Mark Shea, Cardinal Dolan, Fr. Benedict Groeschel Ok with Women Cardinals?

[MarkThompson]

You are referring to some cases where a man who had received minor orders (a cleric, not a layman) became a cardinal. The office of cardinal has always in 2,000 years of Church Tradition been bestowed upon bishops, priests, deacons, and sometimes those in minor orders. Never has it been bestowed upon a layman, much less a laywoman.

I think that’s debated. It was certainly true of, say, Cardinal Antonelli in the nineteenth century. But Ferdinando de’Medici was elevated to cardinal at the tender age of 13, for purely political reasons (he would go on to become Grand Duke of Tuscany). Maybe they were handing out minor orders along with lollipops in those days, but the burden would seem to be on the person asserting it to show this. In any event, the traditional view of the minor orders is that they are non-sacramental, non-apostolic, and humanly instituted offices – making it, as I said before, hard to imagine how someone could argue that they are an ontological prerequisite to serving the pope in the office of cardinal. The cardinalate qua cardinalate is, after all, a purely administrative function within the Church.

Really, a lot of these questions (e.g., but can a woman be a cardinal-deacon?) are basically moot, since the greater power includes the lesser, and thus if the pope possesses the authority to abolish the college of cardinals – which he does – then he has the authority to modify or reorder it, say by adding an order of “cardinal-administrators” who vote in the conclave and serve on discasteries but do not have any liturgical function at all.

 

[Mintaka]

Not to mention that with an age limit for voting, the last couple popes have merrily appointed several cardinals who started out too old to vote and went on from there. Like being an honorary cardinal in that sense, but still getting the cardinal perks of precedence, outfit, being an official adviser to the pope, etc.

So appointing little old lady lay cardinals who couldn’t vote is certainly an option. Still, not really much reason to do it, since everybody and their aunt lobbies the cardinals as it is.

 

[Fiasco]

So appointing little old lady lay cardinals who couldn’t vote is certainly an option. Still, not really much reason to do it, since everybody and their aunt lobbies the cardinals as it is.

i like it!

 

[ndeparis88]

I just hope that whatever decision is made it’s seen in the right light. Maybe this can be a time where we as Catholics can give more options for people who think the Church oppresses Women to see that’s simply not true.

 

[Diana_Catherine]

It would cause extreme scandal and confusion among the faithful.

Imagine the howls from the people who want female priests. Not only that, but imagine the number of people who would misunderstand a woman in a red biretta and then go ahead and try to ordain female priests, thereby placing themselves in jeapordy with regard to their status in the Church.

***Everything is lawful, but not everything is beneficial. Everything is lawful, but not everything builds up. ***(1 Corinthains 10:23)

“No theological reason” does not equate to “Wise”

What about the Traditionalists? They can’t even get over female altar servers. Half of them would have strokes and heart attacks. Then the SSPX and similar groups would say, “See, we told you so!” and things would get all out of hand.

No, not a good idea at all.

-Tim-

I agree. Not a good idea. I like your quote from 1 Corinthians. That’s a good point.

Also, I didn’t hear them say that they thought it was a good idea or they would like it or wanted it, they just said it was theoretically possible.