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...
They share a commitment to opposing the only canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine. They were bound to come to the old "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" conclusion eventually. Lord, please bless and protect your faithful servants in Ukraine!
ReplyDeleteWhile I realize that the UGCC & UOC-KP (non-canonical) are allies I honestly look at the faces of the others in the picture and no one seems happy to see him.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's because they know that Filaret was never Ukrainian until he got passed over to be Patriarch of Moscow. Suddenly, he rediscoved his Ukrainian roots so that he could be Patriarch of Ukraine. But the Ukrainian Catholics seem to have no trouble supporting him. I suspect that's why the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox have to kiss up to the Ukrainian Catholics. They dönt want to lose any more parishes to Filaret. Of course, there also is nationalism...
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's because they know that Filaret was never Ukrainian until he got passed over to be Patriarch of Moscow. Suddenly, he rediscoved his Ukrainian roots so that he could be Patriarch of Ukraine. But the Ukrainian Catholics seem to have no trouble supporting him. I suspect that's why the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox have to kiss up to the Ukrainian Catholics. They dönt want to lose any more parishes to Filaret. Of course, there also is nationalism...
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