Re: Neither Jew nor Greek--AND Neither Women

[barbara wolf <lupa@biddeford.com>]

At 07:06 AM 1/29/96 MST, Gary Williams wrote:
... in the catholic church at large, both
>consensus fidelium and episcopal collegiality argue against women's
>ordination at this time.

I don't suppose that there's anything much to be gained by asking *how*
consensus fidelium is to be measured if not by General Councils?  And if
there have been any truly *General* Councils since, let's say, Nicaea II
(700??)? RC's maintain, of course, that only the Pope can convene one.
Which makes your assertion rather self-limiting, I think.

Obviously public opinion surveys--or even surveys of practising, baptized
Christians won't do.  Nor will definitions of "catholic" or "validity of
orders".

*Episcopal collegiality* cannot precisely be said to "argue against"
anything, for the same reason.  There's been no assembly of *all*
bps--Orthodox, RC, Lutheran, Anglican--to reach any collegial determination.
(At least, not to my knowledge--and someone will surely enlighten me about
this.  I'm not counting "dialogues", interesting as they are.)

In order for there to be complete wholeness of assent (which, I submit, is
highly unlikely so long as there are wide, deep sociological, historical,
and cultural differences that divide the branches of the Catholic church),
we need to walk th road that God has given us to walk, in concern and love
for one another, rather than in defensiveness and suspicion.
Barbara Wolf

        "But we've got to be careful not to reduce people by cramming
        them in the limits of our understanding, haven't we?"

                                                Reginald Hill