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Attempting to ordain women is ridiculous. - Edit 1

Before modification by Handel at 28/10/2009 01:29:26 AM

Reserve the claim of heresy for real issues of heresy not crises of tradition. Calling the issue a heresy is just overboard.


The issue of women's "ordination" is not a mere crisis of tradition. The priesthood is not denied women because they are somehow less than men, but because it is simply not possible to ordain women. The priest is representative of Christ, who is perfect Man (i.e. human) concerning his flesh and perfect God as touching his Divinity yet also perfectly united just as the Trinity is also One God. Not only was Christ perfect Man, but he was also man (male). Hence, the priest, as representing Christ can only be male. This is an extreme simplification (and I am admittedly not a theologian and probably fall short of a good explanation) but is nevertheless the constant practice and teaching of the Church from the time of the Apostles.

If it were possible for women to be priests, Mary, as the Mother of God (Theotokos = God-bearer; she bore Christ who is God in her womb) would have had more right than any woman in history to the priesthood, but she was not (and I doubt it was something she was offered and turned down).

Christ being male, and the priest as representative of Christ, Holy Orders can only be conferred on males called to the priestly vocation. That does not mean that women are somehow less, just that they have a different vocation than men. Calling the "ordination" of women a Christological heresy is perfectly reasonable; it is not my opinion, but the opinion of the Catholic Church (Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican Catholic).

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