Honor of Women in Catholicism

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Well some people say that women aren’t honored in Islam, so I was wondering how they are “honored” in Christianity.

I understand that women are not allowed to be priests… is that correct? Why–if men and women are equal?

(ps–that is not a rhetorical question. I’m sure there’s a valid answer, and that’s what I want to hear… thanks in advance.)
 
Sister_Amy said:
Well some people say that women aren’t honored in Islam, so I was wondering how they are “honored” in Christianity.

I understand that women are not allowed to be priests… is that correct? Why–if men and women are equal?

(ps–that is not a rhetorical question. I’m sure there’s a valid answer, and that’s what I want to hear… thanks in advance.)
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If you are sincerely interested in knowing what the Church really teaches on this, I invite you to read these two Church documents which will give you all the information you need:

MULIERIS DIGNITATEM
ON THE DIGNITY AND VOCATION OF WOMEN
vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_15081988_mulieris-dignitatem_en.html

ORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS
ON RESERVING PRIESTLY ORDINATION TO MEN ALONE
vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_22051994_ordinatio-sacerdotalis_en.html

Here is a related recent news item:
Pope Benedict praises the dignity of women
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Vatican City, Feb 12, 2008 / 11:48 am (CNA).- On Saturday morning Pope Benedict XVI received participants in an international congress on the theme: “Woman and man, the ‘humanum’ in its entirety.” During his reflections, the Holy Father called on Christians to promote “a culture that grants women, in law and in everyday life, the dignity that is theirs by right.”
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The congress, organized by the Pontifical Council for the Laity, takes place in the twentieth anniversary year of Pope John Paul II’s apostolic letter on the dignity and vocation of women, “Mulieris Dignitatem.”
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Speaking to the participants, Pope Benedict said that the relationship between men and women is a question central to contemporary culture. The Pope noted the various documents the Church has dedicated to the topic, including “Mulieris Dignitatem,” Pope John Paul II’s 1995 “Letter to Women” and a Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith document titled “Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Collaboration of Men and Women in the Church and in the World.”
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Man and woman’s equal dignity, their unity, and their reciprocal and complementary vocations, the Pope said, rest on their being created in the image and likeness of God, “Who ‘created them male and female’ avoiding indistinct uniformity and flat and impoverished equality, as well as massive and confrontational difference.”
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Pope Benedict said that when men and women seek complete self-sufficiency and autonomy, they confuse freedom with the overcoming of all natural, social and religious barriers. This confusion “reduces them to a state of oppressive solitude," the Pope said.
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The Pope called for new research based on the Christian tradition to combine scientific progress and modern cultural sensibilities. This research, he said, would contribute to a deeper understanding of both female identity and male identity, “which is also not infrequently the subject of partial and ideological studies.”
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Criticizing male chauvinism, discrimination against women, and the undervaluation of women, he called for Christians to promote “a culture that grants women, in law and in everyday life, the dignity that is theirs by right.”
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The family, the Pope said, is a specific, God-given vocation and mission for men and women. It is “a community of love open to life, the fundamental cell of society” in which man and woman together play an indispensable role.
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He further addressed the place of children in the family, saying, “From their conception, children have the right to a father and mother to take care of them and accompany them as they grow.” He called for the state to support and promote the stability and unity of marriage, the dignity and responsibility of the spouses, and parents’ right to educate their children.
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Pope Benedict ended his speech with a prayer asking the Virgin Mary to help women in their vocation and mission to both ecclesial and civil communities.
catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=11760
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Hope that helps! 🙂
 
Well, Amy, it isn’t really a question of being allowed.

Men cannot be ‘mothers’; they do not possess uterus, ovaries, etc. While men and women are equal in soul and dignity of person, that does not mean that they are interchangeable. Priesthood in the Catholic Church is a calling. . .not something to which a person can ‘fulfil a role’. In fact, one could argue that not just ‘any’ man is ‘allowed’ to be a priest either.

And of course, while a priesthood is a noble vocation, so is that of marriage, or of chaste single life. And priesthood isn’t about being honored or ‘better than’ a man–or a woman–but of a service called and instituted by God.
 
