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...
You know, I have not really come to terms with the "uniate" pejorative. On the one hand, I find it insulting as it implies we are less than orthodox; while on the other hand, I consider the positive that our "unia" with Rome is the source of our assurance in orthodoxy and the protection of our freedom not to live in the ghetto of separatist mentality. In either case, I am saddened by Moscow’s repeated exclamations of its political (due to demographics) importance in worldwide Orthodoxy. Lord, bring unity to all!
ReplyDeleteUkrainian and Russian news outlets throw the word out often. I was going to throw in a comment in the article itself, but didn't this go-round. I'm actually surprised I didn't get a comment or email on Western Rite Orthodoxy - I usually get at least 2 or 3 when the word "uniate" rears its ugly head.
ReplyDeleteYou might want to check out De unione ecclesiarum on this issue. Fr Paul has a beautiful mediation on it.
ReplyDeleteBless Father,
ReplyDeleteThanks - I posted on it.