Catholic Church Annotation

In 1988, the Council for Biblic¬al Manhood and Womanhood published the Danvers Statement, affirming that "In the church, redemption in Christ gives men and women an equal share in the blessings of salvation; nevertheless, some governing and teaching roles within the church are restricted to men." I am hesitant to single out one organization for focused argument, but this statement accurately represents a sentiment within the faith that I find disturbing. In this paper, I will use the redemptive trend hermeneutic to deconstruct the CBMW's affirmation, while providing my own views on why I find both women in ministry and the redemptive trend hermeneutic as valid.

Unemployment and financial struggles grew with this increasing population. Male dominance was considered the norm so women were left with unjust opportunities for unemployment and equality in the workplace (Women's Diaries, 1997). The Golding Sisters felt it was their duty to bring peace and equality to society so established such foundations as the Women’s Organising Society. By 1900, five million women were in the labor force (Women's Diaries, 1997). The Golding Sisters worked hard to remove discrimination from society, resulting in multicultural immigrants participating freely in Church activities and masses. The Church became what 19th Century Irish bishops hoped for; a Church based on the Irish model (Dixon, 2005). Their work was often described as a ‘practical expression of the Catholic faith’ (Fawkner & Kelly, 1995). Thus, the Golding Sisters should be commemorated for their works that changed the society and church for the better by receiving the Good Christian award.

Women are still not allowed to be priests, despite the fact that there are many examples in the Bible of Jesus telling people through parables and other means that everyone is equal. Some Catholics just accept the fact that women cannot be priests in the Catholic Church, as this is the Pope's orders and he is infallible. Nobody seems to dispute that the Pope must be male, firstly because 'Pope' means father and maybe because they know that the idea of a woman becoming Pope is just too unlikely. However there are Catholics that exist who believe in the authority of the Pope but, 'are convinced that the Pope and his advisors in Romeare making a serious mistake by dismissing women as priests. '[3]

African American women represent a significant proportion of congregation in most African American churches. “African American women make up about 66-88 percent majority in African American churches though they are not well represented in the church leadership.” The greatest variation that can be observed in women’s leadership is in the pastoral category. The situation is worse for unmarried women who want to be church ministers, pastor or preacher but it becomes complicated for women who are in relationships but not yet married. Nonetheless, unmarried women are still being ordained and appointed as pastors and bishops at a growing rate. One of the remarkable appointment which also marked a milestone

As there is much debate about the role of women in the church, I believe that we should, as in all circumstances, rely on the Word of God to instruct us as to God 's will. In many religious circles, this is a hot-button subject and everyone will not easily accept this teaching. Nevertheless, because it has become a church dividing issue, it demands an appropriate review.

Pope Francis’ had three concerns of the evolution of gender’s perception, yet only one caught my attention: the erosion of traditional understandings of marriage. This concern rises from the evolving understanding of complementarity and mentions that spiritual work on family and community should be

Tested in Every Way: the Catholic Priesthood in Today’s Church, written by Christopher Ruddy, is a report and at the same time a reflection on the Seventh Annual Cardinal Bernardin Conference which was held in the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, TX in 2003 . Ruddy reports the voices of academic and pastoral expertise sharing about the challenges and the identity of being a priest. Besides of giving a report, the book opens up and finishes with the Ruddy’s insightful reflections.

There is nothing inherent in the character of Christian ministry as it is presented in the writings of the New Testament which would give reason for the exclusion of women. On the contrary, the New Testament portrays Jesus treating women as equal human beings. It also portrays women and men serving side by side in the various ministries of the early church . . . According to the evidence, the exclusion of women from ecclesiastical ministry is neither in accord with the teaching or practice of Jesus with that of the first century church” (Bacchiocchi, 1987).

In today’s society the controversial subject of what positions in the church a woman can hold; has become incredibly debatable among the nation. Some people believe that women have equal rights with men and can uphold any position that a man can. Today’s society also believes that because a woman can be in political and business power, then a woman can also be in authority in the church. However, that could not be farther from the truth a women’s positions in the church are defined by God.

The role of women in the in society has—even from ancient times—been limited by men for various reasons. In fact, as early as the first century A.D., women were considered their husband's property and were by no means their equals. Women during this time had very little protection or rights under the law. Unfortunately, the Christian church is no exception. One of the main founders of the Christian church, the apostle Paul, outlines teachings that come under modern criticism. Some call Paul patriarchal and misogynist. Others call Paul an advocate of women leaders and women ministers in the church. This paper will examine the different claims outlined in Rosemary Ruether’s paper, “St. Paul, Friend or Enemy of Women?”

“Even today, though much improved from the time of these women, non-ordained women need to have more significant roles in the church,” host Janet Ruffing answered a student’s inquiry yesterday on women’s present role in the church.

The reason that women can not be ordained to the priesthood, according to the Roman Catholic Church, is because, Jesus Christ did not choose any woman to be one of his twelve disciples. Many people critical of this explanation, have said that Jesus was simply conforming to the traditions of his time, but had Jesus been alive today, he definitely would have chosen female disciples. It appears that Roman Catholicism does not want to exclude women, Pope Francis has stated many times, but that long held religious beliefs and traditions make it hard to change. Regardless of the reason, many religions do limit women's rights both personally and religiously and make it hard for them to express themselves or take part in the religion that they follow.

Gender roles, and the mere existence of a gender binary, has been a recent topic of conversation for many churches, theologians, and individual believers. As the cultural pressure to remove gender-specific limitations builds, many of those aforementioned have turned to scripture for answers. Seldom are women’s roles in the Old Testament characterized by decision making or personal merits. Rather, a woman’s capacity to produce an heir for their husband complements his dominance and responsible faithfulness and allows God’s plan to be fulfilled through their combined efforts. In the New Testament, through the transformative power of Christ, prominent women became less of an anomaly, but were still held to a different set of standards and expectations than men and were usually still praised according to their actions and their faith. The Pauline epistles, written in the context in which the Church still exists today: the age to come, provide a basis for today’s understanding of women’s roles in marriage and in church leadership. Although there are many instances of women fulfilling God’s plans and proving their worth among the community of Christians, the biblically normative role of women is to avoid authoritative church leadership positions and remain submissive in situations of teaching and interpreting the Word.

The purpose of this brief is to provide you with an overview of how the Catholic Church view women being ordained in the church. The views are based on the traditional and doctrinal references that the Catholic religion is based on. The views are from various resources such as the Roman Catholic Church in the Vatican, Pope John Paul II, and the newly elected Pope Benedict XVI. The views described in this brief are based on the traditions of old and their refusal to change the traditions to fit for the twentieth century.

Women have been involved in Christian ministry since the very beginning of Christianity. It has declined and risen according to the acceptance of the environment. The two papers addressed in this essay document the rise of women ministers in the Holiness movement as well as the decline of women in the modern Pentecostal movement. In response to this decline in women in ministry, Courtney Stewart gave points which the UPCI should tackle to rectify the situation.