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Thursday, January 11, 2007
Women's Ordination, an Eastern Orthodox View
Frederica Mathewes-Green, a former Episcopalian, now Orthodox priest's wife, and an unusually gifted and thoughtful writer, posted the following. Check it out.
"Controversy over the ordination of woman has plagued many denominations, but it hasn’t raised similar furor in the Orthodox Church."
Sometimes Frederica is triumphalistic about Orthodoxy, as if entering the Orthodox Church will solve every problem. I wish there was no controversy about W"O" in the Orthodox Church, but W"O" has its unorthodox champions among the Orthodox as well. Like Rome and our Churches that have the Affirmation of St. Louis as, effectively, a Formulary, the Orthodox Church is not in any foreseeable danger of giving in; but, the advocates of W"O" are still making their presence known.
Furthermore, we define the ministry of priesthood as that of word and sacrament. So, for us a woman may teach in very many ways, and may do so to great effect; but the preaching of the word of God from the pulpit during the liturgy has with it the character of the sacrament of Holy Orders (with the exception- if it can be called that- of a Layreader reading a sermon composed by a bishop, priest or deacon).
"Controversy over the ordination of woman has plagued many denominations, but it hasn’t raised similar furor in the Orthodox Church."
She's right. Of course there are advicare to be found there, but I cannot see any evidence that they get the widespread sympathetic hearing that they do even in Rome.
I think you are reading Frederica with an even narrower viewpoint than what you're detecting in her. It's not 'triumphalistic' to think that your viewpoint is the beter one, but it's also not wise to ignore as reasoned a presentation of a historic view of such an issue as hers always are. I don't accept her every word, but I am also convinced that, if only a Western view is expressed, the fullness of the Catholic faith will not be perceived.
I see ample evidence in history that there have been women and laymen speaking occasionally from pulpits during the Liturgy from time immemorial. One of the legitimate apostolic ways of exercizing the commission to teach is to commission someone one can trust to do so under one's authority. If a layreader or a woman preaches at the request of the celebrant, I regard the message as his.
I presented this piece as a valid expression within the Catholic tradition to be considered, whether fully accepted or not.
Father, Frederica had much to say of positive benefit in defending the maeleness of the priesthood. I'd much rather have seen your enormous abilities used to draw those positive points out for us to hear than to hear such an easy dismissal. Can you do some of that for us?
The advocates of W"O" are, among the Orthodox, quite vocal. But, they haven't got a snowflake's chance in Hell, and that's the good news. I think we have the strongest position in this, because they are not among us at all.
I did not mean to dismiss what Frederica has written, only to adjust our perspective a wee bit. These are people I have known since the days when her husband was the Rector of Saint Peter's Episcopal Church in Ellicott City, MD.
Thank you, Father, That's the kind of response I hoped to see. However, I seriously would like to see some further comments in this article, building on the points she has made.
I have added a post about the Priesthood and the Church that goes into detail about where I agree, and about where I think we have a better understanding of priesthood. It is right above this one.
6 comments:
"Controversy over the ordination of woman has plagued many denominations, but it hasn’t raised similar furor in the Orthodox Church."
Sometimes Frederica is triumphalistic about Orthodoxy, as if entering the Orthodox Church will solve every problem. I wish there was no controversy about W"O" in the Orthodox Church, but W"O" has its unorthodox champions among the Orthodox as well. Like Rome and our Churches that have the Affirmation of St. Louis as, effectively, a Formulary, the Orthodox Church is not in any foreseeable danger of giving in; but, the advocates of W"O" are still making their presence known.
Furthermore, we define the ministry of priesthood as that of word and sacrament. So, for us a woman may teach in very many ways, and may do so to great effect; but the preaching of the word of God from the pulpit during the liturgy has with it the character of the sacrament of Holy Orders (with the exception- if it can be called that- of a Layreader reading a sermon composed by a bishop, priest or deacon).
"Controversy over the ordination of woman has plagued many denominations, but it hasn’t raised similar furor in the Orthodox Church."
She's right. Of course there are advicare to be found there, but I cannot see any evidence that they get the widespread sympathetic hearing that they do even in Rome.
I think you are reading Frederica with an even narrower viewpoint than what you're detecting in her. It's not 'triumphalistic' to think that your viewpoint is the beter one, but it's also not wise to ignore as reasoned a presentation of a historic view of such an issue as hers always are. I don't accept her every word, but I am also convinced that, if only a Western view is expressed, the fullness of the Catholic faith will not be perceived.
I see ample evidence in history that there have been women and laymen speaking occasionally from pulpits during the Liturgy from time immemorial. One of the legitimate apostolic ways of exercizing the commission to teach is to commission someone one can trust to do so under one's authority. If a layreader or a woman preaches at the request of the celebrant, I regard the message as his.
I presented this piece as a valid expression within the Catholic tradition to be considered, whether fully accepted or not.
Father, Frederica had much to say of positive benefit in defending the maeleness of the priesthood. I'd much rather have seen your enormous abilities used to draw those positive points out for us to hear than to hear such an easy dismissal. Can you do some of that for us?
ed
second paragraph:
I typed 'advocates'
O don't know where that weird 'advicare' came from.
The advocates of W"O" are, among the Orthodox, quite vocal. But, they haven't got a snowflake's chance in Hell, and that's the good news. I think we have the strongest position in this, because they are not among us at all.
I did not mean to dismiss what Frederica has written, only to adjust our perspective a wee bit. These are people I have known since the days when her husband was the Rector of Saint Peter's Episcopal Church in Ellicott City, MD.
Thank you, Father,
That's the kind of response I hoped to see. However, I seriously would like to see some further comments in this article, building on the points she has made.
ed
I have added a post about the Priesthood and the Church that goes into detail about where I agree, and about where I think we have a better understanding of priesthood. It is right above this one.
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