Female roles in church

[Brendan]

I. I don’t think the reading of the Gospels applies as that is for the priest only as is the homily and priest are only male.

The reading of the Gospels is proper to the Deacon. But that Office too, is for males alone.

 

[HelenRose]

Maybe but Paul also said something to the effect that women should ask their husbands at home. So together with your explanation, then maybe it’s more that everyone should be quiet in church and talk later? Like the OP, I thought I understood the passage clearly but now, I’m confused too.

In any case I agree with CB Catholic that it is a part of Sacred Scripture, meaning to me that it is a part of the Deposit of our Faith, Tradition, and part of Church’s teachings.

Paul also said the husbands should treat their wives as Christ treats the Church. The Church is His Bride and He certainly allows Her to speak out.

I know that I sound flippant but the Scripture needs to be taken in its entirety and not picked apart sentence by sentence.

Most of us can cherry pick the Bible to find quotes that suit our own agendas…

 

[Brendan]

Paul also said the husbands should treat their wives as Christ treats the Church. The Church is His Bride and He certainly allows Her to speak out.

True, but she can only say things that He agrees with

 

[HelenRose]

True, but she can only say things that He agrees with

So. Are you saying women are apt to say things the Christ does not agree with to a greater extent that men?

My experience is that, men and women are about equal in saying things that Christ would not agree with.

We are equal in the ability to say stupid things as well.

 

[SecretGarden]

confused on the matter

several popes had condemned the practice of women serving at the altar as evil. how come it’s not considered evil now?

2 corintians says women shouldn’t speak in church, yet we have female readers. i’ve heard that the interpretation is that paul was condemning women speaking out of turn in the assembly but that has not been the traditional understanding for almost 2000 years

relating to the above question, women are not to teach or have authority over men. which i understand is mainly in the church setting (correct me if i’m wrong). that includes reading the gospel and interpreting scripture. what about bible studies led by women? how comed that doesn’t apply?

any info would be appreciated. thanks

First of all you have just moved the feminist movement back a couple of centuries by those remarks.

Some clarification needs to occur here. First of all it is important to understand the history around 2 Corthinians that claims women are not to speak in public. This passage isn’t to be taken literally. In those days, after the speaker made a remark, women would often let out a high voice which was so high that it prevented from the audience from hearing the speaker speak. Furthermore women lived very busy lives which meant they didn’t have a great amount of time to talk with one another. This often happened during these gatherings therefore when Paul told the women to be quiet, he did not mean they weren’t allowed to speak but just not when the speaker was speaking.

In addition, there were many women who were missionaries, therefore although it isn’t necessarily recorded inside the Bible, it is well known that women were active inside the early church.

It is for this reason, the idea of women not being allowed to teach is absurd. Historically women have been teaching for many centuries. They were nuns and they were mothers. The notion of women having no authority is also absurd. I would be curious to learn where you learned these ideas.

Women interpreting scripture and leading Bible studies- today we do that all of the time. Women teach catechism, they lead praise and worship services, they lead the liturgy of the word etc. They hold Master’s and PHD’s in theological studies, biblical studies, canon law etc.

There is a lot women do inside the church. We could do more if the church allowed us but we are present and we are active inside the church and the world.

 

[otjm]

I believe the OP was talking about female altar servers and readers. There are also female “lead” servers…meaning they are in charge of the altar servers, etc…like a master of ceremonies. I don’t think the reading of the Gospels applies as that is for the priest only as is the homily and priest are only male.

Actually, if there is a deacon on the altar, he is the one who is supposed to proclaim the Gospel reading. Otherwise, only the priest (with an apparent exception of the reading of the Passion - however, the priest read’s Christ’s passages).

 

[otjm]

thanks for your answer. it was helpful. tis raises another question though. does that mean the traditional interpretaiton was wrong? and if so, doen’st it mean that matters of faith and morals could be intrepreted wrongly as well?

No, matters of discipline can be decided one way at one time and in the opposite another. They are disicipline - rules of order.

E.G. priestly celibacy; the Church ibn the Roman rite has the discipline that it does not ordain married men; the Eastern rites do; and there are exceptions in the Roman rite. Neither position is “wrong”. Just different.

 

[otjm]

True, but she can only say things that He agrees with

Ummm… in another thread, a husband reported his wife saying something to the effect" You can be right, or we can get along."

 

[ProVobis]

There is a lot women do inside the church. We could do more if the church allowed us but we are present and we are active inside the church and the world.

A good book to read: (free and online now)

The Church Impotent: The Feminization of Christianity

 

[Annabelle_Marie]

Actually, if there is a deacon on the altar, he is the one who is supposed to proclaim the Gospel reading. Otherwise, only the priest (with an apparent exception of the reading of the Passion - however, the priest read’s Christ’s passages).

Yes…you are right…but either way it still doesn’t apply as those (deacons or priest) or only male.

 

[TimothyH]

Yes…you are right…but either way it still doesn’t apply as those (deacons or priest) or only male.

Yes, male only, but to be clear (to all on this thread, not picking on you Annabelle), the deacon is the ordinary minister of the word in the Church. When a priest goes to the ambo to read the Gospel he is exercising the ministry he received when he became a deacon. You are looking at a deacon whenever the Gospel is proclaimed at Mass.

No, the man does not cease to be a priest but he reads the Gospel because he is also a deacon.

-Tim-

PS. Your name is exquisite.