"Orthodox Hierarch Urges Women’s Ordination Dialogue"Athens, Greece – The views expressed by Metropolitan Seraphim of Johannesburg and Praetoria in a recently published article has brought the issue of the ordination of women to the forefront of the Orthodox Church. Metropolitan Seraphim, a Bishop of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, recently wrote that this hot topic affecting the whole of Christianity should be discussed at a Pan-Orthodox Council, when members of Orthodox Churches from all over the world will participate, so that the Orthodox Church can adopt an official position on the ordination of women, as other churches and many Protestant denominations have already done.6 August 2009 (The National Herald)
In the article, which first appeared in the website “Romfea,” and was reprinted in the Greek daily newspaper “To Vima”, the Cyprus-born prelate posed the question “what are the theological reasons that prohibit us from supporting the ordination of women?”
Metropolitan Seraphim also conveyed the willingness expressed by the leadership of the Patriarchate of Alexandria to discuss the revival of the ancient tradition of “deaconess,” after pointing out that “in Orthodox missionary work, where adult women are receive catechism and being baptized, the pastoral need for the service of deaconesses has begun to reappear.” The Metropolitan was referring to a position in the lower clergy that peaked during the early Christian centuries, when women stood apart from men in the church balcony or on one side of the church, and priests could not approach them.
Meanwhile, in a related development, Bishops from the Church of Greece received an encyclical from the Standing Holy Synod which advises them that the registration of girls at ecclesiastical schools of secondary education is prohibited. The decision has already been met with opposition. Below is an excerpt of the two-page document, which is signed by Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens, the Bishops sitting on the Standing Holy Synod, and the Chief Secretary.
“Having taken account of the current state of affairs in the area of ecclesiastical education....and in order to uphold the nature of these educational institutions – Ecclesiastical Junior High and High Schools – as productive schools of the Orthodox Church in Greece, the Holy Synod has decided that the registration of female students in Ecclesiastical Junior High and High Schools runs contrary to their productive nature, on the one hand, and will cause such problems as to constitute their operation problematic, on the other hand. Thus, it has been led to the unanimous decision of prohibiting the registration of female students in ecclesiastical institutions of secondary education.”
A loophole for the entry and registration of girls into ecclesiastical junior high and high schools existed by virtue of an encyclical issued by the Ministry of Education, which was sent to all schools in June, but the immediate response of the Holy Synod led the Ministry of Education to back down on the issue.
On Friday July 24, the Ministry of Education issued a statement clarifying that girls wishing to register in secondary ecclesiastical schools were first required to obtain permission from the local Bishop in whose Metropolis the ecclesiastical junior high or high schools are operating. The decision issued by the Holy Synod and the Ministry of Education's reversal of position were met with surprise and have already created problems. In fact, it is considered a foregone conclusion that the Director of the Ecclesiastical Junior High and High School of Northern Greece – who has already received applications from five female students – will reject them, because neither he nor the local Bishop wish to break ranks with the Holy Synod.
The education issue has prompted discussion on the role of women in the church. The matter of the ordination of women has arisen, which will stir controversy in the Orthodox Church just as it has in other denominations.
Like the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church has stated that the issue of the ordination of women is non-existent. On the other hand, the Anglican Church has proceeded with the ordination of women to the priesthood and has even elevated some of them to the rank of bishop – a decision which has created a rift within the Anglican Church.
As is noted in his article, when Metropolitan Seraphim was still a deacon in 1989, he attended the Council of York, where the Anglican Church first decided to allow the ordination of women. At the time, the Orthodox Church had sent him there as an observer, since he was serving as a deacon in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Great Britain – an eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. There, the Metropolitan had an opportunity to follow the entire discussion as it took place.
Metropolitan Seraphim declares that the issue ought to be on the agenda of the Great and Holy Council, the Pan-Orthodox gathering which potentially can address all the major issues affecting the Church that have accumulated since the Great Schism of 1054. “My goal is for there to be a true and genuine dialogue prior to the Council, which will make all the final decisions,” Metropolitan Seraphim said.
