Two Stories, One Theme: Women, Feminist Theology And The American Catholic Church
Sister Voices From The Cenobium
The Current Issue
In the last week of March, many people were struck by two stories dealing with the status of women in the American Catholic Church. First, we heard of the fact that Fr. Roy Bourgeois was placed on notice of dismissal from the Maryknoll Religious Community (a missionary order for priests, brothers, and sisters). Fr. Roy, founder of SOA (School of the Americas) Watch at Fort Benning, GA, has not only been supportive of women’s ordination as priests, but attended and gave assistance at a women’s ordination ceremony on August 9, 2008. He was subsequently threatened with excommunication from the Catholic Church.
The second bombshell occurred later in the week, when NCRonline published on March 31 that Sister of St. Joseph Elizabeth Johnson’s book of theology which she had written 4 years ago was blasted by the Committee on Doctrine of the U.S. bishops’ conference.
Sister Elizabeth Johnson, a distinguished professor of systematic theology at the Jesuit-run Fordham University in New York, published "Quest for the Living God" in 2007. The bishops contend that Johnson’s book "completely undermines the Gospel and the faith of those who believe in the Gospel." In response, Sister Elizabeth stated, "I would have been glad to enter into conversation to clarify critical points, but was never invited to do so. This book was discussed and finally assessed by the Committee before I knew any discussion had taken place. [The bishops] radically misinterpret what I think and what I in fact wrote."
Here are two stories with one theme---and it is the place of women and feminist theology in the American Catholic Church. How did we ever get to this place of misunderstanding, misinterpretation, and drastic penalties? How have women been viewed throughout the history of the church? To do so we must take a trip back into the history of the early Christian Church.Judeo-Christian Roots
In the Jewish religious world, women held a second-class status. Because women were not circumcised, they were not personally part of the Covenant. The Jewish belief was that God created man first and fully in the image of God. But woman was created for man, from man. She was made only partly in God’s image. Women could not present their own sacrifices. They were forbidden to teach in synagogues, or even say the blessing at family meals. Women were subject to men in both religious and secular affairs.
Although Jesus was a Law-observant Jew, he was unique in his dealings with women. He met regularly with women, called them into his following and ate with them. We have the story of Mary of Bethany, who sat at Jesus’ feet as a disciple. And Jesus commends her to her sister, Martha, as having chosen "the better part." With Mary Magdalene (Magdalene means high tower in Greek), we see her as not only as a disciple, but a close friend of Jesus, who was present with Mary the Mother of Jesus, John, and a few other women at the foot of the cross. Mary Magdalene was the first to proclaim the resurrection and became a high tower of strength.in the early Jesus movement. Her role in the early proclamation of the gospel is most likely greater than our extant records represent. Other women who played important roles in the ministry of Christ were Susanna and Joanna who, along with Mary Magdalene, were not only benefactors of Jesus and the other Apostles, but also had a place of prominence in their company. Also, the upper room belonging to Mary, the mother of John Mark (evangelist), became the site of the Last Supper as well as the meeting place of the Apostles and Disciples. This would indicate that Mark’s family members were disciples of the Lord as well.Women in the early centuries of ChristianityWe see strong evidence of women taking a lead in early Christian communities. Not having buildings dedicated for worship, the Christians gathered together for "the Meal" in private homes, with women serving as hostess and presiders at the Eucharistic celebrations. Paul designates Junia as an apostle, while Prisca (and her husband Aquila---but she’s always named first) and Chloe are similarly viewed as leaders of churches in Rome and Corinth. Phoebe, of Cenchreae, had the unique distinction of be called a "deacon" which later would become an official office within the church.
In spite of the socio-cultural and religious changes occurring in both the Roman empire and in the Christian church, women served as priests. Dr. Giorgio Otranto, Director of the Institute for Classical and Christian Studies at the University of Bari, Italy, discovered iconographic evidence of women presiding over the Eucharist in ancient catacomb frescos. Otranto also cites a letter from 5th century Pope Gelasius I in which he scolds the bishops in southern Italy for allowing women "to officiate at the sacred altars, and to take part in all matters imputed to the offices of the male sex…." In another letter, Dr. Otranto cites the comments of a ninth century Italian bishop, Atto of Vercelli, emphasizing the use of the word ‘presbytera’ to refer to women priests. But drastic changes within the church and in society in general were changing the status of women in the Church.The Tide against Women’s Role in the Church
In coping with many heresies that began to flood the early Church, leaders and teachers in the church adopted the philosophical concepts of the classical Greek writers, such as Plato (and later in the writings of Thomas Aquinas, the writings of the philosopher Aristotle were Christianized).
The church was no longer just centralized in Jerusalem, but in other major areas of learning such as in Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople and Rome. The majority of Christians now were no longer Jewish converts, but Gentile and coming from large cross-sections of society. In attempting to define WHAT constituted the beliefs of the Christian faith, the Church relied very much on the writings of highly educated men called the Fathers of the Church. (No, there was never a group of women called ‘Mothers of the Church.’)
One teacher in the church, Tertullian, wrote that women are the second Eve, and are gateways to hell. St. Augustine stated that women have souls---but that their bodies are not in the image of God (if God, the Creator is pure spirit---God has no body, male or female). St. Thomas Aquinas,writing some centuries later, believed that women were conceived when an "evil East wind blew, and therefore were defective males." And several Church Fathers such as Irenaeus, Tertullian, Hippolytus, Epiphanius, John Chrysostom, and Augustine all wrote in their works that the ordination of women was impossible.
The teachings of the Fathers and the Doctors of the Church became what is called "the Deposit of Faith" that the Church regards as dogma and doctrine. After centuries of centering its beliefs in many of these erroneous concepts about women, the official Church would never consider the ordination of women.The Official Church View Today
What does the Church teach today about women and their ordination as priests, presiders of the Eucharist? The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that "only a baptized man can validly receive sacred ordination." The Church, relying upon its consistent teachings, states that the requirements needed are a matter of divine law and are thus doctrinal (doctrine is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions that are part of the belief system). The Vatican contends that Jesus did not call any woman to be part of the Twelve Apostles and therefore he established a permanent norm of a male priesthood.
In his Ordinatio Sacerdotalis (On Ordination to the Priesthood), Pope John Paul II quoted Pope Paul VI, writing: " [The Church} holds that it is not admissible to ordain women to the priesthood, for very fundamental reasons. These reasons include: the example recorded in the Sacred Scriptures of Christ choosing only men; and her [the Church’s] living teaching authority which has consistently held that the exclusion of women from the priesthood is in accordance with God’s plan for his Church."
Furthering its arguments against the ordination of women, the Magisterium (the official teachers of the Church) state that only man, through his natural resemblance to Christ can express sacramentally the role of Jesus Christ himself in the Eucharist. In other words, the priest must have a male sexual organ---a penis. Just as in the Old Testament teaching of the Jews, a woman could not be a teacher (a rabbi), nor a priest to offer sacrifices---because she did not have a male genitalia and was not circumcised.
Are there any arguments to this seemingly dead-end rationale? Yes, and in Part 2 we will examine them as well as look at what constitutes feminist theology.
Sr. Incognita (community withheld)
Part Two http://benedictinesofheartsonghermitage.org/rich_text_1.html
