German Catholic Bishops Publish Interview Promoting the Idea of Women Cardinals

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German Catholic Bishops Publish Interview Promoting the Idea of Women Cardinals

by Maike Hickson March 8, 2016 The Wanderer

The Vatican celebrates Women’s Day on 8 March, 2016. With the help of the organization Voices of Faith (voicesoffaith.org/), an event is taking place at the Vatican where women “share their stories of strengthening the Church’s mission through their leadership,” according to the website of Voices of Faith. This event is the occasion for an interview with the journalist Gudrun Sailer (katholisch.de/aktuelles/aktuelle-artikel/mehr-auf-den-rat-von-frauen-horen) which has been published today on the official website of the German Catholic Bishops, katholisch.de. Sailer has been working for the German Branch of Vatican Radio since 2003. She has written extensively on the role of women in the Vatican. In the interview with katholisch.de, Sailer bemoans that for women in the Church today it is still a problem that “they are often not being recognized due to a strong hierarchical thinking.” She adds that, in Germany and Austria, the bishops are increasingly aware that “something has to be done in order to be more just to women and in order to involve them more in decision processes.”

Sailer also praises Pope Francis for his having opened up more the discussion about this issue of the role of women in the Vatican. She says: “I think Pope Francis really succeeded to open up this field during the three years since he has been in his office.” When reminded by the website katholisch.de that Pope Francis says that female priests and cardinals are not going to be allowed, Sailer answers: “The problem lies in Canon Law. Only priests are allowed to make legally binding decisions concerning other priests. But there are propositions that male and female canon lawyers find together some room for laymen.” In her eyes, not every position which nowadays is taken by a priest requires an ordination. “On the contrary, rather few of them,” she added. Sailer continues:

There is also the proposal to create a new role for women in the Church. The cardinalate developed only in the 11th century – as an office of the Church, not established by Jesus. It would be possible to create such a new counselling office for women. …] I think it would be good to create such an office and to see how it develops.

In Sailer’s eyes, there is today a need in the Church “to listen more to the counsel of women.”

Exactly the same interview has now also been selected for posting by the official website of the Swiss Catholic Bishops, kath.ch (kath.ch/newsd/neue-aera-der-oeffnung-vatikan-redakteurin-gudrun-sailer-ueber-frauen-der-kirche/).
 
Since the cardinalate is not itself an ordained office but an honorific title and there have been quite a few lay cardinals in the past, this is actually a theologically sound proposal.

I have long thought that it could be fruitful for women to be made lay cardinals and have the right to take part as lay cardinals in electing the pope during a conclave, as well as taking over key offices in the Vatican as lay cardinals.

I think it would be a good opportunity to demonstrate how women do need to be clericalized to exercise their indispensable role in the life of the church. I think it fits in with Pope Francis’ goal of empowering the laity as well, as much as this is possible without usurping the unique duties conferred on the ordained.

Plus, I think that a feminine perspective at conclaves would be very welcome. Women are often more perceptive and emotionally discerning than men.
 
A woman as cardinal? I guess the next step would be a woman as pope?
 
I wouldn’t mind it. Actually this could be a really positive change for the Church. Women do see the world differently than men, and it would be good for there to be a feminine voice in the Vatican.

It would also be good to separate the cardinalate from the priesthood. Ordination should not be seen as a step towards gaining more influence in the Church. It should be about serving God and administering the sacraments. Right now, the biggest complaint I see about the Church’s prohibition on women clergy is that it prevents women from having any influence in the Church. (Which isn’t true on the local parish level but is true on the global level) Allowing women to be cardinals would effectively eliminate the notion that the Church marginalizes women, and could better show the world what we believe the priesthood is actually about. If someone wants to say “the Church doesn’t allow women priests because it wants to keep women submissive” we could point to the presence of women cardinals as proof that this isn’t true.

But lay men would also have to be admitted to the cardinalate. If the only non-ordained cardinals were women, that would give the impression that women are somehow “lesser” cardinals. If there were also non-ordained men who were cardinals though, I don’t think that criticism would hold up. Because it would show that being a cardinal has nothing intrinsically to do with the priesthood.
 
Tomdstone said:
A woman as cardinal? I guess the next step would be a woman as pope?
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No. To become pope one has to be ordained. Right now the current practice is to choose a pope from among the college of cardinals, but that wasn’t always the case. If the cardinalate was opened up to lay people, (both men and women) then obviously the practice would change again.
 
Robyn_p said:
No. To become pope one has to be ordained. Right now the current practice is to choose a pope from among the college of cardinals, but that wasn’t always the case. If the cardinalate was opened up to lay people, (both men and women) then obviously the practice would change again.
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One does not have to be already ordained in order to be elected Pope. But one has to be male since, after election, the Pope is also the Bishop of Rome.
 
“Right now, the biggest complaint I see about the Church’s prohibition on women clergy is that it prevents women from having any influence in the Church.”

Your looking at this the wrong way. Its not about having influence. Women do have influence but the ROLES are different between men and women.

The Church is being destroyed and liberalized from WITHIN. There is no wonder so many politicians can go against Church Teaching because well, so many so called Catholics can go against Church teaching. Why not have a woman pope? After all, the pope is just a servant? St. Dominic was called to preach to the heretics but St.Francis was called to rebuild the Church from within because it was and still is falling into ruins. Let us ask for the intercession of Saint Francis and the Franciscans to help us through this difficult time
 
Corki said:
One does not have to be already ordained in order to be elected Pope. But one has to be male since, after election, the Pope is also the Bishop of Rome.
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Right, sorry. I meant you have to be ordained to BE pope. But yeah you can be elected before you are ordained.
 
