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<\/a><\/div>\nHi Marc! How ya been?<\/span><\/p>\nWondering if you could help me with something..
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\nI encounter, on a daily basis, good Catholics who do not understand why we can\u2019t ordain women into the priesthood. These are not individuals who maliciously oppose the Church; and I recognize that this comes from a place of love. However, it\u2019s a dangerous perspective and I worry for their formation, should they not encounter a full and comprehensive explanation of the teaching. <\/span><\/span>
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\nNow, donchya worry\u2026I understand and love the Church\u2019s position on the issue and I have taken on aspects of the explanation and done pretty well. But where I struggle (ever so slightly \u2014 Ahem!) is in being able to express the idea without saying, \u201cOkay.. it\u2019s like.. Well, you know when.. Okay.. The way you \u2014 the way we \u2014 the way God.. See, it\u2019s exactly the..\u201d Whew! I think it would behoove me to have a practice go and \u201cpresent my case\u201d to someone who could help me streamline the argument. Since the Holy Spirit seems to flow through you like the Salmon of Capistrano, I thought you might be a good sounding board.. Poor Holy Spirit.. It\u2019s like being on a toll road, flowing through Caitie Rose. This will be a nice break for the guy! <\/span><\/span>
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\nSo, what say you? Up for it? <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nCaite<\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/span><\/span>
\nCatie!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/div>\nWhy, I\u2019ve been just fanfreakintastic, now that you mention it! And yes, it is true that the Holy Spirit doth fly from my fingertips, granting me such gifts as humility, good looks etc.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/span><\/div>\nNow where to begin, on this defense of a male priesthood? (We are \u2013 without any doubt \u2013 well suited for the job, not having the bias of being priests, and between us covering all\u00a0chromosome pairs\u00a0involved in the issue.)<\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/span><\/div>\nMy first instinct would be to back away from the specific idea of priesthood, and approach gender as a whole. The question is this: do we \u2013 as male and\u00a0female<\/span> creations, created different \u2013 have different roles? Or are we simply \u201call humans\u201d, and thus a man cannot claim any task as his own any more than a woman can.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/span><\/div>\nPhysically speaking, the idea that there are no roles is rather easily rebutted. Men \u2013 I am told \u2013 make lousy breast-feeders. Women cannot lift quite as impressive rocks and logs as men can. And in terms of our sexuality, our roles are rather clearly different. But to you I\u2019d ask the question; does it end there? Are our roles, the tasks we claim, limited to the differences in bodily makeup? Or are these physical differences physical indicators for\u00a0psychological, internal and\/or spiritual differences?<\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/span><\/div>\nYou see where I lead, if we have internal, spiritual differences, then we have different internal, spiritual tasks. <\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/span><\/div>\nWhat do you think?<\/span><\/div>\nEver yours,<\/span><\/div>\nMarc<\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/span><\/div>\nMarc, <\/span><\/p>\nMaria Von Trapp would be proud. Yes, let\u2019s start at the very beginning! And how better than to affirm your suspicions on male breastfeeding? If I didn\u2019t know better, I\u2019d say we could wrap it up there! But let\u2019s shake it up and continue, shall we? \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
Couldn\u2019t agree more, my friend. Men and women, though absolutely equal, are not the same. To me (and here begins my string of 3rd grade analogies), it\u2019s like four quarters and a dolla\u2019. Both 100 cents, for sure. But very different in look, capabilities, nature. To say that they\u2019re interchangeable not only demeans the distinctive beauty in each, but limits their purpose. This is one thing that annoys me about the typical (or stereotypical) feminism.. That to be equal, women have to be men! How much we have lost in bringing everyone down to the same level instead of raising each up as individuals.<\/p>\n
Starting off with the physical attributes is right on, as they elude to the internal differences that you mention. Not to say that a man can\u2019t be nurturing or that a woman can\u2019t provide, but it\u2019s the fullness of gender that can only be experienced by one. Only the log-rollin\u2019 man can truly experience the richness and depth of masculinity, for he is created to pursue, lead, give, be a father and be the lover. Converesely, his lady friend can only but explain (and believe me, we will) what it means to be wholey feminine, as she is created to nurture, grow, receive, be a mother and be loved. These paternal and maternal characteristics would translate to the religious life too.. Unless there\u2019s a part of taking vows that includes degenerfication, in which case, my discernment would be complete.<\/p>\n
So, what would you say to someone who asked you the following two questions;
\n(1.) what makes masculinity complementary to the priesthood?
\n(2.) do priests hog the remote?<\/p>\n
Your chromosomal complement,<\/p>\n
Caitie <\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/div>\nCaitie,<\/span><\/p>\nWhat makes masculinity complementary to the priesthood, if we do indeed have different tasks? I like the internal differences you mention by the way; psychology and sociology and all sorts of \u2018ology\u2019s\u2019 stand with you when you say that its the paternal and maternal characteristics that really make us different.<\/p>\n
And it is this natural paternity of a man that I would argue is complementary to the priesthood. This is important, because I do not claim that it is man\u2019s ability to speak loudly, or to lift heavy things, though I know a few parishes where these are absolutely vital characteristics. I would even argue that man\u2019s tendency to \u201cpursue, lead [and] give\u201d, as you so graciously mentioned, is similarly not what makes men complementary to the priesthood. While I agree that they are characteristics more \u201cat home\u201d in men, a woman can do them without too much difficulty, and often better. No, if we are to argue that there should only be a male priesthood, then it must be on the basis of a characteristic that only men have.<\/p>\n
So I would argue it is man\u2019s natural paternity. Why? Well first and foremost, because God chooses to reveal Himself to us as a father. From the very beginnings of Genesis, to Christ\u2019s words to us, we are told \u201cwhen you pray, say, Our Father.\u201d To clear things up, I am not saying, \u201cGod is a man!\u201d, I\u2019m not even talking about the person of Christ yet. I am saying that God chooses to reveal himself to us as a father, and thus the natural paternity of man is a reflection of that choice, it is a reflection of Our Father revealing himself to the world.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m trying to fit these thoughts into one fantastic sentence:<\/p>\n
It is not that God reveals His relationship with us as being \u201cjust like a human father\u2019s!\u201d, as if He\u2019s making some attempt to help us understand his love by imitating our dad\u2019s, but that human fatherhood is an analogy, a reflection, a sign pointing to how God loves us.<\/p>\n
If this is the case, then it only makes sense that an individual who stands in the place of God, who is given the power to forgive sins, offer the Perfect Sacrifice, and all the other sacraments, it makes sense that he should have that natural paternity that reflects God\u2019s relationship with us.<\/p>\n
And priests do hog the remote, but only to instill in us the virtues of patience, obedience and humility, while making a rich analogy to the fact that only the Holy Roman Catholic Church has the power to bind and loose the er\u2026channels.<\/p>\n
So to you I would ask, (1) if God is revealing one aspect of his relationship with us through fatherhood, what is He revealing to us through motherhood, and through femininity in general?<\/p>\n
(2) Any additional thoughts on the value of natural paternity in a priest?<\/p>\n
Your log-rolling lumberjack man,<\/p>\n
Marc<\/span>
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\nMore to come!<\/div>\n
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