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Arguments for and against women priests
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The greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven is not the ministers, but the saints; and -excluding the humanity of Christ- the highest of creatures in honor and sanctity, the Virgin Mary, was not clothed by God of any priestly character. The Virgin Mary is more important than the apostles and the bishops and deacons and priests, giving her a divine and glorious power, however, on earth the powers of the woman are null, eclipsed by the ego of man and male ignorance. The arguments about women priests have been repeated unchanged for centuries and are exposed in three documents of identical content, to which the bishops appeal every time that the critical Christian movements insist on claiming the priesthood for women: the declaration of the Congregation
Mary Bryant was in the group of the first convicts (and the only female convict) to ever escape from the Australian shores. Mary escaped from a penal colony which often is a remote place to escape from and is a place for prisoners to be separated. The fact that Bryant escaped from Australia suggests that she was a very courageous person, this was a trait most convicts seemed to loose once they were sentenced to transportation. This made her unique using the convicts.
Jacopo del Sellaio’s Virgin, Child, and St. John is a characteristically iconographic tempera panel painting of Madonna, the Christ Child, and the infant St. John from the early renaissance, dating to the early 1480s. Sellaio was a Florentine painter under the apprenticeship of Sandro Botticelli, which reflects through his style and symbolism in the painting. In this work, he depicts a classically devotional scene filled with biblical symbolism. Sellaio’s Virgin, Child, and St. John expresses Mary’s loving role as Christ’s mother, the protective power and warmth of her maternal bond, and the significance of the birth of Christ.
Mary Magdalene was a woman who was a mystery to many people for centuries. She was mentioned only a handful of times in the New Testament. Even though she was only mentioned a few times she carried a lot of character. To this day there is not an extended amount of information to help support people’s thoughts and ideas about this woman.
Mary Tudor or Queen Mary I of England was infamously known as Bloody Mary. While many believe Bloody Mary was an evil monster, others believe she was a great queen because of her many accomplishments. Mary was actually a good devoted Catholic others still to this day believe she was an evil woman, but with these interesting facts it will be determined that Mary was a good queen.
Religion is a key aspect to the culture of today’s society, as well as, for thousands of years prior. One major key distinction remains, most religions are male dominated traditions. Catholic, Islamic, and Jewish philosophy truly exemplify this. However, the importance and major role women play within the realm of different theologies is evident. Mary, the Catholic Virgin Mary, the Jewish Rachel, and Islamic Fatima are three important saints whose influence and importance is recognized. The term saint sometimes may blur between mortal beings and heavenly realms. Nonetheless, the three saints named have significance within their particular religious content. Rachel, Mary and Fatima contrast significantly in legends, descriptions and religious philosophies, but are comparable in devotions and reasons revered.
Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots She became queen when she was only 6 days old. She was sent to France at age six to get married. She is the cousin of Queen Elizabeth I. Who is this elegant, yet struggling woman?
Queen Mary was the daughter of King Henry VIII. She lost her title, her betrothed, and her mother because of her mother’s inability to produce a male heir. She had to fight to gain the thrown after her half-brothers passing. She has been called “Bloody Mary” for centuries because of her prosecution of Protestants. She burned them at the stake for going against her religious policies. She has been thought to be a horrible, murderess person, but she killed less people then her father and did what most other rulers have done to maintain power and control over their people. She was succeeded by her half-sister who treated the Catholic people worse than the Protestants were treated dung Queen Mary’s reign.
Gudalupe has messages that symbolize hope and strength for many people. Virgin Mary is known to be the mother of Jesus who got pregnant due to the Holy Spirit and stayed a virgin after Jesus’s birth as well. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the “Apparition of the Virgin Mary that Juan Diego experienced in Mexico City” (Study.com). The Virgin Mary is known as Our Lady of Guadalupe because she was called Santa Maria De Guadalupe. So when people talk about the Virgin Mary they are referring to the mother of Jesus.
