Sr. Vassa: There's no ontological impediment to priestesses
Is the male-only priesthood a discipline or essential to the nature of being a priest? Sr. Vassa (again unflinchingly taking up a contentious topic by climbing up the ladder to the highest platform and then jumping into the deep end head first) dives right in and says there is no reason beyond personal preference to not have female clergy. You know, when people ask me about women in priesthood, they say, 'Sister, why can't women be priests?' And I say, 'Women CAN be priests. We don't WANT them to be priests.' Because you see, God can do anything, and the Church, by divine authority, uh, can do anything, but, the Church doesn't want to - and that's a legitimate reason. What I don't like is when we TRY to pretend that there are other reasons for this, because it's legitimate not to want something, and there are reasons not to want this - right? - but, we shouldn't pretent that there's some... reason, that, for example, the maleness...
Stunningly beautiful, thank you.
ReplyDeleteHoly Russian Martyrs, Pray to God for us.
Perhaps we should consider and pray for all the victims who suffered horribly and died at the hands of the Russians and the xenophobia of the Russian Orthodox "Church" throughout history (Muscovy, Russian Empire, Russian-dominated Soviet Union, Russian Federation)... starting with, say, the terror-famine in Ukraine...
ReplyDeleteI wonder at your use of quotes around "Church," but of all the groups that suffered under the oppressive Soviet regime, the Russians themselves deserve very sincere prayers indeed. Additionally, Holodomor and other events cannot be ignored or swept under the rug of history.
ReplyDeleteAlso, to place this painting in history, it was painted under Soviet rule and was displayed at the artist's expense when the state refused to allow it elsewhere. In a country that was trying to forget itself he drew the people back to memories of their Christian past.