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...
What ever happened to their mother monastery in Greece? It was started by a convert from Germany that I know. Does it still exist?
ReplyDeleteYes, it still exist. I visited it last year.
DeleteThis is ridiculous. These women are such godly, wonderful people. I can't even fathom why this is happening to them. Lord have mercy on those persecuting this amazing community of monastics.
ReplyDeleteI think the problem was that they didn't follow sometimes some instructions of the bishop because the was against the will of their Elder, but I'm not sure. And that would be against the holy canons.
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