Women's role in the Church

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In a recent edition of our Diocese paper, the Reader Reaction section contained a letter from a local Sister šŸ˜¦ in response to another reader, who was lamenting the role of women in the Church. This Sister, of course, talks about how bad it is that the Church excludes women. She stated that the readings dealing with women as deacons and leaders of the early church are not read/allowed and that the GIRM states that women are not allowed in the sanctuary. Now I looked up the GIRM reference and itā€™s the old 1975 GIRM. The new GIRM states nothing of the sort. Iā€™m not sure about the readings. Any insights on this? Iā€™d like to compose a letter in response that basically says that women are NOT excluded from the Church but would like some (name removed by moderator)ut on what to include in my letter to the editor.

Thanks and God bless!
Jennifer
 
Was Mother Teresa excluded?

Was the Blessed Mother excluded?

Were any of the women saints excluded?

Why do so many seem to think that the only way to be included in the Church is to be up front and center of attention in the sanctuary? Inclusion in the Church is to be conformed to the image of Christ by receiving Him in Sacrament and serving Him with love and gratitude in the world according to our various callings . . .most of which are outside the church building proper :banghead: .
 
šŸ™‚ The first time I read the bible 48 yrs ago at age 20, I was very impressed with the women in the old testament. Sarah, Ruth, Esther, Judith etc.
Then at the time of Christ, Our Blessed Mother Mary, her mother Ann, Mary and Martha, Veronica etc.

A multitude of saints up to today.

St Teresa, the little flower: Doctor of the Church.

What greater honor is there?

Is this nun looking for power? Recognition? Does she believe she or women/nuns can do better then a priest? Iā€™m afraid she is deceived by our culture. The church is not a democracy. Women have always had a place in the church. But, we do not pick the place. We let God pick the place for us. Mother Teresa was a great example. And she always remained obedient.

The greatest gift she can give God is to follow his will. It takes humility. Without humility we can not get to heaven.

What this world of ours needs most is prayer, fasting and penance. From all of us. Especially our nuns who have committed themselves to Christ, their spouse and redeemer. :twocents:
 
I think itā€™s our society in generalā€¦we always glorify the leadership on any level, and we feel that, in general, those in charge are more important.

Men and women have distinctive roles in the Church. While it is very Biblical for men to be the leaders of the Church, family, etc., it would be a grave error to assume then, that they are the most important as a result of such. Women have a priceless role in the Church and Family (the basic unit of the Church) and they keep us men from messing everything up!
 
Women arenā€™t excluded. At my parish alone, we serve as readers, sacristans, altar servers, music ministers, ushers, EMEs, RE teachers, schoolteachers, Christian service leaders, etc. Our Pastoral Associate is even a woman (second in command after the pastor), as is our RE/Youth Ministry director and our school principal.

Iā€™m a cantoress (I think thatā€™s the right term) myself, and in that role I sing the Psalm. I know that in a number of Protestant Churches (and in various other faiths) I would never be allowed to lead the congregation in song or proclaim Scripture. Itā€™s a blessing to be able to follow my vocation as a Catholic.
 
Thanks for that link to the other thread! I searched for it the other day and couldnā€™t find it. šŸ™‚

God bless
Jennifer
 
I was watching ewtn one night. An Brittish (sounding) Priest, a convert from Anglicanism, was asked about the current state of the Church. He replied that the Churchā€™s greatest asset is its women. Pretty cool.

Besides the Pope, Mother Teresa is the most loved Catholic in the world. Among protestants, she is much more favored than the Pope.
Really cool.
 
Why all this divisionism? Men and Women are equally loved by God, but each gender carries different purposes/responsibilities in life. I donā€™t understand these women that think they are being cheated when they are obviously blessed and loved by God.

God could have easily created us all to be genderless (he is capable of anything). But he didnā€™t, he created gender for a reason, the love between a man and a woman is the best model of Godā€™s love for his church there is. Gender is a gift, gender is a blessing, and gender is a lesson in Revelationā€¦

Think about it!
 
Equal beings, different roles.

Women get to have babies, men get to run the church. Just the way things were set up or else God would have made Adam and Adam and made both Adams asexual creatures.

