Posted on 02/28/2006 10:34:33 AM PST by Alice Linsley
Having read the comments made to For the Record, I would like to clarify certain points. I renounced my priesthood because after much consideration and study, I had to face these facts.
1. Women are not ordained priests in either Orthodoxy or Roman Catholicism. Women are given numerous other significant roles in those churches, but not the office of priest. We do well to recognize that these churches continue in the Tradition of 2000 years in upholding this decision.
2. The Protestant use of Scripture passages to justify ordaining women as pastors, not priests, is beside the point since we are speaking or "catholic orders."
3. Any interpretation of Scripture that separates it from Tradition will lead to error. Some errors are more serious that others.
4. ECUSA does not hold to Catholic orders or respect the historic tension of Scripture and Tradition.
5. The question of women's ordination has never been submitted for open deliberation in Anglicanism. It was presented as a done deal by ECUSA, along with the 1979 ECUSA (revisionist) prayer book.
6. Many orthodox people left ECUSA in the 1970's because of these 2 innovations, weakening ECUSA further.
I have written extensively on these points. These writings are available on the internet at various sites. I encourage readers to consider those writings posted at Pontifications, Drell’s Descants, David Virtue’s blog, and Free Republic. I encourage you to read the essays in the series on the 1979 Catechism Exposed and my thoughts on the significance of binary distinctions for spiritual health and guidance.
May God bless you.. and keep up the writing!
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. Thanks..I have enjoyed, and learned from, your writings..
I was a sixth-generation Episcopalian - there's some inertia for you, though nothing on a par with giving up ones career. My family and I hesitated for a long time, even though the writing was plainly on the wall and had been since the first days of Pike and Spong.
We found a happy and welcoming home in the Catholic church - a wonderful, orthodox parish with priests who preach the Gospel with fervor. (And we didn't even have to give up our beautiful English music, because the choirmaster is a huge fan of Tallis, Byrd, et al. You'd think that wouldn't matter, but to somebody whose family have been church musicians since the 1890s . . . )
My only regret is that we didn't cross the Tiber sooner. As I've told others on FR, we were mourning beside a dead body when the Church was alive and well and waiting patiently for us, just around the corner.
We will keep you in our prayers.
Thanks, American Mother. I am much encouraged by your remarks. Many who have gone to Rome have spoken similar sentiments. I will be wonderful simply to worship without ECUSA's din ringing in my ears.
I concur. I left in the middle of being on a rector search committee. Talk about leaving with maximum exposure! But once we were in the safety of the Church away from the heterodoxy, it's amazing how much spiritual growth has occurred, how much I'm learning.
Alice, you talked at Pontifications about the freedom to able to focus on spiritual matters. I must confess that the last couple of years in ECUSA, I found that I used my own spiritual walk as an example, as a badge almost. I was living in a fishbowl because I was the ringleader of dissenting voices from GC2003. I didn't realize, until I left, that it had become a point of pride for me.
I pray for you rest from your weariness, joy in the fullness of the faith, and healing in the Real Body and Blood of Christ.
(I got hit on the other end -- got put on the music director search committee almost as soon as I darkened the door of our new church. . . the assistant organist was hiding his light under a bushel . . . he was filling in as an interim after the old jump-for-Jesus Oregon-Catholic-Press guy (yuk!) left . . . and we started noticing how good he was . . . turned out he had a doctorate in organ performance from Juilliard and did a Fulbright in France . . . once we heard that, it was a full-court press to get him the job. We love him and wouldn't trade him for John Rutter himself and a player to be named later . . . :-) First thing he did was get us 40 copies of the St. Gregory Hymnal so we could start singing the OLD stuff . . . )
I can't tell you how WONDERFUL it is to be working like mad at music and liturgy and making our service as beautiful as possible -- instead of political rumors and whispers and plotting and worrying about delegates to GC . . . I feel like I'm in church again instead of a political convention . . . WHAT a relief!
Your sentiments are identical to mine (see my previous post). I didn't fully appreciate how rowdy and contentious and ugly and political things had gotten, until we got into safe harbour here and started worrying about things like good music and whether we could make it to the Two Hearts Service on Saturday afternoon . . . what a NICE change!
You must have done some kind of soul searching to make the change in your life. Pax vobiscum.
WOW! I'm glad his light's shining brightly now. No wonder you're in choir heaven. BTW, do you know where I can get copies of the St. Gregory Hymnal?
I got asked to be on the newly-resurrected liturgical committee at my parish which is reconsidering the V-II documents...we're reading them in light of "reform of the reform." So though the changes will be slow in coming, there are glimmers of hope.
But NYC's loss is our gain! And to boot he's a wonderful person, very funny, very energetic, not at all proud, always ready to impart knowledge worth gold.
You can get the St. Gregory Hymnals over at Neumann Press. It's a reprint of the 1941 Organists' Edition (with all the harmonies and accompaniments). We were able to negotiate a quantity discount off the posted price.
But NYC's loss is our gain! And to boot he's a wonderful person, very funny, very energetic, not at all proud, always ready to impart knowledge worth gold.
You can get the St. Gregory Hymnals over at Neumann Press. It's a reprint of the 1941 Organists' Edition (with all the harmonies and accompaniments). We were able to negotiate a quantity discount off the posted price.
I echo my husband's sentiments. Your candor and thoughtfulness might just give courage to other women to re-examine their roles in the church and make choices that are pleasing to God. I commend your courage in making your reflections available for all to consider. May you find blessed refreshment and peace as you follow the works He has prepared for you to walk in. Your light is shining brightly tonight. Thank You!
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