Posted on 11/03/2008 11:35:05 AM PST by Publius804
Bid to make women 'announcers' of Gospel stirs debate (10/31/08)
By Luigi Sandri, Ecumenical News International
ROME (ENI, 10/31/08) — Pope Benedict XVI's consideration of a proposal made to him by a worldwide gathering in Rome of more than 250 Roman Catholic bishops that women should be authorized to "announce" the word of God at parish services is stirring debate as to what the move would ultimately entail.
The proposal was one of 55 "propositions" agreed by the bishops at their Oct. 6-26 meeting, called a synod. It urged, "that the ministry of the 'lectorate' will be open also to women, in order that their role of announcers of the Word [of God] will be recognized in the Christian community."
Within the Catholic Church, the "lectorate" was, historically, one of the four separate "minor orders" of the Catholic Church, and referred to persons — until now, only men — authorized to read the Holy Scriptures to the congregations. For many centuries, the "lectorate" was seen a step towards priestly ordination.
Still, this position is widely seen as having lost its significance, since the Second Vatican Council, held between 1962 and 1965, which introduced reforms into the Catholic Church. Since then, in many, if not most, parishes, men and women read from the Scriptures during the liturgy. Both men and women often offer commentaries on the text, without being officially installed in the lectorate.
Some commentators have suggested that the proposal by the bishops refers only to women being officially installed to publicly read from Scripture, but others say the use of the phrase "announcers of the Word" has a more far-reaching significance.
(Excerpt) Read more at disciplesworld.com ...
sounds great.
The 16th Amendment provided for a tax on individual income not to exceed 1%.
What percent are you paying today?
It’s the camel’s nose for the RCC.
Yeah...I have an opinion...it’s dumb that this is even a question in 2008.
Women are every bit as capable as men in all facets of religious activity. Period.
And to all of those who will scurry off to find Bible passesages to support this nonsense...don’t bother.....I’ll just delete them. (Try reasoning it out for yourself ...just this once....)
Yeah, but it is just a suggestion. We will see..but you are right about the camel’s nose. Some pesky aging bishops still want to change things before they sign off.
No bible quotes, just your own words.
“Try reasoning it out for yourself.”
Bad idea.
Girl Altar Boys was a bad idea, too.
Yeah does HappyinAZ have trouble with an all male priesthood?
ping
I did....and the conclusion is the same...Women are just as capable as men to serve is ALL capacites for our Lord. period.
All other conclusions are irrational and come to in error and under the guise of “interpretations of the scipture”.
Happy are you Catholic?
Bad idea. Bad, bad, bad. And I am a woman. Jesus was a MAN.
hey I’m okay with it-I just don’t want any more women announcers for college football. The ones they’re pushing on us now are bad enough.
On Fr Z’s blog IIRC the status currently of women lectors is that of a substitute for an official lector. So they can be subs but not officially installed as a lector. Since thye have been doing this for 40 years now, the libs want to make it official they can be installed as an official lector.
If we have to accept this, let it be for the NO only, please.
I trust Pope Benedict XVI’s judgment in such matters. He has been good at keep the silliness out. Catholic liberals should just leave - just go. They can join a million other denominations.
And the Mother of God was a WOMAN!
Would you deny to Her the ability to read scripture to the congregation?
Interesting.
I’m confused. Are they talking about reading the Old Testament, Psalms, Epistles, etc., or are they talking about reading the Gospel? There’s a big difference. Lay people, irrespective of sex, do not proclaim the Gospel during Mass.
First of all, the title is misleading. Women would not be allowed to read the Gospel. The synod members proposed "that the ministry of the 'lectorate' will be open also to women, in order that their role of announcers of the Word [of God] will be recognized in the Christian community."
Simply put, women who currently serve as lectors would be considered members of a 'ministry' - PERIOD. Now, in the event the Holy Father approves this, you can be absolutely certain that some progressive bishops will concoct a formal ceremony replete with pomp and circumstance. I serve as lector in my small parish because there are no men willing to do this. But if this turns into some formal vesting ceremony, then I will stop serviing as lector.
The proposal was one of 55 "propositions" agreed by the bishops at their Oct. 6-26 meeting, called a synod.
Well, this pretty much explains it. The womyn-priestess movement must be crossing their fingers. Joan and crowd got their bishop friends to 'introduce' the idea. Announcers. What does that even mean?
I agree. Capable. Pretty much in all facets of any activity, even if men and women approach it from different angles. Recent research confirms we are equally capable in most things, even if we think and process in different ways. But that doesn't mean women need to be there, functioning as priestesses. For many Catholics, like me, it's an unwelcome intrusion pushed by feminazis of the 70's.
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