Holy Women through the Ages
1. Women Deacons
1. Women Deacons
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During the first nine centuries of the Church’s history, tens of thousands of women were ordained deacons to instruct women catechumens and assist in baptising them. Their ordination was substantially identical to that of the male deacon. The bishop would impose hands on them, invoking the Holy Spirit to grant them the ministry of the diaconate.
Imposing his hands on the woman, the bishop prays:
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Copies of the ordination rite have been
preserved in ancient manuscripts, like in the Barberini manuscript gr 336 (780
AD), part of which is displayed below. |
Athanasia |
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Radegunde |
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Sophia |
Theosebia |
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2. Women Martyrs
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Throughout the Church’s history, women no less than men, have witnessed to their Christian faith unto death. According to ancient tradition, men or women on the way to martyrdom had the power to forgive sins. The Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus (3rd cent) states that any ‘confessor’ who had been imprisoned for faith, had automatically attained the rank of presbyter (priest) in the Roman communities.
The martyr St. Catherine of Alexandria is shown to have power in this engraving by Albrecht Dührer . The rack reminds us of her torture, the throne and sword of how she reigns with Christ. |
Sts. Irenaeus (2nd cent) and Cyprian (3rd cent) apply this
‘power of martyrdom’ equally to women confessors. Women too shared in
the power of the keys, binding and loosening on behalf of Christ. |
Lucy |
Marie Amandine |
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Margaret Clitherow |
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3. Medieval Leaders
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A number of women achieved a good deal of influence on the society of their day, in spite of the prevailing cultural prejudices against women. Among them we find especially spiritual writers, queens and abbesses.The position of the abbess in medieval society is especially interesting.
They were ‘ordained’ as abbess by a bishop or archbishop. They wore a mitre and crozier as sign of their spiritual power. They heard confession and forgave sins. |
Because many came from the upper aristocracy they were
used to exercising authority.Frequently they had real ‘jurisdiction’,
i.e. power over the sacraments. They were free from interference by the local
bishop. They ruled over both men and women. They had authority over the priests
working under their supervision. Some carried the title ‘sacerdos
maxima’, [= highpriest].|
Audrey |
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4. Saints for Our Time
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Enormous changes have transformed our society and our way of thinking during the last few centuries. Fortunately, this has also brought emancipation for women who are being liberated from the cultural prejudices of the past. The official Church has not yet realised that these former prejudices influence the way scripture and tradition are being interpreted regarding women. Many women are already engaged in pastoral ministries, including diaconal and priestly tasks. There is no valid reason why women could not represent Christ at the holy Eucharist. A woman can express God’s love for people in a different way than a man can.The Church should recognise women’s charisms by giving them holy orders, as she does for men. |
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Fiorella Bianchi |
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