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...
Wow. So this is a strong indicator that the HS has all but accepted his nomination.
ReplyDeleteI'm interested to see what he can do with the largest and poorest diocese he can do. Speaking with an Alaskan priest last year he told me that while there is a great need for priests up there, work/money is difficult to find unless they are Alaskan and receive subsistence. I hope to be a part of the op one day. By God's Grace may He bless the Alaskans with a good bishop!
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