No Women Priests? Makes no Sense!

They
Were Made in The Image and Likeness of God!

by Bourdara,
Kalliope A 

As I have already mentioned, I
believe that women must have the possibility to become priests.

....

God is the creator of women as
well as of men. Both have their origin in God. In addition, Christ came
to redeem both women and men to the same extent, and to restore the
relationships of both sexes to God.

Theological scholarship comes to the following conclusion with regard to
the office of women deacons: the "commissioning" of women deacons in
the early church with a special form of "ordination" cannot be equated
with the usual form of sacramental ordination, just because it is
mentioned as a special "laying on of hands" for the exercise of a
traditional ministry. The established ministry of the woman deacon is
strictly distinguished from the efficacy of priesthood and from
sacramental ordination. It is related to the ministry of the male
deacon, and it is in this connection alone that the ministry of the
woman deacon in the Eastern church is to be understood. So the type of
"ordination" of the woman deacon cannot properly be explained by a
simple comparison with the other forms of ordination, but only by
reference to the specific ecclesiastical intention behind this
institution and this ministry. In accord with this intention the
"commissioning" of the woman deacon for a specific ministry is
identified with her assignment to the company of charismatic women in
the local church.



As I have already mentioned, I believe that women must have the
possibility to become priests. In my early years I was puzzled by the
fact that a priest from a neighboring men's cloister came to celebrate
the liturgy exclusively for women. Would it not be proper for a woman to
celebrate? On what grounds was this not possible if Christianity spoke
of the equality of men and women? Let us not forget Paul's "neither male
nor female." I have discussed this matter with experts and have studied
all the relevant texts. They come to the conclusion that this is not
possible, and give reasons. I cannot enter the discussion as I am not a
professional theologian. The experts have analyzed their arguments and
come to the same conclusion, that while the man bears properly the
Christocentric type of Adam-Christ, the woman bears properly a sort of
auxiliary, pneumatocentric type that finds expression in the person of
the Virgin Mary and which becomes, through the presence and creative
power of the Holy Spirit, "full of grace" and the preferred image of the
charismatic human person.5



I respect absolutely the theological approach and the holy tradition.
But I would like, as an Orthodox lay woman, to make some comments. God
is the creator of women as well as of men. Both have their origin in
God. In addition, Christ came to redeem both women and men to the same
extent, and to restore the relationships of both sexes to God. In the
holy Scriptures and in the tradition there is a distinction between male
and female. This distinction has its roots and its basis in the
historical and cultural practices of former ages. I do not believe that
this distinction means any sort of positive or negative evaluation in
the sight of God. On the contrary, this distinction is defined by God
himself as part of his plan. Redemption does not bring about the
negation of our identities as men and women, but rather the
transformation of these identities.