Madam, – While the Vatican document coupling paedophile offences with women’s ordination is typical of the incompetent blundering we have come to expect, I think those who make light of illegal ordinations are glossing over some very important considerations. Many of us would welcome the ordination of women, but no Christian church can tolerate illegal ordinations. They radically undermine church order, lead to bitter schisms, and really are a crime against the sacraments.
– Yours, etc,
Madam, – Paul Kokoski (July 20th) in defending the Vatican’s stance on the ordination of women, perpetuates the old chestnut that Christ called only men as his Apostles.This argument is specious. Nor did Christ, as far as we know, call the vertically challenged, the mentally deficient or the left-handed, etc.
As for the letter-writer’s “countless other ways that women might serve the church”, yes they are rather useful at arranging flowers, cleaning, sweeping and polishing the church, and laundering altar clothes and whatever else needs looking after.
It was men’s arrogance, and not at all God’s plan for this Church that dictated the exclusion of women from the priesthood. One thing that is glaringly obvious is that without the daily and weekly attendance at Mass by women – by far, a huge majority – our churches would be almost empty.
- Yours, etc,