Women Cardinals?

[DavidFilmer]

CindyGia:

I don’t think it quite polite, or even nice, to be comparing women to “poodles and trees.” If that is the comparison when discussing such a topic, which I think most women honestly think of seriously, I would re-think the “comparison.” Not that most women in the church want to see women Cardinals.

But what you are saying here is that women in the church are really regarded as basically “nothing.” I hope that is not the case because if it were, I’ll be reverting back to Protestantism.

You missed the whole point. I’m not saying that women are “nothing” - I’m saying that *Cardinals *are “nothing” (theologically speaking). There’s no such thing as a “cardinal” (theologically speaking). The Church made it up, so the Church can decide whomever or whatever a “cardinal” is. There’s no reason why the Church cannot declare the moon to be a cardinal! It’s totally made-up! It has no theological dimension.

** The point is that (theologically speaking) anyone (or anything) can be a “cardinal,” so there’s no theological reason why a woman could not be “cardinal.”**

Under current Canon Law, only a Bishop may be a “cardinal,” but that’s completely arbitrary. The Church could change that tomorrow, or eleminate the title alltogether.

 

[CindyGia]

DavidFilmer:

You missed the whole point. I’m not saying that women are “nothing” - I’m saying that *Cardinals *are “nothing” (theologically speaking). There’s no such thing as a “cardinal” (theologically speaking). The Church made it up, so the Church can decide whomever or whatever a “cardinal” is. There’s no reason why the Church cannot declare the moon to be a cardinal! It’s totally made-up! It has no theological dimension.

** The point is that (theologically speaking) anyone (or anything) can be a “cardinal,” so there’s no theological reason why a woman could not be “cardinal.”**

Under current Canon Law, only a Bishop may be a “cardinal,” but that’s completely arbitrary. The Church could change that tomorrow, or eleminate the title alltogether.

I’m quite relieved that my comprehension of your previous comment was misconstrued. I was ready with my “boxing gloves” this morning to let you have it! I thought of a few things I wanted to say regarding our Blessed Mother, but “johnnykins” beat me to it:

johnnykins:

Of course the Catholic Church holds Mary, a woman, in regard as the most perfect creature. Also, the Church has named several female doctors of the Church. I too have difficulty understanding the theology that woman cannot be clerics. I accept it because the Church so clearly teaches it.

I also want to include that it was through a woman that the God of all creation, Whom the heavens cannot contain, sent His angel to ask permission of “a little girl” that He may come through Her to redeem mankind. Without our Blessed Mother’s “fiat” there would never have been salvation. God could have chosen many ways to descend from His throne to come to this world, teach us, and redeem us. He chose to come through a woman. That to me means everything!

When I am confronted with feelings that leave me feeling this Holy Church is somewhat prejudiced and chauvinistic against women, I always excite myself by thinking of this:

Just as a priest stands in the likeness of Christ holding up the Host and Chalice (respectively during the Transubstantiation) saying “This is My Body… This is My Blood”, so too the truth that the Blessed Virgin can hold up Jesus and say “This is my body, this is my blood…”

God Bless.

 

[DavidFilmer]

johnnykins:

I too have difficulty understanding the theology that woman cannot be clerics…

Well, that’s a whole 'nuther thing. The whole idea of a “cardinal” was made up by the Church, so She can define the term to include anyone she pleases (currently She only recognizes Bishops as Cardinals, but that’s only Canon Law, which can (and does) change). If the Church changed the definition of “cardinal” to allow women to hold the title, those women would not be “clerics” - they would still be laity, even though they were “Cardinals.”

But clerics (ie, priests, biships)… that’s different. The Church didn’t “make that up,” Jesus “made that up.” Jesus empowered the Church with the ability to Ordain, but only to Ordain men. The Church is incapable of ordaining a woman, because Jesus did not empower the Church to do so. That’s Doctrine, and the Church can *never *change Doctrine.