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...
Was this the Church’s decision or the local government? Disappointing in either case.
ReplyDeleteWhile the Eucharist may not be a source of any disease, I'm not sure we have that assurance about airborne pathogens in the Liturgy generally.
ReplyDeleteMaybe so, but the Church is the only hospital where we can receive the medicine of immortality, if it shuts down because people might catch a cold, it sends a rather shallow message, not mention it is a loss for all who are unable to attend liturgy and other sacred services as a result.
ReplyDeleteI can’t imagine any of the churches I’ve attended over the years would willingly shut down for such circumstances, perhaps not everyone would come, but the priests would never give up serving the liturgical cycle, especially during lent.
But again it’s not stated if this was their choice or a mandate. Either way it’s not my parish, but I sympathize for them.