The Alexandrian Patriarchate prelimary look into the Female Deaconate

[Kmon23]

aleteia.org/blogs/deacon-greg-kandra/breaking-orthodox-patriarchate-moves-to-restore-female-deacons/

"The big news, from George: “News broke this morning that the Patriarchate of Alexandria (which is the autocephalous head of Orthodox, Chalcedonian Christians in Africa) officially voted to restore the female diaconate.”

Update: That does not mean they are restoring female diaconate, rather they are going revisit the question of restoration.

Thoughts?

 

[twf]

Does the Byzantine tradition understand deaconesses to be women who are ordained to the order of deacon or is it a separate order in its own right? I would think the latter. This issue is currently being debated in the Catholic Church. I personally am of the opinion that ancient deaconesses were a distinct order who received a special *sacramental * by the laying on of hands (perhaps akin to the consecration of a virgin or the blessing of an abbess) and not the *sacrament * of holy orders as we understand it today.

 

[L_Marshall]

Does the Byzantine tradition understand deaconesses to be women who are ordained to the order of deacon or is it a separate order in its own right? I would think the latter. This issue is currently being debated in the Catholic Church. I personally am of the opinion that ancient deaconesses were a distinct order who received a special *sacramental * by the laying on of hands (perhaps akin to the consecration of a virgin or the blessing of an abbess) and not the *sacrament * of holy orders as we understand it today.

Your hunch is correct.

Historically, deaconesses were used in the early days of the Church to assist with ministry to women when the mores of the time forbid men from interacting with them.

The tradition evolved to the idea that only abbesses were typically deaconesses, but this eventually died out in most places.

 

[psalm90]

In orthodox Jewish congregations (as I understand it) women still sit separately from the men, so as to not distract them during worship.

I’ve asked the question, if the priesthood is MISSING the (name removed by moderator)ut of a female diaconate, has the church been properly oriented to the Gospel, all these years? In other words, has the Church been wrong?

And, the priest who held a whole special meeting to discuss this, was backed into a corner, so to speak, and emphatically said, no.

So, if we all are getting the whole gospel message, then what can women, by their “ministry” add to the gospel? I can understand how women feel left out, not just by my common sense, but because this is the observation of experts in social psychology (a graduate level class I took long ago).

For those who obstinately object that “women can’t be priests” I would point out that nearly all Catholic men are also not ordained priests. I went to my pastor numerous times about the idea of my becoming a priest, and I was summarily dismissed. I wasn’t given the slightest encouragement.

I think it’s easier to imagine some women ( and men ) being able to give a sermon or whatever you want to call it (perhaps, “the lay perspective”?) at Mass, then to tinker with the accepted orthodoxy of Catholicism.

 

[Peter_J]

In orthodox Jewish congregations (as I understand it) women still sit separately from the men, so as to not distract them during worship.

I’ve asked the question, if the priesthood is MISSING the (name removed by moderator)ut of a female diaconate, has the church been properly oriented to the Gospel, all these years? In other words, has the Church been wrong?

And, the priest who held a whole special meeting to discuss this, was backed into a corner, so to speak, and emphatically said, no.

So, if we all are getting the whole gospel message, then what can women, by their “ministry” add to the gospel? I can understand how women feel left out, not just by my common sense, but because this is the observation of experts in social psychology (a graduate level class I took long ago).

For those who obstinately object that “women can’t be priests” I would point out that nearly all Catholic men are also not ordained priests. I went to my pastor numerous times about the idea of my becoming a priest, and I was summarily dismissed. I wasn’t given the slightest encouragement.

I think it’s easier to imagine some women ( and men ) being able to give a sermon or whatever you want to call it (perhaps, “the lay perspective”?) at Mass, then to tinker with the accepted orthodoxy of Catholicism.

anglicancontinuum.blogspot.com/2011/04/new-icon.html