If God wanted women running the church, there would have been female Apostles and he would have had women present at the last supper.

I donā€™t see why thereā€™s so much hate and anger from women over being in a different role and why they automatically assume that that role is inferior.
 
Count Chocula:
Equal beings, different roles.

Women get to have babies, men get to run the church. Just the way things were set up or else God would have made Adam and Adam and made both Adams asexual creatures.

If God wanted women running the church, there would have been female Apostles and he would have had women present at the last supper.

I donā€™t see why thereā€™s so much hate and anger from women over being in a different role and why they automatically assume that that role is inferior.
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Well stated. There too many ā€œliberatedā€ nuns running around who want to be a priestess. Get over it. 1968 came and left.
 
On the topic of women in the Church, I would like to recommend The Privilege of Being a Woman, by Alice von Hildebrand. It is short, but very profound, and I enjoyed reading it. The cover has a picture of the Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heavenā€“you canā€™t do much better than that! :angel1:
 
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Well stated. There too many ā€œliberatedā€ nuns running around who want to be a priestess. Get over it. 1968 came and left.
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Busybee:
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Well stated. There too many ā€œliberatedā€ nuns running around who want to be a priestess. Get over it. 1968 came and left.
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I spoke to someone not too long ago that said the reason we donā€™t have women priests is because at the time of Christ it
would have been unthinkable. All religions had male leaders. She stated that Christ was just keepin with the times and had it been today we would have had women priests.
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That is absolutely ridiculous. Jesus is God, he is not restricted by human culture or tradition. There are many examples in scripture where Jesus does things that go against the traditions of the time, for example: Eating with tax collectors and sinners; talking to a Samaritan woman; not washing his hands before eating; not having his disciples fast, etc.

Statements like that, suggesting that Jesus did not ordain women because of the culture of the time are just the ramblings of aging feminists grasping for straws. Talk about amateur exegesisā€¦šŸ˜¦
 
I believe that history shows that many religions had priestesses. Christ was unique when he chose not to have them.

One of the big questions in my live is how do I know what is the will of God in my life. Roslyn Moss answered that very well on one of her Household of Faith programs. First, does it line up with what God has already taught us, are we following authority and does it seem good to us. Notice that the does it seem good is the last criteria.

Using those criteria, IMO, we would be better served to find Godā€™s plan for us and quit telling God what we demand from Him and His Church.
 
A point to consider.

The roles that we have in the Church have nothing to do with how much God loves us or even how much regard He has for us. The greatest saint in heaven is and will always be a woman ā€“ the Blessed Virgin, Queen of Heaven and Earth. There is no special heavenly privilege for the ordained. No priest, bishop, or even the pope has any more guarantee of going to heaven than the rest of us. In fact, because they have a greater responsibility, they will be judged more strictly than the rest of us.
 
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Jadesfire20:
That is absolutely ridiculous. Jesus is God, he is not restricted by human culture or tradition. There are many examples in scripture where Jesus does things that go against the traditions of the time, for example: Eating with tax collectors and sinners; talking to a Samaritan woman; not washing his hands before eating; not having his disciples fast, etc.

Statements like that, suggesting that Jesus did not ordain women because of the culture of the time are just the ramblings of aging feminists grasping for straws. Talk about amateur exegesisā€¦šŸ˜¦
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You are so right. Jesus is God. He is not restricted by human culture or tradition and he did go against the times in many ways. If he had wanted women to be priests he would have instituted it that way. But, he did not.

The Sacrifice of the Mass was instituted by Christ. He gave himself up to The Father as the ultimate sacrifice for the salvation of mankind. The priest at the mass is Christ . He gives us his Body and Blood each time we go to communion. Christ was never a woman nor can a woman ever stand in his place. Even the Pope cannot make that change.

Menā€™s laws change. Godā€™s laws stay the same.
 
We as women have different roles in the Church, but in no way am I or have I ever felt excluded.
 
I wish i had a link or cite for this, but wasnā€™t that one of the reasons why Christian were maytered back in Rome, because both mena nd women celebrated Mass together
 
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