Expert: Christopher Heren - 1/25/2011

Question
I am Harchel Castor a Mass Communication student of Far Eastern University in the Philippines.

I have a Investigative Journalism subject and it is our final requirement to ask a professional about our topic status of women in the church.

To wit are the questions:
1.What are the basic roles of women in our Church?
2.Are they allowed to do some priestly duties in the church? If yes, what are those? If not, why?
3.When did women actively participate in the Church?
4.What does the bible say about women?
5.Is it written in the bible that women are prohibited to act like a priest?
6.There is a proposal of ordaining women as priests; do you think it is possible?
7.What is your stand on the issue?
8.Why is it that most of the higher officials in the Church are men? Are there any reasons about this?
9.What does Church say about women?
10.In the lack of priest, is it possible that women can take-charge with the task of the priest.

I hope you will answer my questions, Sir.

Thank you so much!

God bless you!"

Answer
Harchel,

I have already pretty much answered these questions for John Bel Martinez (see question from 1/20/11).  As a result, extensive discussion is in that question, but I'll quickly answer these one at a time.

1) Images of the Virgin Mary in humility, obedience, and service to the church.  While more "behind the scenes," their work is no less important than the priests, for women as laity (and lay men for that matter) illustrate with the priest the synergistic relationship between God and man in the form of Jesus and the Virgin Mary who assented freely to bear the Son incarnate.  Women in the church are worthy of high esteem and respect, having been honored by God both for childbearing in creation and the bearing of the Christ-child particularly, an honor no man will ever have, and as a result, the highest exalted human person is and always will be the Virgin Mary, "Mother of God" (Theotokos), most-holy, and ever-virgin.

2)They share in the priesthood of all believers, but not the Apostolic priesthood.  Distribution of the Sacraments or teaching men in church (preaching basically) and definitely teaching clergy is off-limits. (As for "emergency baptisms," I'm not familiar with the Orthodox practice, and I think they are probably not looked upon as either necessary or favorable).

3)All the time!  The widows mentioned in the New Testament are similar to modern nuns who live in celibacy and serve the church through prayer, writings, and humanitarian services.  The Virgin Mary actively agreed to be the Mother of God to the angel in Luke 1.  Aside from the Apostolic priesthood, women are called to be active in and for the church in just the same capacity as men, but this service is varied and can take on different external actions.

4)They are brought forth from man (Eve from Adam) and the Man is brought forth from the Woman (Christ from Mary).  The women were also honored by not abandoning Christ at the cross and by being the first to see and proclaim the empty tomb.  Women are to be silent in the churches, that is, they are not to teach as a bishop or priest, though the diaconal office at times had females (deaconesses) who served the poor and helped baptize women (originally being baptized nude, the male bishop/priest could not be present in the baptistry with the baptismal candidate).

5)In terms of the Apostolic priesthood, yes, as a pastor must be "the husband of one wife" (1 Timothy 3), thus precluding the position being held by a woman.  Similarly, the 12 apostles, the 70 and their "successors" were all male in accordance with the mission of the Lord.  There is no specific biblical suppression of women from the priesthood, but ample theological and secondary textual evidence.

6)Some in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches are pushing for it, and I don't see it happening in either.  

7)I say no because of what it has done to the liberal Mainline Protestants...it has confused gender roles and sexuality, leading to decisions based more on power and sociology than self-giving love and the Gospel.  As soon as the priesthood becomes an act of power you run into issues of "why can't I be a bishop if I can do what they do?"  It is not about ability, it is about the call, a divinely ordained call that ability has nothing to do with.  It is a call to serve the church in a specific way and this way has rules for a reason.  The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America or ELCA (I attend one of their seminaries) often has pastors who are women and who are radical feminists and they often talk of their role as a pastor like they are priests in Medieval Europe...something Luther himself fought against (Gospel as proclamation and free gift, not act of power).  Can women act more responsibly as bishop than some men? Yes!  Can some men act more motherly than some mothers?  Yes!  Ability and holding the office are not necessarily related (though we would hope our bishops and priests are able and good!).

8)This question only makes sense if you are talking about power and only in the visible part of the church.  Remember, I said the Virgin Mother of God is the highest exalted human person.  Christ as a divine person (and a male) is male because He was taking the role of the New Adam while His mother the New Eve.  In Christ, all of humanity is at the level of God (by grace of course!) and His mother fully participates in this (through grace).  What is His by nature is hers by grace.  If you are referring to the Roman Catholic Church, then the reason is coupled both with the theology of power in the ministry (which for them is the Magisterium) and the role being only given to men.  If you see your bishop in prison or killed a lot (as the Eastern Churches have and continue to experience) you might be inclined to view the bishop a lot differently...as a nun I know said, "why would women want the office [of bishop]?  They are always in jail or something" (indirect quote).

9)See #1-4.

10)Perhaps, but I don't know much about emergency protocols on such matters, and I'm pretty sure the answer would be no.  In the absence of a priest, a layman with an Orthodox familiy in Nebraska cannot act as the priest (though he is a form of priest to his family) and do the Sacraments.  Instead he simply would lead his family in the Hours and Typika and travel occassionally to the nearest Orthodox Church (we're talking about a 4 hour or so journey here).  Even if I am snowed in (which happens in MN), I pray the Hours and the Typika and try to get to Church the next time the Divine Liturgy is offered.  While OT women were "prophetesses" at times, they nevertheless did not take on priestly duties, particularly the offering of sacrifices on behalf of the people.

Have I answered your questions satisfactorally?

Peace,

Chris Heren