The following comes from a March 2 Religion News Service article by David Gibson:
A series of essays in the semiofficial Vatican newspaper is urging the Catholic Church to allow women to preach from the pulpit at Mass, a role that has been reserved almost exclusively to the all-male priesthood for nearly 800 years.
“This topic is a delicate one, but I believe it is urgent that we address it,” Enzo Bianchi, leader of an ecumenical religious community in northern Italy and a popular Catholic commentator, wrote in his article in L’Osservatore Romano.
“Certainly for faithful lay people in general, but above all for women, this would constitute a fundamental change in their participation in church life,” said Bianchi, who called such a move a “decisive path” for responding to widespread calls — including by Pope Francis — to find ways to give women a greater role in the church.
Two nuns also contributed articles in the March 1 special section that is part of a new L’Osservatore Romano series on women called “Women-Church-World.”
In her column, Sister Catherine Aubin, a French Dominican who teaches theology at a pontifical university in Rome, noted that Jesus encouraged women to preach his message of salvation, and she said that throughout church history there have been many extraordinary women evangelists. Women today also lead retreats and in effect preach in other ways, she argued.
Another Dominican, Sister Madeleine Fredell of Sweden, wrote that preaching “is my vocation as a Dominican, and although I can do it almost anywhere, sometimes even in the Lutheran church, I believe that listening to the voice of women at the time of the homily would enrich our Catholic worship.”
The argument for a change is not that it is “modernizing” the church but rather that it is returning to the tradition of the first thousand years of Christianity, when, as Bianchi and the other essayists note, women were regularly given permission to preach, and often did so in front of priests, bishops and even the pope.
That the Vatican’s own newspaper would dedicate so much space to the issue of women preachers is intriguing, said Massimo Faggioli, a church historian at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota.
“I think it is a big signal,” he said.
The Vatican rag can say what it wants, but until canon law and sacramental theology is changed, this is not going to happen. The reason why the permanent diaconate was established was to help priests, especially in mission lands. Now we have a plethora of permanent deacons, who will be pushed aside and discarded so some radical females can perform what was never done before by their gender. No wonder there is a shortage of priestly vocations in the Vatican II church.
Good point! As a permanent deacon, in preaching a homily at Mass, we still represent the “persona Christi.” Women have many opportunities to preach outside of Mass. This is a sacred liturgical duty in speaking the words of Christ leading up to the consecration of the Eucharist. No changes need be made. Deacon Vince
L’Osservatore Romano has become a lover of the world and has ceased long ago to be an orthodox Catholic publication. As for Enzo Bianchi, this guy is simply a heretic who is quite anti-Marian. The blog Eponymous Flower has reported on him. Here is some of what he is all about:
https://eponymousflower.blogspot.com/2015/12/papal-appointee-enzo-bianchi-calls.html
The Poor Choice of Title for the Article – Blaming the ‘Y’ Chromosome, is typical of the political agenda of the radical leftist / gender feminist / homosex MISANDRY Lobby – Which is Not to say that is the foundation of this article, although if it quacks like a duck…
There are Only Two Genders – and All procreation requires both Male (XY) and Female (XX). Although there are those with Genetic or Gestational defects who should be teated with compassion, this does not constitute a ‘new gender’ – Nor does surgical mutilation or hormone / steroid abuse.
Aside from this basic scientific flaw in the title – the article contained much fluff and little substance – Kind of like the infamous ‘Nuns Throwing the Church Under the Bus/’…
Yes it is……the XX and their pant suited ghouls have done such a “wonderful” job of stripping the Church of its Catholic identity I really just cannot wait for the official schism with the modernist/gays/liberals crowd…we will both be happier
Thanks for the post Canisius, you are not alone :)
Consider – How Many ‘catholic’ (small ‘c’) Seminarians were Fully Aware of this Wise Moral Position and LIED their way in to the Catholic Priesthood despite knowing what they were doing was Very Wrong and a Despicably Deceitful Fraud on the Faithful? Given the widespread Hoaxing internal to the Homosex Ephebophile Abuse Crime – isn’t this the same bunch of bananas who were also using ‘happy’ Priests?
SEE
Criteria for the Discernment of Vocation for Persons with Homosexual Tendencies
https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_20051104_istruzione_en.html
“… It would be gravely dishonest…
The Vatican is so full of liars. They always say that their goofy and Faith-destroying “innovations” are not innovations at all but “a return to the past” (such as use of the vernacular, communion in hand, use of women for this and that at “mass” and the like. With a Pope that loves this stuff, it likely does little good to object, because Francis will laughingly say “OK with me” anyway.
