Posted on 11/19/2001 6:09:34 AM PST by Notwithstanding
In 1998, Ramerman and two priests, the Rev. James Callan and the Rev. Enrique Cadena, as well as many parishioners, split from Corpus Christi in Rochester. It resulted in the formation of Spiritus Christi, a 1,500-person congregation independent of the diocese that celebrates Sunday Mass at Hochstein Music School downtown. Ramerman's first Mass as a priest is 8 a.m. today. While she is considered an Old Catholic priest, Spiritus Christi remains an independent church. The auburn-haired mother of three now goes by the title of the Rev. Mary Ramerman. Parishioners need not call her "father," the traditional name associated with Roman Catholic priests. Rather, just call her "Mary," she said.
Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!!
Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
I guess this scripture no longer applies.
The Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles attest that this call was made in accordance with God's eternal plan; Christ chose those whom he willed (Mk 3:13-14; Jn 6:70), and he did so in union with the Father, "through the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:2), after having spent the night in prayer (cf. Lk 6:12). Therefore, in granting admission to the ministerial priesthood, the Church has always acknowledged as a perennial norm her Lord's way of acting in choosing the twelve men whom he made the foundation of his Church ( Rv 21:14).
These men did not in fact receive only a function which could thereafter be exercised by any member of the Church; rather they were specifically and intimately associated in the mission of the Incarnate Word himself (Mt 10:1, 7-8; 28:16-20; Mk 3:13-16; 16:14-15). The Apostles did the same when they chose fellow workers who would succeed them in their ministry. Also included in this choice were those who, throughout the time of the Church, would carry on the Apostles' mission of representing Christ the Lord and Redeemer.
Furthermore, the fact that the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and Mother of the Church, received neither the mission proper to the Apostles nor the ministerial priesthood clearly shows that the non-admission of women to priestly ordination cannot mean that women are of lesser dignity, nor can it be construed as discrimination against them. Rather, it is to be seen as the faithful observance of a plan to be ascribed to the wisdom of the Lord.
I can't see calling yourself a Catholic if you don't abide by the faith. The Catholic Church actually has high respect for women. They place Mary on a very high plane as noted by the "Feast of the Assumption." They believe that the priest should be a man. I certainly prefer this too.
This loing standing tradition is grounded in various valid rationales, but the one that perhaps makes the most sense to modern sensibilities is as follows: The Church sees the priest as the person of Christ (persona Christi) such that when he says Mass it is the same as if Jesus was actually present like at the Last Supper. The Church sees Christ's maleness is integral to Who He is. God incarnated as a male for a reason - God's knows why - and we ought not dismiss this fact of history. Maleness is thus part of Who Jesus is. And the person who stands "in persona Christi" (the priest)must likewise be male. Christ's humanity is not just a small thing. It is HUGE! And if it is huge, then the details of his human existence are not minor. Does any of this make sense to you?
And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
This sounds more like Islam than (modern) Christianity.
This incrementalism is happening all over among the male-only clergy denominations. Like the Church of Rome, these denominations (WELS, LCMS, ELS, etc) begin certain appeasement measures. Women are first put on committees. Then they are given limited roles in leading worship. Women lectors. Women communion assistants. (My brother's Roman Catholic congregation had a large group of women who assisted in communion distribution. I do not believe any were men.) The pastor is assisted by a woman during certain parts of the worship service.
Then the agitation begins in earnest. The women are already installed in positions of power. The aggressive women roll over the feminine members. Men quake. Why can't women preach every now and then? Well, OK. The LCMS featured the worst ELCA woman pastor (pro-abortion, pro-lesbian) preaching in one of their prominent pulpits. Oh, the church was disciplined. They probably had their supply of AAL napkins suspended for a month.
So I am saying that all the male clergy denominations are ripe for a fall into complete and utter feminist radicalism by their half-way measures. Not many of these denominations are left. I think the Church of Rome will be ripped up by it as well.
I saw it develop in the liberal Lutheran Church in America. What many people do not anticipate is this - that women clergy will network and serve as shock-troops for abortion on demand and homosexual ordination. The degenerate successor to the LCA, the ECLA, pays for abortions for any reason under their denominational health plan.
Just wondering why the Bible says what it says. Maybe it needs to be upgraded after all these years.
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