www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Could the Church have female cardinals?

This article in the old Catholic Encyclopedia is a long read but it discusses the evolving office of Cardinal up until the early 20th century: Cardinal [newadvent.org].

Also of interest is Lay cardinal [en.wikipedia.org], in particular. In the East (as it was in the West until 1972) tonsure is still traditionally the entry into the "clerical state."

Andy Makar:

Christ is in our midst!!

I still don't think that making a woman a cardinal would make any difference. Look at the threads--the title is merely honorary; has no authority behind it. Why would anyone accept a sinecure title just to say one had it?

Bob

As Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, along with Pope Benedict XVI, clearly pinpoints,
the biggest area is not the issue of clergy sex abuse but "the scourge of homosexuality" which is "a plague in the clergy." ;


"So, maybe the women can straighten them out."

I am a woman and as a Christian woman I say that "the women" cannot straighten them out, either. Why? Because, the kind of "women" who demand higher positions/ordinations are in many cases, lesbians themselves. (or firm supporters of LGBT agenda in general). So, again, back to Vigano. The root cause of so much sexual abuse is homosexuality. Period. The tragic history of progressive egalitarianism in the Anglican Communion for the last 60 years or so must be a warning sign for all of us.

I saw that I am already credited for the last post in this thread, despite the fact that it is a software glitch and until now I have not posted on this thread. However, in doing so, I read what was said here and decided to respond.

The church of Rome is already on very shaky ground with the doctrinal innovations since Vatican I and 2. Add to that the homosexual priesthood which leads to all the abuse and honestly, I'm looking for any good reason to jump ship and convert to Orthodoxy....right now.

Rome should again ordain married men, not women. Should they decide to ordain women, I'll never set foot in a Catholic Church again. My decision should be easy at that point and I suspect I won't be alone.

there is a shortage of priests. There are married, devout, faithful men who would make excellent priests. It's an easy decision to repent and restore the presbyterate to how it was in the beginning and for many centuries.

Trying to fix what Rome has nearly destroyed with their un-tethered theology and constant "messing" with the Sacraments by breaking it further is a non-starter. At least for me.

Repentance is the only pathway to God. Ordaining women and homosexuals would be a stark, blatant example of doing the opposite of repenting. If this happens, the safest place for any christian is as far away from the Catholic Church as possible.

Whether or not this happens, I am finding myself more and more thinking that this is true regardless. I am having a real struggle to remain irenic when the whole issue of Roman Catholicism comes up - period. (And I know that's wrong).

Dear Doc T and Irish_Ruthenian,

Thank you for your response. I am so grateful to have known this forum. (Thank you, administrators!) Here, for the first time, I've come to realize that there are some brothers and sisters out there who are passing through the same kind of agony, struggles and inner-battles. Through reading your writings and sharing, I understood why I am here at this moment of my spiritual journey. There are so many things I should learn from your experiences and learnings. Living 20 years as a committed believer in the Byzantine Catholic Church is really something, Irish_Ruthenian! Whether you remain in BCC or depart for EO eventually, I think your ecclesial experiences including your current struggles and agonies are going to be used by God in a wonderful way in order to help wandering souls (like me) who are searching for truth. For example, I cannot really consult with EO believers who came straight out of Protestantism (not via BCC.) They usually don't see there is actually a coherent, strong inner logic/perspective within Catholicism. When we look it from within, it is found. And I confess that I love it and wish that it could stand!

However, as Doc T said; "The church of Rome is already on very shaky ground with the doctrinal innovations since Vatican I and 2. Add to that the homosexual priesthood which leads to all the abuse and honestly, I'm looking for any good reason to jump ship and convert to Orthodoxy....right now." Yes...this is what is going on in my tormenting mind, too. I had thought that the Magisterium was a sure fortress against modernist attacks...but...oh, this Pontificate is a counter-evidence of all these powerful arguments and I find it very difficult to reconcile them.

One Catholic priest who converted to EO told me that after he became a Roman Catholic, he eventually realized that; "I had made a terrible blunder. I realized that I simply could not live a lifetime as a Catholic (largely because of, as you term it, its Protestantized Mass). All the ecclesiological and theoretical arguments flew right out the window for me. I needed a liturgical and spiritual home in which I could faithfully dwell. We do not live in our heads. We do not live in theory. Life is too short."