Sister_Amy said:
Well some people say that women aren’t honored in Islam, so I was wondering how they are “honored” in Christianity.

I understand that women are not allowed to be priests… is that correct? Why–if men and women are equal?

(ps–that is not a rhetorical question. I’m sure there’s a valid answer, and that’s what I want to hear… thanks in advance.)
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It really depends upon the denomination.

In the Episcopal church, which many Catholics consider to be the literal church of Satan, women are regularly ordained priests and bishops. The Episcopal church is a catholic church, and some Episcopalians believe in transsubstantiation and apostolic succession and such things.

In many ways it’s quite similar to reform Judaism’s relationship to – well – whatever interpretation Hashem Echad follows. My mother-in-law’s spiritual conduit is a female also, who went to a Jewish seminary in California. Hashem Echad doesn’t consider her a valid rebbe, and of course that’s her right, but she does a good job at it in my opinion.

Mormons have a liberal wing also. It’s called the Community of Christ, or the “reorganized LDS church” by the old school Mo’s. Women can lead prayers there too. I’ve visited a time or two, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

I don’t know enough about evangelicals or fundamentalist protestants to know which denominations are further along in shedding their sexist baggage. I’m sure there are some.

Are women allowed to lead prayers for men in any sect of Islam?
 
LaMar said:
In the Episcopal church, which many Catholics consider to be the literal church of Satan…
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"Many Catholics"?? There are a billion Catholics on the planet and most don’t even think about Episcopalianism at all.

Isn’t that kind of a martyr-complex type generalization to throw out there? How about “a few vocal Catholic cranks”? :rolleyes:
 
Tantum_ergo said:
Well, Amy, it isn’t really a question of being allowed.

Men cannot be ‘mothers’; they do not possess uterus, ovaries, etc. While men and women are equal in soul and dignity of person, that does not mean that they are interchangeable. Priesthood in the Catholic Church is a calling. . .not something to which a person can ‘fulfil a role’. In fact, one could argue that not just ‘any’ man is ‘allowed’ to be a priest either.

And of course, while a priesthood is a noble vocation, so is that of marriage, or of chaste single life. And priesthood isn’t about being honored or ‘better than’ a man–or a woman–but of a service called and instituted by God.
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Islam has a very similar concept. Men can’t give birth, breastfeed, and women are naturally better mothers. But in Islam women are given a special status because of that role, and they are protected in it, while men have a different role in which they are protected as well. But really that has no effect on equality or dignity of individuals–and there is no difference, in Islam.

Thanks for making this post, I appreciate it. 🙂
 
I’m not exactly sure how the Catholic church honors individual women, but it does hold women in the highest of esteem. Look at the way we honor the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is the archetype for all women in the church. Also, for the Catholic church, the woman is the model for the entire church. We, the church, are the Bride of Christ, the Bridegroom. I think I heard somewhere that Archbishop Fulton Sheen said something along the lines of (someone please correct me with the exact quote if you can) he can’t understand why women want equality with men when the church already holds them a little “above” men. It is true that Eve helped bring sin into the world but God also chose a woman to help redeem the world as well. Also, at least in the Eastern Churches, we gives certain female saints, such as Mary Magdalene, the name “Equal to the Apostles”. I think these are some ways in which Catholics honor women. 🙂

-Katie
 
Tantum_ergo said:
Well, Amy, it isn’t really a question of being allowed.

While men and women are equal in soul and dignity of person, that does not mean that they are interchangeable. Priesthood in the Catholic Church is a calling. . .not something to which a person can ‘fulfil a role’. In fact, one could argue that not just ‘any’ man is ‘allowed’ to be a priest either.

And of course, while a priesthood is a noble vocation, so is that of marriage, or of chaste single life. And priesthood isn’t about being honored or ‘better than’ a man–or a woman–but of a service called and instituted by God.
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Code: 
Please behave yourself while talking to womens. You do not have to talk openly like this. I guess your religion of jesus pbuh donot allow you to openly talk like this. Islam have respect for women No one talk like this until he/she loses his or her mind. This is one of the difference between Islam and other religion. That Irespect woman donot talk vulgar with them. Coz Male and Female have different gene. Even you donot talk to your same gene like this. Islam is a discipline religion.
 
