Women Priests
If one was to take a step back and look at our society as a whole one would see that women 's rights have changed dramatically over the last century. Women are no longer expected to get married, have children, and stay at home to take care of their family. Women have left the home and entered the work force. There have been many laws passed to prevent the discrimination of women and to make sure that they are treated equally. Certainly, one can say that there is still a struggle between the sexes over the organization of modern society.
Society has indeed embraced a gender war of sorts through the ages which has culminated in a outcome that declares the male the victor. One example of this is that women are not allowed to be ordained as priests in the Catholic Church. As a child, I attended Catholic schools until high school. I was instructed by mostly nuns. I can remember that when the priest came into the room we would have to stand up as a sign of respect towards our faith. As I got older, I began to think that nuns are part of the religious life but we don 't have to treat them with this same respect.
During my catholic education, I was taught that God created us in his image and likeness. If this is true, and as
Christians we believe that Christ is the fullest manifestation of God, how can they say that only men image
God? Are women incapable of revealing God? A hundred years ago, women had little standing in the
Catholic Church, like in society in general. Women were not allowed to: receive communion during their monthly periods and after giving birth to a child they needed to be purified before re-entering a church building. Women were strictly forbidden to touch sacred items such as the chalice, the paten, or the alter linen. They certainly could not distribute holy communion. While in church, women need to have their heads veiled at all times. Women were also barred from entering the sanctuary except
Society has indeed embraced a gender war of sorts through the ages which has culminated in a outcome that declares the male the victor. One example of this is that women are not allowed to be ordained as priests in the Catholic Church. As a child, I attended Catholic schools until high school. I was instructed by mostly nuns. I can remember that when the priest came into the room we would have to stand up as a sign of respect towards our faith. As I got older, I began to think that nuns are part of the religious life but we don 't have to treat them with this same respect.
During my catholic education, I was taught that God created us in his image and likeness. If this is true, and as
Christians we believe that Christ is the fullest manifestation of God, how can they say that only men image
God? Are women incapable of revealing God? A hundred years ago, women had little standing in the
Catholic Church, like in society in general. Women were not allowed to: receive communion during their monthly periods and after giving birth to a child they needed to be purified before re-entering a church building. Women were strictly forbidden to touch sacred items such as the chalice, the paten, or the alter linen. They certainly could not distribute holy communion. While in church, women need to have their heads veiled at all times. Women were also barred from entering the sanctuary except
Bibliography: of delinquency." Social Forces (1996). Greeley, A. (1984). Angry Catholic Women. Illinois: The Thomas More Press. Ruether, R. (1985). Women-Church, Theology and Practice. New York: Harper & Row Publishers. Sweeney, T. (1992). A Church Divided. NewYork: Prometheus Books. Swidler, L. (1977). Women Priest; A Catholic Commentary on the Vatican Declaration