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Posted on 08/21/2006 7:36:35 PM PDT by AnAmericanMother
OK Catholics, here's a question of dogma/doctrine for you.
We took my daughter up to Davidson College last week, and of course we hit the College Fair and the religious life table. Had a nice chat with a couple of rabbis on the chaplains' staff.
Saw a lady who was manning the Catholic table . . . much to my surprise she had a little plastic tag IDing her as a chaplain. And she (self-described) runs the Catholic program at the school.
We had a little chat, I avoided (out of politeness) asking her straight up how a woman could be a Catholic chaplain. But we did establish that she is a liberal, and I DID tell her straight out that I wasn't, because I had escaped the wreckage of the Episcopal Church. The way I put it to her was, they started with the revision of the Prayer Book, then they ordained women, and before we could turn around they were denying the Trinity and consecrating as bishop a man who left his wife and kids to live in sin with another man . . .
My question to y'all is, CAN a woman legitimately serve as a Catholic Chaplain? I know she can't celebrate Mass, but what CAN she do?
There is a local parish she spoke of with scorn (St. Mark's - she said it was "too traditional" and had bad music) and another she recommended (St. Therese's - a Jesuit parish.) I think my daughter and her roommate (also a Catholic, a Latina from Texas) were headed to Mass at St. Mark's Sunday, so I may know more about that later.
All knowledge, speculation, and references to the Code of Canon Law gratefully accepted.
I pinged three who have the ping list(s) and also sinkspur who can answer your question.
. . . appreciate your insights, y'all.
(my daughter was very much shocked, BTW.)
My understanding, which is limited by the fact that I don't know Cannon Law on this subject, is no she is not properly called a chaplin.
She sounds like she literally missed the boat a couple of weeks ago when those gals went ahead and ordained themselves.
At the University of Delaware (I graduated from there in 2002), there was one priest who was assigned to the St. Thomas More Oratory (who actually recently retired, and two Dominican priests replaced him), and a female "pastoral associate" assisted him. She was more than just a pastoral associate though. During the 6:30 student Mass, she wore an white alb throughout the Mass. Though it was obvious she was not a priest, she definitely gave the impression that she was acting as a female "minister." It was partially due to my experiences at the oratory that I became more orthodox. Between that, the "high" 1970s architecture (with the tabernacle kept in completely separate room from the main "worship space"), and the heterodox leanings, it's any wonder.
Mind you, I think an ordained chaplain is a bazillion times better.
Can. 564 A chaplain is a priest to whom is entrusted in a stable manner the pastoral care, at least in part, of some community or special group of Christ's faithful, to be exercised in accordance with universal and particular law.
Can. 565 Unless the law provides otherwise or unless special rights lawfully belong to someone, a chaplain is appointed by the local Ordinary, to whom also it belongs to appoint one who has been presented or to confirm one elected.
Can. 566 ß1 A chaplain must be given all the faculties which due pastoral care demands. Besides those which are given by particular law or by special delegation, a chaplain has by virtue of his office the faculty to hear the confessions of the faithful entrusted to his care, to preach to them the word of God, to administer Viaticum and the anointing of the sick, and to confer the sacrament of confirmation when they are in danger of death.
ß2 In hospitals and prisons and on sea voyages, a chaplain has the further facility, to be exercised only in those places, to absolve from latae sententiae censures which are neither reserved nor declared, without prejudice to can. 976.
Can. 567 ß1 The local Ordinary is not to proceed to the appointment of a chaplain to a house of a lay religious institute without consulting the Superior. The Superior has the right, after consulting the community, to propose a particular priest.
ß2 It is the responsibility of the chaplain to celebrate or to direct liturgical functions; he may not, however, involve himself in the internal governance of the institute.
Can. 568 As far as possible, chaplains are to be appointed for those who, because of their condition of life, are not able to avail themselves of the ordinary care of parish priests, as for example, migrants, exiles, fugitives, nomads and sea‚farers.
Can. 569 Chaplains to the armed forces are governed by special laws.
Can. 570 If a non‚parochial church is attached to a center of a community or group, the rector of the church is to be the chaplain, unless the care of the community or of the church requires otherwise.
Can. 571 In the exercise of his pastoral office a chaplain is to maintain the due relationship with the parish priest.
Can. 572 In regard to the removal of a chaplain, the provisions of can. 563 are to be observed.
Is it St. Mark's in Huntersville, NC? They have Lifeteen there.
nice job - sounds like a solid parish. Their website's "catholic link" page looks good. http://www.stmarknc.org/catholic.html
We had a Dominican Sister who was (effectively) chaplain when I went to a Presbyerian-associated college. She was a liberal, too.
St. Mark's is a very nice church. Of course, people have different tastes in music, but they have so many Masses that one is bound to find one where the music suits.
If a campus leftist thinks St. Mark's is "too traditional," that's a good report!
I have a had more then one run in with a "pastoral associate" liberal sister who is so convinced she should be a priest. Argggggh! I switched my parish to the other one nearby. They can be very delusional, if the focus is on their title, rather then on Jesus Christ, I don't care what sex they are, RUN!
Oh BTW, off topic sort of. Davidson is Press Secretary Tony Snow's Alma Mater. :)
MY wife seerved as a chaplin's assistant during basic training at Fort Jackson. She helped the priest prepare the church for mass each Sunday
Just from the way the chaplaincy staff is listed, I'd say her job title is conferred by the college, not the Church.
Since the campus chaplain and assistant chaplain are PCUSA, I'm guessing the college wouldn't be looking for an orthodox Catholic to fill the postion of Adjunct Catholic Chaplain.
http://www2.davidson.edu/studentlife/involved/relig/staff.asp
"She loves liturgy" - Okay, that would definitely give me pause.
The military restricts the chaplaincy to those who can perform fully the rites/sacraments/ordinances of their denomination.
So far as the military is concerned, then, a female cannot be a Catholic Chaplain.
Other denominations have female military chaplains because those denominations permit females to be fully ordained.
Sounds familiar. I have a like-minded sister at our Church. After confronting her on her views being against the Church doctrine her response was "there is nothing wrong with a loyal opposition." I would leave but have been at this parish since 1969, long before she arrived. I expect to be there long after she is gone.
I've seen women - some sisters, some not - referred to as "chaplains" in hospitals, colleges, etc. Usually, they're in very liberal dioceses or institutions, or those that are not Catholic (such as your daughter's school). Most of them that I have met are wanna-be priests and should be avoided like the plague. They're also frequently pro-abortion (although quietly) and have a number of other agendas running.
Naturally, they can't do any more than the EEMs can do - that is, they can't hear confessions (although I once heard one imply that she could), they can only distribute Communion the way any of the old-lady brigade can, etc. However, that doesn't prevent them from pretending they can or doing everything possible to confuse the situation.
I hope your daughter finds an orthodox place to go to Mass, and I hope she keeps a polite but distant relationship with this lady. My daughter went to a state school that also had a nun (from some very liberal order) who was the "chaplain." She spent most of her time at anti-death penalty and peace rallies, however, so she didn't really interfere with the kids very much. My daughter actually said that she felt sorry for the woman, who was probably well-meaning, but completely at sea. The nun came out of that horrible generation where liberal causes were considered to be a substitute for the Faith, and she seemed to dimly realize there was something missing.
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