“He allows her in Church, as well as State, but a subordinate position, claiming Apostolic authority
“Today I appeal to the whole Church community to be willing to foster feminine participation in every way in its internal life. This is certainly not a new commitment, since it is inspired by the example of Christ himself….nevertheless, he also involved women in the cause of his kingdom; indeed he wanted them to be the first witnesses and heralds of his resurrection. In fact, there are many women who have distinguished themselves in the Church’s history by their holiness and hardworking ingenuity.”
There is some correlation to the Marxist argument of religion in this sense as religion acts as an institution that oppresses a group in society. Simone De Beauvoir mirrors the argument of Karl Marx in saying that religion helps women gain a second class status; as they are portrayed in religion to be tied to the maternal role which does not involve going out to work but instead completing chores in the home. De Beauvoir goes on to say how men claim their apparent authority from god because of this, as god has known to be portrayed as a male. Men see it in their divine right to be the authoritarian of the household, restricting women from revolt. This is similar to Marx’s argument on how a Proletariat revolution simply cannot happen due to the dominant ideology. El Saadwi supports De Beauvoir’s argument on how men claim authority and power, as gynaecologist El Saadwi explains how monotheism helps men claim power; males see themselves as the de facto leader because they take into consideration on their employment status and power. Armstrong further explains on how religion is patriarchal, as religious organisations mainly consist of males, leading for men to be portrayed via religion as almost ‘godly’ in the contrary to women, who because of religion are expected to stay at home. An example of men only having a major role in religion is the position of Catholicism’s Pope – no female has ever held this position, leading to Feminists saying this is the root of the problem as it promotes inequality and over-analysis of the gender script, as the gender script tells women that men are the authority. Feminists face some criticism in their theory however. Some Sociologists explain that how in contradictory fashion to the Feminist opinion on religion, females have actually allowed to have become ordained priests in the
The church, as the Christian community, should demonstrate maleness in authority and femaleness in loving care and service, and these phenomena must be seen to exist in the father and minister, as symbolizing one pole of the personality conti...
One Catholic thinker that supported the idea that Catholicism supports feminism as was Pope John Paul II who proclaimed himself as “the feminist pope.” He believes that society should see sexual difference as good because it is part of our divine order and it does not diminish women’s participation in humanity. In addition, he calls to honor and celebrate the “feminine genius” in all aspects of society, including the great good of motherhood. Our embodiment as male or female shows the goodness of God’s creation and gives us direction. This supports ‘the radical idea that women are human beings’ because it affirms the dignity of women and shows that women have important roles that should be recognized.
This essay will not only address the clear roadblocks, but will also incorporate the analysis of the scrutiny of the patriarchal nature of Christianity as mentioned by the feminist theologians. Hence, the topic being can Catholics can be feminists and if so - to what degree? Can Catholics be feminists and if so - to
#286 – “She is the woman whose heart was pierced by a sword and who understands all our pain. As mother of all, she is a sign of hope for peoples suffering the birth pangs of justice. She is the missionary who draws near to us and accompanies us throughout life, opening our hearts to faith by her maternal l love. As a true mother, she walks at our side, she shares our struggles and she constantly surrounds us with God’s love.” When I read this and I recall during the Papal transition we were experiencing a young girl in one of my 5th grade faith formation class, asked why can’t girls be leaders in the Church. My co-catechist’s face went pale, and I took a deep breath. What came afterwards was truly the Holy Spirit. I asked her a question: “What is the single most powerful human weapon God uses to defeat and guard us from evil?” She answered Jesus. I went on to tell her that God chose a young girl to be his most powerful weapon against evil and her name is Mary. Mary our Mother is the Queen. The most important thing she did was say “yes” to God. Girls are blessings that God uses in the church in many ways. Mary is the greatest example of a human leader in our faith, and yes she is a girl. Our Popes ask her for prayers and guidance, so you see we do have female leadership in our Church. The young girl smiled. I am grateful to our Mother for her love and her strength. She exemplifies the feminine genius God