But, big bad things coming, like inter-communion with Lutherans and stuff like that. The Zombie-Liberals just will not stay dead.
The Semi-Official Vatican Newspaper that semi-officially floats endless trial balloons of ifs and buts.
“Another Dominican, Sister Madeleine Fredell of Sweden, wrote that preaching “is my vocation as a Dominican, and although I can do it almost anywhere, sometimes even in the Lutheran church, I believe that listening to the voice of women at the time of the homily would enrich our Catholic worship.”
Actually, Sister, being a Dominican sister is your vocation. Preaching is what you prefer to do. That is why you’re going to the Lutherans to be allowed to do what you choose to do. Of course, you believe that listening to the voice of women is enriching, that is why you are pushing for it instead of sticking with your actual…
…vocation. Give it up Sister. Be a Catholic religious sister. That is what you vowed, not to preach at Lutheran services.
The lady (?) in the photograph is disobedient to St. Paul who wrote that women must cover their heads in church. Also, the collar of the woman is not supposed to be shown, so an amice or a decent alb must be worn. Since she is wearing a stole, this female must be Episcopal, as only ordained priests and deacons are allowed to wear a stole. The picture is a fraud, as it is not Catholic. Ave Maria Purrissima !
2 recent popes achieved a heroic intervention to bring to a stable speed an out-of-control train. the entropy of self-destruction was well under way. john lennon’ s ‘imagine’ lyrics, sickly out of touch, would have been achieved,fatally, suicidally. the closing of the door on women’s ordination was the removal of a temptation to damage the church . the church-as-hospital faced some patients in delirium who confused the social order with the spiritual order. these believed in ‘creative destruction’.the patients still need more time in therapy and must be prevented from mutiny and self-mutilation.
if the party of ‘change’ and making a mess plans to use women preaching as the trojan horse for ordination( and we know that massimo faggioli is part of the horse-outfitting advance team in the US ) expect to see some form of ‘mene mene tekel upharsin’ scroll across the wall sometime soon.
You are spot-on, again, drewelow: Massimo Faggioli, a darling of the Jesuit theologate formerly at Boston, now teaching at St Thomas University in MN, is a P. Francis-fan from the time of Benedict’s abdication. The only essential fact you need to know is that he gives an annual Cardinal Bernardin lecture, or that he is the “go-to” guy for “analysis” by the Huffington-Puffington Post.
He is a very very smart guy, yet one who is all-in on how great V2 has been. What do you expect: he was only born in 1970.
Modernism marches on!
All men and women share in the common priesthood by which they have a right and duty to pray, to share the gospel, and to show mercy. The ordained priesthood changes a man into the image of Christ to teach, guide, and sanctify those who share the common priesthood. When the priest offers the grace of the sacraments, it is Christ who is doing so through, with, and in the priest and vice versa. If a priest preaches the truth of Christ and the Church at liturgy, it is Jesus speaking to form His people for their common priesthood. This never should be substituted by the common priesthood which may be expressed in catechesis, evangelization, and other talks.
Beautifully explained Father. Thank you for your guidance. Oh, the fruits of the ‘spirit of Vatican 2’ keep on giving and keep on dividing the faithful between the true Church and the false church. Let us pray that the false church throws off its protestant veneer and returns to the Catholic Faith, giving up its pursuit of the one world religion with man at its center.
God Bless,
Gerard
Fr. Richard, your’s is a very meaningful few sentences. I doubt that 80% of Catholics today have every heard of the concept of the priest as Christ. I learned it 70 years ago, but haven’t heard it very often since. Is this taught anymore? Is it possible that we have gotten to the point where a priest is just a glorified social worker who leads a liturgy once in a while? Does the idea of sanctification ever come up now days? Do most of us know what a priest is?
Bob One,
People don’t really learn by study these days, but by experience. If the cleric speaks, writes about, and does social work, then he is seen as such, and just one of the congregation. If the cleric takes seriously his duty to teach the gospel, sanctify through the sacraments, and guide his people in Christ, he MIGHT be seen differently in a society that tries to impose an equality in all things on the worldly level. The spiritual level is often ignored. A cleric will elevate the faithful if he behaves as a cleric without being “clerical”, that is serving rather than to be served and praised.
Archbishop Cordileone, many bishops, priests and catechists on EWTN and other websites, and Catholic churches in my area teach that Christ is the bridegroom and the Church is the bride, and that the priest stands in the place of Christ (in persona Christi). I think most people who are pushing women priests just do not care. The reasons for having a male priesthood was even explained in our local secular newspaper when Pope John Paul II said the Church has no power to ordain women.
