Women Deacons Update

In an earlier post here I referred to a post via Deacon Greg's blogsite to an article by Phyllis Zagano in support of women deacons.

Deacon Greg has updated the discussion here with a link to an article from someone called Daniel van Slyke who opposes this and has written an open letter to the Pope.

Once again it's the comments section that is worth reading in addition to the article.

This part of Slyke's "letter" has me reeling..........

"The specific roles assigned to deaconesses in ancient documents such as the Didascalia Apostolorum comprise charitable services for women, the instruction of female catechumens, and the anointing of women at baptism. In other words, deaconesses ministered strictly to women, fulfilling functions that are best performed by women rather than by men, if scandal is to be avoided. (??????? !!!!!!!!!!- my exclamation marks here.)
He goes on :
"Another early Christian document, the Apostolic Constitutions, prescribes: “A deaconess does not bless, nor perform anything belonging to the office of presbyters or deacons.” Deaconesses manifestly did not have a role at the altar during Eucharistic celebrations. As the ITC states in the study mentioned above, “This ministry was not perceived as simply the feminine equivalent of the masculine diaconate.” Those advocating a “restoration” of women deacons must be clear about what they wish to restore, since their arguments are based on historical models."

I perceive a distinct misogyny and lack of imagination here. 

Who is asking for the old model when we could have a completely new one ? 


And as for a woman (God forbid) blessing anything . .... 


Actually no I'm wrong- let's go right back to Mary ...... and these two poems say it well ...

Did the woman say
When she held him for the first time in the
dark dank of a stable,
After the pain and the bleeding and the crying,
“This is my body, this is my blood?”

Did the woman say,
When she held him for the last time in the
dark rain on a hilltop,
After the pain and the bleeding and the dying,
“This is my body, this is my blood?

Well that she said it to him then,
For dry old men,
Brocaded robes belying barrenness,
Ordain that she not say it for him now.

Frances Croake Frank

Liturgy

All the way to Elizabeth
and in the months afterward
she wove him, pondering,
"this is my body, my blood!"

Beneath the watching eyes
of donkey, ox, and sheep
she rocked him crooning
"this is my body, my blood!"

In the search for her young lost boy
and the foreboding day of his leaving she let him go , knowing
"This is my body, my blood!"

Under the blood smeared cross
she rocked his mangled bones,
re-membering him, moaning,
"This is my body, my blood!"

When darkness, stones , and tomb
bloomed to Easter morning,
She ran to him shouting,
"this is my body, my blood!"

And no one thought to tell her:
"Woman, it is not fitting
for you to say those words.
You don't resemble him."

Irene Zimmerman SSSF

Writing to the Pope - now that's an idea ! 

But then I'm a woman and must only minister to woman and must avoid scandal so: