New women deacons commission to meet with unclear agenda
Article from ncronline:
New women deacons commission to meet with unclear agenda
by Phyllis Zagano
First, the bad news: two officials of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith have told me, in person, at lunch, that women cannot be ordained deacons because women cannot image Christ.
The good news: At least one no longer works there. I am not sure about the other.
https://www.ncronline.org/news/just-catholic/new-women-deacons-commission-meet-unclear-agenda
It seems to me that patience and perseverance are needed more than ever. We have to put up with the slow pace of the Church, of the stubbornness and refusal to listen to each other. Maybe that is what is behind Pope Francis’ plea for everyone to participate in this Synodal Pathway. That process of learning to listen to each other is painfully, painfully slow. I was listening to Massimo Faggioli recently and he warned us not to remain in our own bubbles of people who think like us but to move beyond that and to truly listen to those with entirely different views. That made me stop and think!
It is heartbreaking and extremely depressing to think of the many grave injustices towards women in the Church but at least Francis is creating a space to encourage us to move forward- apologies, am so conscious I am writing in clichés again. We have to believe that the Holy Spirit is at work, that change will come but it will come slowly and only if we all learn to really listen to the fears and hopes of others within the Church who hold opposing views. It is so easy to walk away but then I ask myself, where would I go?
“…women cannot image Christ.” Surely no human being can image Christ! Even Jesus did not image the risen Christ. Mary Magdalene, the disciples heading to Emmaus, or the apostles and disciples in Galilee could recognise Jesus in the risen Christ. There was a transformation that is not dependent on gender. I know as many women as men who incarnate the Christ by their love, patience, kindness and forgiveness (1Cor.13).
The ‘sacrificial image’ of Christ is genderless as it is reflected in both males and females, this truth gives Christianity the authority over all other religions to heal the divide between the sexes. As those who dwell on the Tree of Life (true vine), are sustained by the sap of Love/Truth (Holy Spirit) and bear fruit, in Unity of Purpose, the Will of God is singular and gender conveys no privilege. The branches, flowers (those who worship in Spirit and Truth) send forth their scent (Holy Spirit) from their essence, the sacrificial image of Christ, and bear fruit.
I have a picture on my mantelpiece of St. Mother Teresa, when I look at her in my mind’s eye I see a vailed image of Christ, walking the ‘Way’ amongst the poor and broken, reflecting an image that is ‘neither male nor female, to say that she is not a shepherd/ess, is surely an affront to God.
kevin your brother
In Christ