The article in the secular newspaper was written by an official from the Vatican at that time and was well written, orthodox and very clear and easy to read. I really think that in most cases there is no excuse as most know the teaching of the Church on this but some just reject it. Thus they go to dissident teachers, who as St. Paul put it, tickle their ears.
Bob One I actually agree with you,,, this the logical result of the “spirit of Vatican 2, yes I do blame that council…. God Bless the FSSP, ICKSP, SSPX and all other traditional orders….
This sister thinks that having a woman give the homily would be more meaningful to women parishioners. I have never heard a homily and thought that I needed the woman’s perspective on the issue. It is the Catholic understanding of faith that is expressed in the homily. It is not that they couldn’t give a homily. There is no need for them to give the homily. The Father in persona Christi speaks to us. True, some priests may be lacking the ability to give a Christlike sermon, but society needs strong fathers to take charge and be the head of the family whether it is in Church or the home.
David Gibson’s (the writer) claim insinuating that women have been banned from preaching only “for the last 800 years” is a completely false narrative. Of course he doesn’t cite any sources or facts.
The heretics known alternately as the Cathari, the Waldensians, the Albigensians, sometimes related to the Bogomils, were Gnostics who believed in a “baptism in the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands”, and along with dissident clergy in the 11th century, had women preachers. In fact, in opposition to them, St. Dominic, in a vision at Fanjeaux in 1206, founded the Dominican sisters as the ‘2nd order’ of Preachers. But preaching, which required a “liceat predicare” was never permitted legally to women by the Catholic Church:…
..and in fact, a “liceat” wasn’t even necessarily granted to monks at the time, even if ordained (cf. “The Church in the Middle Ages,” I. Taurus).
So is it not ironic that in her exit from the teaching and tradition of the Catholic Church that Dominican Sr. Catherine Aubin lobbies for “women-preachers”, expressly against the wish of her order’s founder?
except in the Bible
Yes, the Gnostic Bible.
Eve, eventually, found out the hard way, that the grass was not greener on the other side. The serpent worked very well with her teaming pride and history still repeats itself. Look at all of the women who want to be men. Can you imagine a priest lamenting that he is just as capable and deserving to give birth to a baby in order to feel fulfilled. Would we ever consider patting him on the back while strapping on a fake pregnancy stomach under his vestments so he can feel equal to women? Do not buy into the lie that there is a priest shortage. There is only a shortage of obedience to God. Welcome to the chaotic consequences of rejecting Humanae Vitae.
…add teaming delusion, Catherine. Feeling fulfilled is the perpetual carrot as the goal posts are continually moved so that nobody ever reaches the end zone.
“Feeling fulfilled is the perpetual carrot as the goal posts are continually moved so that nobody ever reaches the end zone.”
God bless you, Ann Malley! : )
It’s marketing, Catherine, and happens in every sphere of society. Sad, but true. But hey, the Devil loves to ape God, so what better way than to mirror the reflection of Truth that is everywhere by way of the manufacture of illusory callings to redefine that which is to be that which is not.
Priests Still Suffering from Effects of Humanae Vitae Dissenters, Vatican Cardinal Says, Catholic News Agency, July 25, 2008
This experience, Stafford explained in a confidential letter to Cardinal Shehan resulted in an insight “which was elliptical: the gift of love should be allowed to be fruitful. These two fixed points are constant. This simple idea lit up everything like lightning in a storm. I wrote about it more formally to the Cardinal: the unitive and procreative meanings of marriage cannot be separated. Consequently, to deprive a conjugal act deliberately of its fertility is intrinsically wrong. To encourage or approve such an abuse would lead to the eclipse of fatherhood and to disrespect for women.”
continued…..
“For reasons unknown, this idea failed to sway Cardinal Shehan who sided with the majority of the papal commission, which advised that the Church’s teaching on contraception be changed in light of new circumstances.
“This sets the scene for the tragic drama following the actual date of the publication of the encyclical letter on July 29, 1968,” Cardinal Stafford writes.
