Why no Women Deacons?
Posted on 28. Apr, 2016, in Church Teachings, Community, Feminism/Women in the Church2 Comments
In June 2012, the Irish Church ordained eight married male deacons in a ceremony in Dublin. While many welcome this initiative, many more are angered by the exclusion of women to this role. Dr. Phyllis Zangano a leading expert on ministry by women that female deacons featured heavily in the old order of permanent deacons.
She points out that the Church – for many centuries – ordained women to the diaconate and that there is no good reason to exclude them. Soline Humbert from “We are Church” emphatically agrees. She sees it as a sign that the Church continue to take the goodwill and work of women for granted. Miriam Gormally began by asking her whether it was fair to say that when the permanent diaconate was first announced it was something many women were hopeful about.
What good sense, Soline. I hope that you continue to have the heart to keep working towards gender equality, in the face of such injustice.I love the way you speak from such an educated platform. I wonder if the time is soon coming when more and more people just move on beyond church structures.
Thank you Suzanne for your kind words.
Yes I believe more and more people are moving beyond oppressive and spiritually violent church structures. In the foreword to Mary Condren’s book The Serpent And The Goddess,Daniel Berrigan SJ(died April 30th) did not mince his words about what he called “the vile game” against women,including the recent church declaration banning the ordination of women…”Half of our species,half of our body of believers,were arbitrarily,sacramentally(yes,humanly)declared outsiders,pariah,unclean.And with a final twist of the garrote,the’arrangement’ was encoded in law,and declared a matter of faith(sic!).” Strong prophetic words !