There seem to be suggestions that Sin-odality, G-d bless her cotton socks, might make it possible for women to preach formally in Catholic churches.
I am reminded of one of the jolliest parts of the 'Formation'* process for Ordinariate clergy, the Faculties Exam.. We had to assimilate what our Pagella said we could or couldn't lawfully do ... a very brief document ... and then 'pass' a viva voce exam on it. Of course, everybody passed with flying colours, even though some of the Reverend Fathers had been as nervous as Third Formers beforehand, sitting under S Thomas More's mulberry tree in the garden of Allen Hall and 'revising' with each other in twittering pairs like sparrows in springtime.
Moi, I was done by a charmingly dry woman canonist.
Q So you're about to say Mass and a nun turns up saying that she will be delivering the homily. What do you say to her?
A "Gosh, Sister, how absolutely splendid! I'm so glad. Tell you what. So as to make sure that the folks remember it, let's make it the very last thing they hear just before they go out. I think immediately after the Dismissal is the best time".
Q Hrrrrrrrrmph. Very tactful, I'm sure. But of course, it would be quite different if she were a Reverend Mother, wouldn't it?
A It most certainly would. I would be even more cringingly and pathetically deferential ...
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*(Yes, Fr ******, I know, 'Formation' is a vile word. But one soon gets into the habit of using all this RC terminology with a wry, ironic twitch of the right eyebrow. I had to practise The Twitch in front of my mirror, for quite a long time ...)
It would, in fact, be interesting. They do anyway; and quite apart from the sacramental nature of Holy Mass or any Pauline commandment things, I've rarely come out of one such sermon with the thought "this was a good sermon", or even with the thought "this would have been a good sermon, if only she were orthodox". Or even with "well it was all blah blah blah, nothing to worry about I guess, I didn't even really notice, and delivered in a boring tone, but at least he didn't make me bother and it was over soon". When men preach, and it's not a good sermon, it very often (though not exclusively) one of the latter two. Sermons by women are, it appears, different.
ReplyDeleteIf they are allowed, it'll be interesting to see if this is a general thing or depended on the fact that at present only those willing to disobey Church law preach (which of course is a negative selection).
Do not get me wrong: Women do a fantastic job in guiding through Eucharistic Adoration (if it's a guided, not a silent one), and that also when that includes adding longer meditions on their own. And I don't mean only emotions, but also hard intellectual meat (sometimes). But even so that is a somewhat different setting; and also, of course, other than the former this kind of women is a somewhat positive selection (and it's quite allowed).
- Also, it will be interesting how they justify how, if some unordained people can preach, other unordained people like me cannot. For they sure aren't opening the pulpits to those not working for the Church in a paid full-time job and having theological degrees and the like; but how is a degree or an employment contract more than a sacramental character?
Would Cyn O'Dality work better?
ReplyDeleteDear Father. One of the reasons the revolutionaries overturned the existing order and substituted in its place a Novus Ordo was to indoctrinate the pew dwellers into accepting woman roaming about the Sanctuary.
ReplyDeleteI have long said that is it were put to a vote the men who go to the Novus Ordo would gladly approve of women priests and they'd tell the media "It's about time...."
As for sermons, that is what seminaries have been focusing on for quite some time (except for the Real seminaries) because pew dwellers are now all about meals and sermons.
As for the Holy Holocaust/Holy Sacrifice of the Mass/Real Mass and the action of Jesus as both Priest and Victim?
PFFFT not a man alive has ever heard that sermonised about at the Novus Ordo.
The idea that during holy Mass anyone but an ordained Bishop, Priest or Deacon preach, is contrary to sound sacramental theology, contrary to canon law, and contrary to the whole liturgical practice in both East and West. I should rather have an ordained deaconess preach than a layman or laywoman ( not that i am in favour of womens ordinstion to thediaconate, if tgat even be sacramentally possible). BUT, in many many places laymen and laywomen regularly distribute Holy Communion, (often whilst the priest sits), which is also contrary to sacramental theology, canon law, and liturgical tradition, and is eroding belief in the Realis Praesentio; and this latter abuse is much worse than laymen preaching, in my opinion.
ReplyDelete"Women do a fantastic job in guiding through Eucharistic Adoration (if it's a guided, not a silent one)"
ReplyDeleteWhy does one need to be guided through Eucharistic adoration?
Laywomen and laymen preaching is supposed to happen during Monday marketdays, IIRC how it worked in Italy during the Middle Ages.
ReplyDeleteOr you could stand on the church steps outside.
If your bishop permitted you, of course.
Dear jaykay,
ReplyDeletea Catholic trained in prayer doesn't need that, and will occasionally grumble at the fact that the number of possibilities of utterly silent Adoration, which he longs for to have also, is so limited; which I grant is a bit of a problem. In principle, though: 1. No, he does not need that, but neither does he need Gounod's St. Cecily Mass (or Gregorian chant for that matter) when he can also attend a Silent Mass; he does not need but may want that; and 2. not every Catholic of good intentions, to be silent of the rest of people, is in fact trained as yet in prayer, something which originally was a main motivation for Nightfever and guided Holy-Hours and that sort of thing.