LetThereBeWomen

SamanthaUsi
Rel220.04Fall2014
Dr.KarinHeller
WordCount:1360

SamanthaUsi
WomenOrdination
REL220.04Fall2014
Dr.KarinHeller
10/31/14
WordCount:1360

LetThereBeWomen
The21 centuryhasenduredvarioussocialtransformations.Whetheritbe
st

throughcivilrights,womansliberation,orevenmodernityintheRomanCatholic
Church,theonethingtonothaveundergoneanychangesisordinationofwomenwithin
theChurch.ThetopicIwillbediscussinginthisessayiswomensordinationandwhyit
shouldbepermitted.Iwillexaminethreesubjectssupportingthisargumenttouching
matterssuchaswomensroleswithinthechurch,godsgraciousgiftanditspractice,and
theequalityfactorinacallingtoperformGodswork.

WomenintheChurch
Womenparticipationwithinthechurchisnotanewphenomenonthathas
sproutedrecently.InSettingtheRecordStraightwrittenbyGraceYingMayand
HyunhePokrifkaJoe,itstatesthat,datingasfarbackastheearlychurch,womenactively
servedasapostles,preachers,teachers,evangelists,deacons,andministers(JoeandMay
12).Paulhasbeensaidtoreferencewomenasdeaconessesandevensofarasa
fellowapostleidentifyingthattheyhavehadgreaterrolesthanwhattheyattainnow.Joe
andMayalsoaddressRomans16bysaying,PaulcommendsbynamePhoebe,Prisca,
Junia(Afemaleapostle),Mary,andNeureussisterashiscolaborersthereby

SamanthaUsi
WomenOrdination
REL220.04Fall2014
Dr.KarinHeller
10/31/14
WordCount:1360
honoringthesewomenandaffirmingtheirauthorityasministersofthegospel(2).The
earlychurchrecognizedtheimportanceofthesewomen,howevercurrentlytheemphasis
onthepracticalityofhavingwomenatimportantroleswithinthechurchhasdecreased.
Thechurchhasutilizedtheworkoffemalesinvariousways.Theirroleshave
oftenbecomeanecessity,sometimesevenrequiringthemtofilltheresponsibilitiesof
men.However,thelackofacceptanceoftheimportancetheirpositionsholdwithinthe
churchhavemadewomenbecomeskepticalabouttheirparticipationwithintheRoman
CatholicChurchandhaveevenpushedthemintojoiningotherChristiancongregations
wheretheyareallowedtoministerandpracticetheirfaiththewaytheybelievethey
shouldbeableto.InthebookCatholicismIntheThirdMillenniumitsays,
ecclesiasticalpronouncementsnotwithstanding,suchwomenfeelthattheirbaptismis
nottakenserious,thattheovercomingofdivisionsonthebasisofrace,socialstatus,and
genderthatbaptismissaidtobringabout(Gal3:28)hasnotyetbeenrecognizedbythe
officialChurch(Rausch220).Thechurchsgoalistobecomefull,howeverbynotbeing
acceptingtowardstherolesthatwomencantakewithinthechurchjeopardizesthechance
ofthechurchbecomingentirelyfilled.
MenestablishedthemselvesasthehierarchywithinthechurchoncetheRoman
EmpirebeganrecognizingChristianityasthenationalreligion.InSettingtheRecord
Straightitstates,asecclesialofficesbecameincreasinglyinstitutionalized,decrees
wereissuedbythechurchsmalemanagementtoprohibitwomenfrombeingordainedas

SamanthaUsi
WomenOrdination
REL220.04Fall2014
Dr.KarinHeller
10/31/14
WordCount:1360
bishopsandministers(cf.theCouncilofNicea)(JoeandMay12).Thisdecision
coincideswiththeassumptionthatisoftenargued,thatwomendidntreceiveacallingto
ordainedministrybyJesus.InCatholicismintheThirdMillennium,itsays,The
officialChurchdoesnotseehowitcanadmitwomentotheordainedministry,arguing
thattheconstanttraditionoftheChurchisopposed,thatJesusdidnotcallwomentobe
amongtheTwelve,andthatthepriest,toactsacramentallyinpersonaChristi,shouldbe
male,asJesuswas(Rausch226).Thoughpaternalismamongmaleswasahighly
expendedquality,timeshavechangedandfeminismhasexpanded.Thusmakingthe
importanceofacceptanceofwomenwithinthechurchmoresignificantandatan
essentialnecessitytobeequal.

GodsGiftanditsPractice
IthasbeenestablishedthatGodwantedhisbelieverstorejoiceinhisnameand
spreadhismessage.Withwomenordinationthewomenwhodeservetoserveforthe
Lordcanserveinthewaytheyfeeltheyhavebeencalledfor.InSettingtheRecord
Straight,itsaystoconfinewomentodomesticandmenialroleswhenGodhasgifted
themforministryandleadershipwouldbeSpiritquenching,beyonddoubt.Giftsare
giventobeused,andwhenGodgivengiftsliefallow,whetherinmenorinwomen,the
churchsuffers(57)(JoeandMay12).IfawomancansharetheloveofGodinevery
waythatamancan,theirgiftshouldnotbeconcealed.Theyhavetheabilitytospread

SamanthaUsi
WomenOrdination
REL220.04Fall2014
Dr.KarinHeller
10/31/14
WordCount:1360
prayerandtheHolySpiritjustasmuchasamandoes.Awomancanexperienceacalling
toGodswork;itiswithgreatbeliefthatGoddidnotisolatehisgifttowardsonlymen.
InSettingtheRecordStraight,itquotes(1Cor12:7),saying,TheSpiritassignsgifts
towomenandmenfortheexplicitpurposeofenrichingtheircommonlife.Itisourgifts,
notoursex,thatdeterminesourfunctioninthebody(JoeandMay12).Ifeveryoneisa
childofGod,itshouldnotmattertheirgender,onlythattheybelieveandwanttocarry
outtheworkofGodwiththeHolySpirit.

TheNecessityofEquality
Womenhavefoughtlongandhardtogettothestatusthattheyveachieved.They
havegainedrightswithinvoting,propertyowning,education,andintheworkforce.
Theyhaveprosperedasagender,valuingtheirrightsashumanbeingstogaintheir
positions.Theyhaveworkedasministers,teachers,andhavebenefittedthechurchinthe
mostpositiveofways.Theydeserveequaltreatmentandtheydeservetobeordained.Joe
andMaysignifythestrengthofwomenbysaying,Christianwomenmarchedinthe
frontlinesoftheProhibitionistMovement,opposingthemoralillsassociatedwith
drunkennessillsSteepedinChristianfaithandempoweredbybiblicalconvictions,our
nineteenthcenturyforemotherspavedthewayforthesocialequalitybetweenthesexes
thatweenjoytoday(JoeandMay11).However,thatequalityonlygoessofar.The
churchpromotesinequalitybywhattheycallkeepingintradition.Breakingnormsare

SamanthaUsi
WomenOrdination
REL220.04Fall2014
Dr.KarinHeller
10/31/14
WordCount:1360
thenecessityforadvancement,andwhatisnecessaryforwomenordination.InSetting
theRecordStraight,itsaysWeneedtorepentofourunwillingnesstoaccordwomen
thesamerespectasmen,anattitudethathastoooftenoverlookedtheministryofwomen,
leavingthemveiledandsilenced(JoeandMay11).Equalityhasbeenfoughtfor
betweenracesandgenders.Asasocietywehaveovercomeaninnumerableamountof
obstacles,reachingequalityinordinationneedstojointhosehurdlesovercome.

InConclusion
AccordingtoLivingitOutbyMarianRonan,In2006,eightU.S.womenwere
ordainedpriestsandfourdeaconsonaboatattheconfluenceoftheMonogohela,
Allegheny,andOhioriversinPittsburgh,Pennsylvania.TherewilllikelybemoreRCWP
ordinationsinthefuture(160).Althoughthesecelebrationswerenotapprovedthey
wereperformedintherightkindofmind.Theyprojectedatamuchmorecommunal
attitudeoftheRomanCatholicChurch.Acceptanceisthekeytoanyprogressionin
womenordination.Thechurchneedstorecognizethatwomenarefullycapableof
sharingtheirgiftinthewaymenareandthattheirrolesareanecessityforanyexpansion
orcontinuationofthechurch.Itismybeliefthatwomendeservetobeordinatedandthat
anyonewhowishestospreadthewordofgodbecausetheyfeelasthoughthatistheir
callingshouldbeallowedtoinanywaytheycan.Godiswhoinstilledfaithinhis

SamanthaUsi
WomenOrdination
REL220.04Fall2014
Dr.KarinHeller
10/31/14
WordCount:1360
followers;heiswhoshalldecidewhoshouldbeordinated.Womendeservemore
opportunitiestoglorifyGod.
Inresearchingforthistopic,whathasbeendiscoveredisthatagreaterpartofthe
churchisstuckinthepast.Modernizationhasbecomeatopicwithinthechurchanditis
withagreatbeliefthatIthinkthatwomenordinationshouldbecomepartofthat
continuationofthechurch.Beforethisproject,Iwasunawareofthelackofprogressthis
topicwasmaking.Now,Ilookforwardtotheadvancementofwomenpositionswithin
thechurch.

Bibliography
May,GraceY.,andHyunhyeP.Joe."SettingtheRecordStraight."(n.d.):119.
Web.Oct.Nov.2014.
Rausch,ThomasP.CatholicismintheThirdMillennium.2nded.Collegeville,
MN:Liturgical,2003.Print.
Ronan,Marian."LivingItOut:EthicalChallengesConfrontingtheRoman
CatholicWomen'sOrdinationMovementintheTwentyFirstCentury."Journalof
FeministStudiesinReligion23.2(2007):14969.AcademicSearchElite.Web.5Nov.
2014.

SamanthaUsi
WomenOrdination
REL220.04Fall2014
Dr.KarinHeller
10/31/14
WordCount:1360