Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Quote of the day...

From a comment on the much discussed media reports of thawing relations between the Orthodox Church and Rome...
Communion with the Orthodox would be a beautiful miracle. The ways they would enrich each other would lead to a “new Christmas” in the Church. Orthodoxy would be refreshed with a “new Springtime” and Catholicism would be blessed with an even more lavish sacramental and liturgical life. Under such circumstances I think the ancient order of deaconesses would eventually be restored (as has already been by the Greek Church in principle) and women would have a sacred and historic way in which to be servant leaders and do much to help at parishes that struggle more and more with fewer and fewer priests. Already, Lay Ecclesical Ministers (mostly women) are the fastest growing vocation in the Roman Church. Such a move would also squash the fallacy of misogyny in the Church. So much good could potentially come from such a reunion as to allow the Church to become “all flame”.

May it be so!
-archangelica
Source.

Hat tip to Dr. Tighe.

My response to the media report can be found here. With respect to Archangelica's comment above; deaconesses are not the same thing as Deacons. It's a lay office. Laymen are not permitted to handle the Holy Mysteries of the Altar in the Orthodox Church. And whatever real differences we have with Rome, they are 100% correct in their position on W/O.

As for her reference to Orthodoxy being refreshed with a "new springtime" I am not sure what she meant by that. But if it is a reference to some kind of Vatican II style "reform;" we will pass thank you very much. That disaster and the resulting theological chaos in the Western Church is another reason why so many Orthodox want as little to do with Rome as possible.

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