Cf. Participation of Orthodox Women in the Ecumenical Movement.
There is no real chance this would actually be widely accepted is there?
There is no real chance this would actually be widely accepted is there?
Hey, I see you're Orthodox now! Good for you!There is no real chance this would actually be widely accepted is there?
Considering that many are opposed to this, this dialogue is still a good thing. Like I said, we're happy that there's finally some dialogue. It's a step up.Hold the phone! Nowhere does it say that women should be ordained to the priesthood. It says they should be altar servers, readers, chanters, and the order of the Deaconess should be restored.
No that's where I first heard of it. The source is:Consider the source. (JN1034)
need I say more...
6 August 2009 (The National Herald)
Cf. Participation of Orthodox Women in the Ecumenical Movement.
Hold the phone! Nowhere does it say that women should be ordained to the priesthood. It says they should be altar servers, readers, chanters, and the order of the Deaconess should be restored.
All of this is canonical and has happened in the past. In fact, women have read the Epistle in the parish I grew up in, and the Presbytera at the Cathedral in Atlanta I attended is going to be tonsored a chanter and currently chants every Sunday with the other chanters. As far as women "preaching," while you won't see a woman at the pulpit, there are plenty of women speakers in the Church, Khouria Frederica Mathewes-Greene immediately coming to mind as one of them.
"Orthodox Hierarch Nestorius declars the Virgin Mary, Christokos, and not Theotokos"
25 October 428 (The Constantinoplitan Register-Guard)
Yea, "Orthodox Hierarchs" say lots of things.
"The road to hell is paved with the bones of priests and lined with the skulls of bishops." - St. John Chrysostom
"...And all that over the foundation of false believers only pretending to be Orthodox, but in reality despise and slander the ancient and venerable Tradition of the Church, teaching as good that which is evil." - Protoevangel
I know there is a serious undercurrent to your post, but I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of a young urchin standing next to a stack of newspapers with one ragged copy held aloft... "Extra, Extra! Read all about it! Heretical Hierarch Insults God's Momma! 3 Shekels for the whole story! Extra, Extra!"
Hello all, I was reading this thread and thinking about religious education for women. I am newly chrismated (July 19th, Glory to God!) and am an infant in the faith.
I am moving up to NY to attend St. Vladimir's in a week or two to get an MA in theology. My main reason for doing this is spiritual, I am not sure how it could play into my career. I have 2 liberal arts bachelor degrees, and have no idea what will happen after this. I just know that I need to be in the life of the church, and am having a hard time focusing on "real world" things. Everything seems so futile outside of the church, and I don't know how to survive there. Does anyone have any advice about this?
I think it is important for everyone to be educated about the faith, male or female. I think the priesthood should be kept for men only. I am not sure what the role is for different women in the church. I was a reader once at my parish after I was chrismated.
Mainly as I have thought about it, I hope to be a good wife and mother one day, and help others in the church of course. I am hoping that my growth at Vlad's will help others as well, that I will learn to love others better, and live in true personhood with the trinity and others.
Sorry for my rambling on, I would love to hear what others think about this, about getting an M.A. at St. Vlad's, and whether or not it will play a role in my career perhaps?
Bishop Theophan, young, zealous and energetic, felt a dire need to raise the Orthodox woman to a higher spiritual level in her society, which was rapidly changing, going in spep with Western ways. He knew that the Orthodox woman, being always the conscience of the people, needed ecclesiastical education. With this in mind, he founded "Junior Colleges" --diocesan schools for girls. These schools were to prepare educated wives of future pastors, who could help the parish priest on an equal basis, and were also to host a movement of Orthodox school teachers: idealistic, enthusiastic, ascetically-minded, with sanctity in their hearts. Bishop Theophan's work in this direction was extremely fruitful, resulting, at least in his diocese and the neighboring ones, in an increase of women's monasticism and the formation of new monasteries.
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