LittleFlower378 said:
“Right now, the biggest complaint I see about the Church’s prohibition on women clergy is that it prevents women from having any influence in the Church.”

Your looking at this the wrong way. Its not about having influence. Women do have influence but the ROLES are different between men and women.
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I know that. I was saying that is the impression most non-Catholics have of the Church. They see the fact that women aren’t priests as proof that the Church thinks women are somehow lesser.

Having women cardinals would deflate that argument. If women are as equally involved in the administration and governance of the Church as men, they couldn’t say that the reason women aren’t priests is because of some latent misogyny.
The Church is being destroyed and liberalized from WITHIN. There is no wonder so many politicians can go against Church Teaching because well, so many so called Catholics can go against Church teaching. Why not have a woman pope? After all, the pope is just a servant? St. Dominic was called to preach to the heretics but St.Francis was called to rebuild the Church from within because it was and still is falling into ruins. Let us ask for the intercession of Saint Francis and the Franciscans to help us through this difficult time
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I absolutely agree, it’s terrible that so many disagree with Church teaching. But I’m not quite sure how this relates to the question of women cardinals. Women cardinals aren’t necessarily a “liberal” thing. Liberals support it, but that doesn’t make it wrong. Not everything liberals like is heresy. 😉
 
Who are we trying to please? The liberals will never stop, they will only want more. Some even think the Church “progresses” with time. They believe the Church should progress to the ideas of a select few or the ideas of the time. We have a huge problem with “progressive” politicians.

We should be worried about pleasing God.

The norm is to have a priest bishop or deacon be cardinals. There is no reason to change this. It will cause confusion and scandal. The Pope already said no to this.
 
The Church simply does not have the authority to ordain women. Simple as that.
This is not in any way a reflection on the worth of women.
As for not handing out authority to ordain women? I don’t know.

We will have to ask Jesus when we see Him.
 
Tomdstone said:
A woman as cardinal? I guess the next step would be a woman as pope?
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Yes I would guess that would be the assumed next step by “rational” thinking liberals. This is why it will not come to pass because the world is already confused about all things catholic so why add more confusion to the mix.

I think this will be filed in the “Although it is possible it is highly unlikely t o happen” file.👍
 
Vouthon said:
Since the cardinalate is not itself an ordained office but an honorific title and there have been quite a few lay cardinals in the past, this is actually a theologically sound proposal…
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As an FYI, while it is true that there have been some Cardinals who were not in Holy Orders, none of them were lay.

They ones that were made Cardinals were tonsured clergy. Most were given (or already had) Minor Orders
 
Vouthon said:
Since the cardinalate is not itself an ordained office but an honorific title and there have been quite a few lay cardinals in the past, this is actually a theologically sound proposal.

I have long thought that it could be fruitful for women to be made lay cardinals and have the right to take part as lay cardinals in electing the pope during a conclave, as well as taking over key offices in the Vatican as lay cardinals.

I think it would be a good opportunity to demonstrate how women do need to be clericalized to exercise their indispensable role in the life of the church. I think it fits in with Pope Francis’ goal of empowering the laity as well, as much as this is possible without usurping the unique duties conferred on the ordained.

Plus, I think that a feminine perspective at conclaves would be very welcome. Women are often more perceptive and emotionally discerning than men.
Click to expand...
How about no. Let’s stick with the tradition on how the Pope is elected. The feminist movement is one of the causes of the destruction of the family and the culture of death which also denies the true roles of men, and women. Women do not need to be “clericalized” in order to be active in the Church. To strive to live in the state of grace and be a soldier for Christ is the way for the laity to be active in the Church. I’m pretty sure St. Thérèse of the Little Flower was not “clericalized”, and she is now a Doctor of the Church. Men and women have different roles.
 
johnnyt3000 said:
How about no. Let’s stick with the tradition on how the Pope is elected. The feminist movement is one of the causes of the destruction of the family and the culture of death which also denies the true roles of men, and women. Women do not need to be “clericalized” in order to be active in the Church. To strive to live in the state of grace and be a soldier for Christ is the way for the laity to be active in the Church. I’m pretty sure St. Thérèse of the Little Flower was not “clericalized”, and she is now a Doctor of the Church. Men and women have different roles.
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👍

Very well said.
 
:D. There’s no theological reason to block women, there’s no law blocking women, there’s no infallible teaching against it, but well deny them the opportunity because we’re afraid. :rolleyes:

Of course, there are many opportunities for women to participate in the Church! Except for this one, that one over there, that other one…nope, not that one either. Why? Because, um…we said so.
 
ComplineSanFran said:
Some of us like to remember Pope Joan. She may have been legend - or real.
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There’s no may have been about it, she’s 100% fabrication. We have a list of Popes stretching back to Peter, each year accounted for. There’s no gap where a Pope Joan could squeeze in.
 
on_the_hill said:
:D. There’s no theological reason to block women, there’s no law blocking women, there’s no infallible teaching against it, but well deny them the opportunity because we’re afraid. :rolleyes:

Of course, there are many opportunities for women to participate in the Church! Except for this one, that one over there, that other one…nope, not that one either. Why? Because, um…we said so.
Click to expand...
Sarcasm right?
 
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