http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfGJs-iFtS8&feature=youtu.be
(TV Interview with Father Giertych)
Interview with Pope's Theologian: Father Giertych:
..."According to Father Giertych, theologians cannot say why Jesus chose only men as his Apostles, any more than they can explain the purposes of the incarnation or the Eucharist.
Bridget Mary's Response:
"In the mystery of faith, we need to be on our knees toward something that we received," he said. Nevertheless, he said, theology can help illuminate the "internal coherence and beauty of the mystery which has been offered to us by God."The son of God became flesh, but became flesh not as sexless humanity but as a male,"
Bridget Mary's Response: So what? This does not mean that women are not created in God's image! Jesus surrounded himself with female disciples who bankrolled his ministry. Luke 8:1-3
Father Giertych said; and since a priest is supposed to serve as an image of Christ, his maleness is essential to that role.
Bridget Mary's Response: Men and women are equal images of God by baptism, Read Galations 3:28. Males are not the super-sex, ergo more worthy to be priests! Father Giertych, this argument does not have legs in the 21st century. It's only use is to justify centuries of sexism in the RC church! Please view photos of women in pictoral response to your homily. "And I Can Be A Priest"/http://andicanbeapriest.tumblr.com/
Reflecting on differences between the sexes, Father Giertych suggested other reasons that men are especially suited to the priesthood.Men are more likely to think of God in terms of philosophical definitions and logical syllogisms, he said, a quality valuable for fulfilling a priest's duty to transmit church teaching.
Bridget Mary's Response: Are you saying women are incapable of logical thought? Pleazeee! There are hundreds of women theologians and pastoral ministers who
contradict this sexist premise! And being logical is only one helpful attribute for priestly ministry, there are many more such as intuition and reading between the lines!
I keep wondering as I read your thoughts here, you have got to be kidding! (I hope!)
Although the social and administrative aspects of church life are hardly off-limits to women, Father Giertych said priests love the church in a characteristically "male way" when they show concern "about structures, about the buildings of the church, about the roof of the church which is leaking, about the bishops' conference, about the concordat between the church and the state."
Bridget Mary's Response: Really, women fix leaky roofs, faucets, toilets in their homes and could certainly do so in church. Women priests meet at bishops conferences by phone, email and in person, , so what's the beef here? We don't have a concordat between church and state, so please don't fret over diplomatic relations. And you do know women , at least the ones I know, are experts in relationships so I think we can handle any concordats that come up! Settling arguments between family members are bread and butter issues for lots of women women every day of their lives! Ever see a two year-old throw a temper tantrum! No problem with diplomacy, Father, communication and problem solving is something many women do well. You could say it is programmed in our DNA!
Father Giertych acknowledged that a Catholic woman might sincerely believe she is called to the priesthood, but said such a "subjective" belief does not indicate the objective existence of a vocation.
Bridget Mary's Response:
And what would you say to the guys who come forward with a "call." Sign here, fast and head right to the seminary, you are in! Any male that walks through the door could be on the fast track quicker than you can blink an eye!! It is called desperation in a growing male, celibate priest shortage. Women today in growing numbers are being called to serve the church, some say perhaps, help "save" the church as it spirals downward. We want to be partners and equals because we love the church and our beautiful sacramental and social justice tradition.
None of which means that women hold an inferior place in the church, he said.
Bridget Mary's response:
Oh really! Sounds like a separate but equal policy to me. Did you ever hear of Rosa Parks , the civil rights activist, who refused to sit in the back of the bus. Well meet the cheeky Roman Catholic Women Priests.We are ordaining women in apostolic succession as an issue of justice for women in the church.
"Every baptized person, both male and female, participates in the priesthood of Christ through the sacrament of baptism, drawing the fruits of the paschal mystery to one's own soul," he said. "And maybe in some sense we could say that, in this, women are more apt to draw from the mystery of Christ, by the quality of their prayer life, by the quality of their faith."
Bridget Mary's Response: Are you arguing that women are too Christ-like to be ordained? Now I must admit that is a new Vatican argument I have never heard before.
Women are better able than men to perceive the "proximity of God" and enter into a relationship with him, Father Giertych said, pointing to the privileged role played by women in the New Testament.
Bridget Mary's Response: Wow, you are really saying that we are too close to God to be priests! I always thought that priests were supposed to be Christ-like and loving, prayerful and kind. I would think that these are qualities that we need in our modern day priests. By the way, have you started an appeal to reverse the women priests' automatic excommunication? Or better yet, you could begin the case for our canonization! Pope Benedict canonized two formerly excommunicated nuns. So there is a precedent!
"Women have a special access to the heart of Jesus," he said, "in a very vivid way of approaching him, of touching him, of praying with him, of pouring ointment on his head, of kissing his feet."
Bridget Mary's Response: Now Father, it appears that you are arguing that women are closer to Jesus than men! Wow, that appears to me to be putting down men who love Jesus!. Surely, you could not mean this in all earnestness! If you do, you are going to be in big trouble with the Old Boys' Network especially with your friends in the Vatican Curia!
"The mission of the woman in the church is to convince the male that power is not most important in the church, not even sacramental power," he said. "What is most important is the encounter with the living God through faith and charity."
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| Bridget Mary Meehan, arcwp, at recent litugy at MaryMother of Jesus Catholic Community in Florida |
"So women don't need the priesthood," he said, "because their mission is so beautiful in the church anyway."This special relationship, the theologian said, is essentially related to Jesus' maleness."I remember once a contemplative nun told me, 'oh, wouldn't it be horrible if Jesus were a woman?' And it dawned on me that, for a woman, the access to Jesus in prayer is easier than for us men, because he's male," Father Giertych said. "The relationship of love, of attachment, the spousal relationship to Christ is easier for the woman."
Bridget Mary's Response: A variety of names and images for God will enrich our spiritual lives as no one image says it all for any of us and while male images may bless the soul of a contemplate nuns, feminine images of God can do so as well, not only for women but also for men. God is neither male nor female so why Father, do we only use masculine images of God.
The Bible and our mystical tradition is broader than this, even St. Bernard referred to Jesus as mother! I wrote several books on praying with feminine images of God. If you forward your address, I will send you some for your contemplation or you can check them out on amazon.
Your Sister in Christ,
Bridget Mary Meehan, arcwp
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests,
www.arcwp.org
Thank you for your response to this foolishness. You speak for many of us with these words.
ReplyDeletePreach it, Bridget Mary!
ReplyDelete"And maybe in some sense we could say that, in this, women are more apt to draw from the mystery of Christ, by the quality of their prayer life, by the quality of their faith." Could Fr. Theologian be saying to women, "Just keep praying, dear. Keep the faith. And don't worry your pretty little head"? Very insulting, my brother, even when frosted with multi-syllable words. We are all created in the image of God. It is up to all of us to pray, have faith and fix the roof. You should not squirm out of "women's" work and I can't say no to a call from God. Maybe a woman is not the person you expected to be a priest, but God has a sense of humor. Look at the Biblical figures that God called. How many good candidates did God reject before skinny, little David was brought from the fields?
ReplyDelete