Reasons for Hope
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Women Priests Exist(ed)
PRIESTS OF YESTERDAY
There is historical, archeological and scriptural evidence that women served as deacons, priests and bishops in the early Church. For example, Phoebe is named a deacon by St. Paul in the Letter to the Romans; Pliny the Younger in a letter to the Emperor Trajan asks for guidance about two women deacons; and Justinian refers to women deacons. The excavation at Ashdod also unearthed inscriptions of women deacons. Some of the oldest surviving images of Christians worshiping at Church altars portray women in official liturgical roles and are in some of the most significant churches in early Church history. If these images were of men, would you assume they were in leadership?
Thanks to researcher Miriam Duignan of the Wijngaards Institute for her work in tracking the many archeological discoveries.
RESOURCES There is volume after volume of research by reputable academic scholars. Hidden History of Women's Ordination When Women Were Priests Wijngaardts Institute for Catholic Research Women's Ordination Conference Jesus Female Disciples | History Documentary FutureChurch presentation with Christine Schnek, CSJ PRIESTS OF TODAY
PRIESTS OF TODAY
Women today are also living out their call to serve as Roman Catholic priests. The Roman Catholic Woman Priest movement began in 2002. A bishop ordained seven women as priests on the Danube River and one year later women were ordained as bishops. Those female bishops have been ordaining women as priests and bishops since. There are now 250 Roman Catholic Women Priests around the world, pastoring communities, working for social justice, and ministering to the sick and imprisoned. These women embody the reality that God calls women to full participation in the Roman Catholic Church. LINKS ON FEMALE PRIESTS
Pink Smoke Over the Vatican Womanpriest by Jill Peterfeso Hidden History of Women's Ordination by Gary Macy When Women Were Priests by Karen Jo Torjesen Roman Catholic Women Priests Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests Hildegard Haus #GodSaysNow #OrdainWomen #SpeakUpInTheSynod
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