Katie_the_Byz said:
I’m not exactly sure how the Catholic church honors individual women, but it does hold women in the highest of esteem. Look at the way we honor the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is the archetype for all women in the church. Also, for the Catholic church, the woman is the model for the entire church. We, the church, are the Bride of Christ, the Bridegroom. I think I heard somewhere that Archbishop Fulton Sheen said something along the lines of (someone please correct me with the exact quote if you can) he can’t understand why women want equality with men when the church already holds them a little “above” men. It is true that Eve helped bring sin into the world but God also chose a woman to help redeem the world as well. Also, at least in the Eastern Churches, we gives certain female saints, such as Mary Magdalene, the name “Equal to the Apostles”. I think these are some ways in which Catholics honor women. 🙂

-Katie
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Code: 
You are wrong Katie About Mary. I have heard some irrelevant stuff about Mary with christians. Wrong Wrong Wrong. You Know what I mean. Please guyz donot lie.
 
Actually, I’m not sure what you mean about Mary. Could you let me know so that I can investigate and reply?

-Katie
 
Please behave yourself while talking to womens. You do not have to talk openly like this. I guess your religion of jesus pbuh donot allow you to openly talk like this. Islam have respect for women No one talk like this until he/she loses his or her mind. This is one of the difference between Islam and other religion. That Irespect woman donot talk vulgar with them. Coz Male and Female have different gene. Even you donot talk to your same gene like this. Islam is a discipline religion.
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“Behave myself”?

I am a woman, tom. My anatomy contains the above-noted organs, whether you ‘like’ the terms or not. And a man’s does not, whether you ‘like’ the terms or not. Any competent medical professional (like me) uses those terms, whether you ‘like’ the terms or not, and they are not vulgar terms in the context I used. . .whether you ‘like’ the terms or not.
 
Katie_the_Byz said:
Actually, I’m not sure what you mean about Mary. Could you let me know so that I can investigate and reply?

-Katie
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I donot want to make my mouth dirty. Sorry, or they like to pull muslims legs. Because they knew our culture so so so respectsiveness about people. I donot other but I am.
 
How do you know that I am wrong about what the Catholic church teaches about Mary? Maybe it’s just your opinion that you are right, but ask any Catholic, we hold Mary in great esteem because she was a wonderful woman worthy to be the Mother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
 
Mary is highly honored in Islam as well, for her piety and righteousness.
 
Katie_the_Byz said:
How do you know that I am wrong about what the Catholic church teaches about Mary? Maybe it’s just your opinion that you are right, but ask any Catholic, we hold Mary in great esteem because she was a wonderful woman worthy to be the Mother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
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I know you prefere Mary more than jesus. I am not talking about Catholic I am talking about Christian. Are Catholic Christian and Christian different. like Protestant, Baptism, Angelican etc etc. But all have there own way of seening Jesus pbuh and BiBi Marrium
 
Sister Amy, I did know about that. Thank you for brining it up.
 
I think it is unfair that you automatically assume that I “prefer” Mary to Jesus. This is simply not true. Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior and because Mary is his mother and was ever pure and holy we honor her as well but we do NOT say that she is “equal” to Jesus. We ask Mary to pray for us just as we would ask a friend to pray for us.
 
Katie_the_Byz said:
Sister Amy, I did know about that. Thank you for brining it up.
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I have repect for all three big religions which are Moses, Jesus and all Islamic prophets which are in numbered 124000. Infact my aunties were catholic white ladies. And I have cousins with them.🙂
 
Sister_Amy said:
Mary is highly honored in Islam as well, for her piety and righteousness.
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Yes, but Muhammad made a mistake. He thought the Blessed Virgin was part of the Trinity in Christianity. And he thought Jesus was just a prophet, not God.
 
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