I don't idealize the Eastern Orthodoxy, either. I've seen enough problems here in Greece. However, with all the messes and divisions and (seemingly) lacking of universality in EO, I am beginning to think that perhaps EO is going to be the last fortress for us. Have you read "LGBT Fight Comes To Orthodoxy [theamericanconservative.com]" by Rod Dreher? He is a convert from Roman Catholicism. Here is what he says;


The last place left...umm...I will close this letter with a ending remark of Rod Dreher.


p.s. excuse me for my grammar mistakes! English is not my first language.

You seem quite proficient in the language to me, whether it be your first language or not; and despite your initial, introductory thread in which you appealed to forum members to help you find answers in your quest to find the "right" church, you, along with others who have joined you along the way, have used this Forum to rag on the Catholic Church, and, more specifically her Roman and western portion during the pontificate of His Holiness, Pope Francis. I find that quite disingenuous. "The Byzantine Forum and the www.byzcath.org [byzcath.org] site exist to help build up the Church..." I frankly find your cant to be not so different to the anti-Catholic rhetoric I hear on local Boston radio talk shows each time a new scandal arises, or when some prelate or the Pope himself makes some sincere effort, be it in word or deed, to rid the Church of this scourge that has done so much harm to all. Sexual abuse has been perpetrated by all kinds, colors, classes, ages and genders of people, clerical, lay and agnostic. The only thing that will end this abhorrent sinfulness among the faithful, is the holiness of those who really are.

Since this thread on "Women Cardinals" has gone so far astray, I hope some Administrator will bring it to an end as I think it has run its course.

Dear Utroque,

Hello. Thank you for your honest response. (and thank you for your comment on my English language, which was encouraging.)

I am sorry that my writings might have caused you and probably others some disturbance. You are right that I should have been more sensible to the main purpose of this forum. However, I do say with all humility that if you could see my real life and struggles (not online), you would recognize that indeed I am not anti-Catholic Church at all. In fact, my Orthodox friends in Greece are perplexed and feel offended when I say something about Catholic Church. When McCarrick scandal was revealed last summer, I was on the verge of losing Christian faith all together. But my faith has been sustained by Called to Communion (Dr. Bryan Cross etc), EWTN (Marcus Grodi) and so forth. I am forever grateful for each one of them.

That's why when I read the word "quite disingenuous," it hurt me, because as I understand correctly, this word signifies person's heart attitude. (I wish you could have used another expression, but again, it was probably due to my lack of understanding of this forum and my immaturity, so, I am sorry.) I have lost almost all my Evangelical friends due to my shift and because of this indecisive, unstable condition between RO world and EO world, I had been quite isolated. I am too dangerously pro-Catholic in EO and too critical of this present pontificate in RO. And so, I found this forum a kind of spiritual refuge, where I could finally express my struggles. And indeed, there are many wonderful people in this forum. However, I realized that probably, I should read the thread quietly instead of participating and writing, so that my unwise sayings might not cause troubles and discouragements for others.

Lastly, dear Utroque, I was actually glad that someone courageously stood for Catholic Church like you did. I wish I could have stood and believed like you! Please pray for me.

p.s. Dear administrators, if you think my comments on this thread are not edifying and off the track, please erase them. Thank you.

Christ is Risen!!

silk:

I understand your spiritual struggle and support you with my prayers. That said, may I suggest that some of your feelings of isolation may be self-induced. The problem with being a new convert is that, too often, one feels the need to be converting everyone else one comes into contact with. This is a sure path to becoming a target for those who do not want to be converted or for those who have an animus toward what you have become. There is also the area of putting too much emphasis on pushing the positive elements of a position to which our audience is opposed.

If you find that your EO colleagues in Greece are not in favor of RC, why do you insist on pushing the issue? On the other hand, why do you think it wise to push EO on Latin Trads? Do you have a spiritual death wish? And your Evangelical friends--in my experience, they think and believe that both EO and RC are off base and destined for Hell.

Your own struggles are struggles that you will have to resolve. You will have to decide where you are going, understand that there is no perfect place, and settle in where you can grow in your relation with Christ. You may harbor your own admiration for others who are not in the same place you finally land, but pushing an agenda that flies in the face of those with whom you choose to live is a sure formula for failure.

Bob
Moderator

Christ is Risen!!

This thread has strayed far fro its original purpose and for that reason I am closing it on the request of a member.

Bob
Moderator