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...
Wonderful! But why only men? Don't you have any female students? The seminaries in Russia have special courses (3 years I think) just for women who are educated to be choir directors and cantors. They study theology and of course church music.
ReplyDeleteBy the why hw many students does your seminary have?
Most other seminaries offer a non-clergy track (Master of Theology or similar) for women. I believe Christ the Saviour only offers a degree plan for men seeking ordination.
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