Following the publication of Humanae Vitae, Stafford recalls the way the rejection of the Pope’s encyclical unfolded.”
https://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2008/07_08/2008_07_25_CatholicNewsAgency_PriestsStill.htm
A complete caption of the photo would be nice. That would give a clearer context to the article. Or perhaps did someone just ‘lift’ a photo from a file of stock shots?
massimo faggioli as church historian has written at least two books on vatican ii and maintains that the john paulii and benedict xvi papacies were basically misguided interpretations of vatican ii that now need correction. he laments the appointment of many faithful, orthodox bishops as part of a blindness and confusion that must be dispelled. he is deeply imbedded in the ‘bologna school’ that apparently, in some way formed and informs much of francis’ approach. he seems to function here as an ex oficio ‘papal nuntio’ and has instant interaction with his italian church handlers through the internet(yet he accuses an ‘internet elite’ of conspiring…
This is totally ridiculous! God gives earthly vocations, and no one else! And He gives His priestly vocations to men, who serve as our holy priests, are our “alter Christus,” on the altar of God, at Mass! The priest is the only one who is to give the homily, at Mass! That is his JOB! His holy VOCATION! Very serious! To preach has nothing at all to do with egotism, or one’s silly whims and fancies, or fanatical political “feminist” beliefs! There are some good actresses, and women who are public speakers, with good, well-trained speaking skills– but they certainly DO NOT BELONG in the priest’s holy role, to teach and to guide his parishioners, in his homilies, at Mass! Everyone must RESPECT the priest!
Sister and others like her can preach all they want, but only a few will be in attendance.
I don’t know about that John Patrick. I asked my pastor why the diocese frowns on Sunday communion services except in the most urgent of circumstances. He said they worry that people might like sister’s service best and go to that rather than to mass.
Your pastor was either speaking tongue-in-cheek or is a theological idiot.
C&H, one Episcopalian churche in California is now a mosque. They had a woman priestess who dressed just like a man, including a clipped haircut and no jewelry, and the congregation took off to other churches. One Lutheran church that had been in a city for a long, long time got a woman minister or priestess and is now an Orthodox church with an all male priesthood. It seems to me that should be a warning to all who go overboard.
“Madeleine Fredell of Sweden, wrote that preaching “is my vocation as a Dominican, and although I can do it almost anywhere, sometimes even in the Lutheran church”. Goes to show she’s protestant, i.e., not catholic. Then why would anyone with a right-mind want her preaching in a Catholic Church? Here we go again, step by step, inch by inch women trying to take over mens priestly roles.
Oh how this just wants me to lose my stomach. “The argument for a change is not that it is “modernizing” the church but rather that it is returning to the tradition of the first thousand years of Christianity, when, as Bianchi and the other essayists note, women were regularly given permission to preach, and often did so in front of priests, bishops and even the pope.” Its the same old lie that the naïve and lying church modernists have been telling us for years, that their way was the way it all started. Don’t believe them for a minute! They weren’t around in the early days of the Church (how would they know?), and no doubt they ever read Fr. James Meagher’s book “How Christ said the First Mass” Modernists despise tradition…
I think C&H and the cited pastor may be on something. The boys are afraid of potential competition, especially those higher up the ladder.
Mikem, it is not going to work. Faithful Catholics, including women, are not fooled. I and many of my women friends have seen the Women-Church newspapers, and the writers hate Catholic teaching on Church dogma and morality. They basically turn it upside down. Most of them are into the “goddess religion” and are not Christian by any means even though some were baptized Catholic. I won’t tell you what we do with them, other them we “file” them.
To clarify, we file the newspapers in a “circular file”. You should know what I mean.
Follow the Money – and you will see the same thing happened in various Other Churches like the Episcopal / Anglican Rift – where the Courts decided that the Gaystapo get to keep the buildings and bank accounts – and the faithful can meet in some parking lot under a tarp.
Those seeking to destroy the hated ‘hetero-pork-patriarchy’ BAMN = BY Any Means Necessary; will sell any lie on any day to the Church, and dress it up in quasi religious drag for mass marketing to the naive – who they prey upon like raptors.
A Faithful Catholic is Not a Foolish One – Save as Fools for Christ.
Letting those who would destroy the Church and Loot it while pretending piety is an old trick, like the evil of Disney’s Anti Catholic ‘Savage…
All vocations come from God. He is the One who has a plan for each and everyone of us. It has never been His Will that women become priests, bishops or deacons. It is also true that it is not His will that women preach. For almost 2000 years it has been this way, and even the Orthodox Church believes this. The modern era is one of revolution and change for the worse. It is from the devil that women feel called to perform priestly duties, which are reserved only for men. Ave Maria Purrissima !
These ladies certainly can preach and evangelize outside the Mass – they can join the Legion of Mary and go door to door evangelizing each week!
Pope Francisco has been very clear that the work of VC2 had to be completed. Female altar servers, female lectors, female Eucharistic ministers are mere stepping stones. Female Preachers are just the path to priests in Sodomite and Lesbian marriages. The Ossevatore Romano and our Progressive Pope Francisco should be ashamed of the filth they are bringing to the Catholic Church they were entrusted with by Pope Benedict’s abdication.