What is doubly sad here is the fate of the women priests caught in between. The Continuum (at least much of it, certainly my corner) won’t accept them. Not all the world-wide Anglican Communion will either, I believe.
It’s heart-breaking, because I knew one of the first women to be ordained (in our area), and I know it was not out of any political or feminist agenda. What I saw is that is where her heart was. I was quite young and knew nothing else; that is just what I saw.
I have since been brought to question womens’ ordination – but at the same time there is this horrible question: What of those women who were ordained, when the church that did it in effect drives them out? By charging ahead alone as it did, ECUSA has done a terrible thing to these people, including the Rev. Alice Linsley.
When ECUSA left me, a long time ago, I was very angry with it. That died in a while as I made my home in a Continuing church, got busy, and quit looking back. But this piece tonight rekindles a bit of that anger.
I have no answers, only another issue on my heart for prayer: The Rev. Linsley and her ilk.
CH
Comment by Continuing Home — 4/2/2005 @ 1:10 am
Thank you, Continuing Home. I took my ordination vows deeply to heart and at that moment when the bishop and presbyters placed their hands on my head I felt heat throughout my entire being and I knew that I would never be the same. I do believe that I am in apostolic sucession, and that this is an ontological change. I value the priestly work and recognize there is none like it. Having said this, I am willing to set aside my orders if this can bring greater unity to orthodox Anglican bodies. This was suggested by two men I greatly respect: Dr. Peter Toon and Dr. Peter Moore. I speak for myself only, but as long as the Church uses my gifts, I am content not to do altar service.
Comment by alice Linsley+ — 4/2/2005 @ 9:01 am
Thanks for the further elucidation on Rev. Linsley's situation. A very long time ago there was a young woman who was quite dear to me who went on to become an Episcopal priest, I'm told. For her there was no element of feminism or liberalism or thought that the Holy Spirit was doing a new thing in that act. Her motivation was exactly the same as that of any good male priest, Episcopal, Orthodox or Roman Catholic. She heard a call which she believed to be from God. I think it was, though I think her ordination was and is uncanonical and that it may have been a call to the monastic life or the diaconate. I will never, ever, believe this fine Christian woman I knew is a heretic for that decision, nor would I believe that a woman like Rev. Linsley is. I don't know what has happened to that dear friend of my youth, but I can see what Rev. Linsley has done. It is noble and we should praise God for her faith and example.
I also know a woman who was an Episcopal priest and is now Orthodox and another who is giving it consideration. She gave up her ordination to serve God as an Orthodox lay person; I suspect the other one will too. It is far to facile to speak derisively of "priestesses" and point to the ordination of women into the priesthood as the source of the problems now plaguing the AC and ECUSA in particular. Those ordinations, at the hands of bishops into whose care the church was given, were merely a symptom of a far deeper and older problem with the Anglican Church. If there is any blame here, it rests squarely with the hierarchy in a system such as the AC has.