Re: your Aug. 15 article, “Woman conducts Catholic Mass":
First, only a baptized male is capable of becoming a priest. Since Jane Via is not a baptized male, she is incapable of becoming a priest. Since she is incapable of becoming a priest, she is not a priest.
Second, only a priest can validly offer up a Mass. Since she is not a priest, she cannot validly offer up a Mass.
Anyone who attends her service is not attending a valid Mass, but rather is attending an invalid Mass. An invalid Mass is not a Mass, but is rather false worship. Therefore, anyone who attends her service is attending false worship.
— Michael S. Vorac, Thousand Oaks
By that logic only rabbi's can become legitimate priests, since Jesus' disciples were all Jews and religious teachers. What distinguishes the early Church's rebellion away from Judaism and the current movement to allow women an equitable role in the Church?
gs - Looks like somebody needs to do their homework. NONE of Jesus' Apostles were religious teachers when he chose them and they were CERTAINLY not teachers of Judaism. Whether or not other disciples of his were religious teachers is irrelevant because they weren't chosen by Jesus and later ordained by him. Remember also - Jesus didn't choose women for priestly duties either. He DID, however ordain MEN when he breathed on them and gave them the power to bind and loose.
Tony, what would you say if in the scriptures (St. Mark in the New Testament chapter 1, verses 30 and 31) tell of a woman (Simon's wife) ministering to Jesus Christ and his disciples?
TIA -
I would say that you also need to do your homework. You're referrring to the story where Jesus cures Simon's (Peter's) mother-in-law, after which she (Peter's mother-in-law) gets up to SERVE them. She does NOT teach Jesus and his disciples in a ministerial manner - she WAITS on them.
That's not how I read it. I take it to mean that she preached and shared her religious insights with them. But I guess we can debate all day long which definition of "ministered" was really meant by an author from over 2000 years ago.
I will also add that the Bible has said that at one time there were women prophets: EX 15:20, Judg 4:4, 2 Kgs 22:14, Isa 8:3, Luke 2:36, 2 Chr 34:22.
Since the definition of a prophet is one who speaks with, and speaks on behalf of God, were these Prophetess' not ministers of sorts?