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...
Why are they wearing a dog-collar? That is not an Orthodox vestment. Why not a plain riassa?
ReplyDeleteI'd say in the US that most Orthodox priests in the US wear them truthfully.
DeleteThe Greek phelon worn by the priest is low, about the level of his collar. I haven't seen such low ones in Russia, they tend to be quite high, so that only the top of the priest's head is visible from behind. Also interesting to see the bishop's candles have a common branch and branch out – in Russia they have separate bases but join together together at the middle and form one unified flame.
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