“Meet the female ‘pastors’ who dress and act like priests in Netherlands’ dying Catholic church”

  • Thread starter Thread starter IanM
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
I just read the entire article. I am flabbergasted. Why haven’t we heard of this scandal sooner? 😥
 
One reassurance is Cardinal Eijk. A good saintly man not afraid to stand up for the truth.

Made Cardinal by Pope Benedict.
 
I didn’t read the entire article but why hasn’t this Cardinal (as archbishop) done something to stop this abuse? I’m sure he wouldn’t like the idea.
 
The picture of 4 people in a row in the LSN article are described this by LSN:
Ria Mangnus and Alida van Veldhoven are presented as ‘pastors’ on a Catholic parish’s website in the Netherlands.
Click to expand...
And thus in the original::
Pastoraal Team boven de Schelde.
Pastoor F. van Hees, Pastoraal werkers R. Mangnus, A. van Veldhoven en W. Hacking. Mw. K. van de Wiele ontbreekt.
(C) Peter Vrancken
Click to expand...
Sorry, Dutch is not so different from English that this would be difficult to figure out!

@TheMortenBay @AlbMagno
 
Last edited:
I think the issue isn’t what they do (any lay person can paricipate in some kind of pastoral work) but how they do it, They aren’t supposed to dress in a habit similar to a chasuble, and IMO they shouldn’t be publicly given fixed assigments like they were consecrated.

Consecrated virgins, for example, could be given public duties by the bishop. But not all of these women are consecrated, and the fact that they are in fixed roles while dressing as priests can cause confusion.
 
You have a problem with how they dress, not what they do.

I’m not saying vestments aren’t important. They are, but is that the big issue here?
 
Last edited:
For me, yes. That’s why I posted it.

I’m not one of those catholics that treat habits like the most important thing in Church’s life. But I see that women dressing as priests can be visually confusing, among the other things I mentioned.
 
Last edited:
That is a good point. Dressing so similarly to priests could be confusing to many Catholics, and the practice could easily be avoided.
 
Last edited:
We have women religious who distribute communion in full habit at our parish. They wouldn’t dare wear stoles or try to act like priests. Each vocation is distinct…
 
Beryllos said:
I’m not saying vestments aren’t important. They are, but is that the big issue here?
Click to expand...
I think this is a big issue. These women are not clergy, but by wearing vestments that resemble clerical vestments, combined with their pastoral role within their parishes, and it seems in some cases them using the title ‘Pastor’, then this could seem to give the false impression that they are in fact a type of clergy (even if not a priest).

I think this would be an issue for both men and women in this role, as it would seem to ‘clericalise’ certain lay-people and also set them above other members of the laity. Then when you have the fact that this is done with women laity like this, it can point towards the issue of female ordination.

If lay-people are doing pastoral work in their parishes, I think they should wear lay-people’s clothes, and at Mass sit in the pews the same as everybody else.
 
Last edited:
This is nazivaju what I am experiencing here in Bavaria in Germany, supposedly the catholic area. I have posted about this on here before. Women at the altar, dressed in scarves in the liturgical colours that look like styles, so they look basically like the priest. At the altar during the consecration, looking like they are von celebrating. The priest sitting down and leaving the woman to peach the homily. I’ve been without a parish now for some time. Just when I think I’ve found a church that doesn’t do weird stuff… They go and do weird stuff. ☹️

I have been blessed that in my search, I have found the FSSP. But I need a local parish. No one seems to understand when I comment on it.
 
I’m okay with women (and lay men as well) wearing albs for these types of liturgical functions, as a sign of baptism. But I think that wearing what looks like distinct vestments is definitely walking a dangerous line, even if they aren’t actual stoles and chasubles.
 
That sounds difficult for you and pretty stressful I would imagine.
 
Last edited:
0Scarlett_nidiyilii said:
We have this in the US.
Look up RCWP.
Click to expand...
There’s a huge difference between Roman Catholic Women Priests (women who believe themselves to be female priests) and these pastoral workers with a liturgical garb. There’s no doubt in my mind this practice is WRONG!!! but it’s not attempting to ordain women (yet).
 
Jessie said:
have been blessed that in my search, I have found the FSSP. But I need a local parish. No one seems to understand when I comment on it.
Click to expand...
I hope it gets better Jessie. I thought Bavaria was more Catholic, perhaps they have been got at and become progressive.

Isn’t Bavaria where Pope Benedict came from?
 
Frankie65 said:
Isn’t Bavaria where Pope Benedict came from?
Click to expand...
It is. It’s also where the FSSP have their general house and European seminary. And the SSPX have a seminary there as well.
But outside of those shining examples I don’t know that Bavaria is better off than the rest of Europe. :cry:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top