching men to be priests, that makes women qualified. Then there's the issue that although the priesthood is not a "right," what if the woman feels called to be ordained? Well, who is helping the woman with this discernment? Yes, indeed, some priest are open to women's ordination. I feel that unless God himself makes it abundantly, unmistakably clear that He wants women's ordination, we ought to leave it alone. A bunch of dissenting voices is not a divine sign to me.
I basically wear a big label that says, "Though I would like to join a religious order, I simply cannot in good conscience join one that promotes women's ordination." You see, if I cannot stand in solidarity with you, what sense would it make for me to join you? Why would I put myself in a position where I have to choose between obedience to the Holy See and obedience to Mother Superior?
Which brings up another question: Are there any women's orders left who do NOT promote women's ordination, either subtly or openly? I don't know.
A bunch of links on the topic of women's ordination at Catholic Pages directory (I've not read them; they might all be one-sided).
rare find?
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Posted by seeking_something at 2:18 PM
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12 comments:
For many years my church (Episcopal) also believed the myth that only men were called to priesthood. But if you go back to the main source, Jesus, you know he had disciples of both sexes. We made the shift to women's ordination and God did not strike any of them dead. good enough proof for me.
Without debating the question of the ordination of women, I will say for sure that there are plenty of women's congregations who do not promote women's ordination to the sacramental priesthood.
For many years, the Catholic Church have persisted without women priests. No one has been struck dead for not ordaining a woman to the priesthood either.
My advice, which you can take or leave. Don't box yourself into litmus tests in looking at religious congregations. Be open to where the Spirit is calling you.
Thanks, Susan. I'm still waiting for that whack upside my head. I'm still looking around, and am open to the possibility that I might not be called at all.
Pope John Paul ll said He couldn't make women priests even if He wanted to. The point is that we have the greatest grace to be part of the True Church of Jesus Christ. It was the Catholic Church that Christ estabilished on the apostles. But, he didn't call women. Jesus did call the misfortunate sinners and the like but not women.
Some people like women are lower than men in the Church, but that isn't true. Mary is the greatest of all saints! The truth is that men and women are called to different vocations and lives. We shouldn't have women's ordination.
Clare:
"We made the shift to women's ordination and God did not strike any of them dead. good enough proof for me."
My response:
And Jesus Christ has never struck anyone dead on any matter. He has never sent bolts of lightning down on us immediately. At the last Judgment we will know all the wrong we did, but not now. Just by saying something bad didn't happen doesn't prove anything.
And you say Jesus had women disciples. It is true that women followed Him, but these follower were not equal to the 11 disciples. These 11 received the Holy Spirit to forgive sins, and they were the ones whose feet were washed at the Last Supper when they partook of Our Lord's first Eucharist.
My opinion remains that men and women are called to different vocations, and I know the Church will remain true.
As you could tell from the post on my blog, I'd avoid any group closely connected to the Jesuits, for sure! :)
Why avoid the Jesuits? Although they have at times been perceived as "liberal," the truth is as an order they are not. I recall them having been referred to as "the Pope's Army," an image I believe Ignatius put forth (but I'm not sure). Avoiding the Jesuits seems to be an extreme approach as I see it, but perhaps you have your own reasons.
Not to worry, I won't generalize. I'll look at each community individually. Fr. Mitch Pacwa is a favorite Jesuit of mine, possibly because I don't really know of other Jesuits at the moment. :)
Lisa: The prof I had whom I mentioned on my blog who was pushing for women's ordination was a Jesuit -- others asked me that without having any idea if the person in question was Jesuit or not, so it seems to be a pretty common theme.
I'm with Susan Rose .... trust your instinct. And even within overall orders, different houses are different. I'm thinking of all the different Franciscan groups, and Dominican groups, and so on. Even among Benedictines -- every house has its own special flavor and feel. While some Benedictine houses are in the forefront of the fight, I don't really think it's anything that gets discussed too much one way or another at our place.
Every community is made up of people, and that's probably the biggest thing to help keep from the stereotypes and generalizations.
T.O. ~ In terms of the Jesuits and "common theme" ... again, that's where I speak of stereotypes. And do we want to dismiss everything that the Jesuits have done in the service of our Church because of opinions that some may have?
I know for me as a monastic, as a Benedictine, as a woman monastic, I'm on the receiving end of my own stereotypes -- not the least of which is "Why is it a monastery if the men don't live here?" Pigeon-holing is not always the ideal.
Like Susan said ... be open. I guarantee you that this community is NOT what I had planned for myself ....
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