Women Deacons? "The Prayers and Tears" of Phyllis Zagano

 

From America Magazine. Dec. 18, 2019

The Diaconate and Women Deacons

On Oct 21 (2021), I attended a webinar-lecture that forms part of the Veritas lecture series at King's this year on the common theme "Seeds of Hope." It was by theologian Dr. Phyllis Zagano Ph.D. and  entitled "Catholic Women, Catholic Church: Where do We Go from Here?" She focused on her particular field of specialization which is the 'diaconate of women and its possibility today'.

First of all, there is no question that Zagano is one of the foremost authorities in the Catholic world today on women and the diaconate. I really appreciated how much work she has put into moving this theme forward and bringing it to the attention of more people. More power to you, Phyllis!

As we went on with her talk, some things became clear to me. First (this one I already knew but it was really reinforced by her lecture), historically, women served as deacons for a long time, before that precious ministry was gradually suppressed by the institutional church mainly because of a negative view of women. Hence, there is historical precedent and no valid theological reason to prevent women from being ordained to the diaconate.

Second very sad realization: Although there is historical precedent and no theological reason for barring women from being ordained as deacons, the recent history of the valiant endeavours by Catholic theologians (of which Zagano is an impressive representative) has just met with, to mention the worst, rejection, opposition, and invalid (even heretical!) counter arguments from church officials. Zagano mentioned that she was even told that women cannot represent God and Christ  by no less than an official of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF). This actually appalls me and makes me angry. More on the subtle side of preventing the project of women-deacons would be the hedging, stalling, and delaying tactics of those in the Catholic institutional structure that simply do not want women to be ordained deacons. 

See for example this statement from the Wijngaards Institute for Catholic Research on this issue.

Zagano (and her co-theologians who support the diaconate for women) have made it clear that the diaconate is not simply a pathway to the ordained priesthood, although in normal church practice now, the diaconate is usually a step before the presbyterate ("transitional diaconate"). It is a vocation in its own right with a different character than the priesthood.  

But, I suspect (and this is just my personal impression) that the strong opposition that they have received is due to the fact that there are powerful forces within the Roman Catholic Church institution that fear that if women deacons are allowed, it will just be a slippery slope that could lead to more people clamoring for the priesthood to be conferred on women as well. And that is definitely what they are so scared of. Besides, the inability of the Church to confer priestly ordination on women has been declared as solemnly as the Church could, short of a dogma. If you want to know my personal opinion on that, you'll have to ask me personally ... 

Moreover, I agree with something Zagano said during her talk: Some male clerics simply CANNOT and/or DO NOT WANT to work with "ordained" women.

But ... Where's the Hope in This?

At the end of the lecture, despite my renewed admiration for Zagano's (and other like-minded theologians') valiant efforts to make a good case for why the diaconate could be and should be conferred on women, the effect of getting a clearer picture of the concerted efforts to prevent this project from coming to fruition in the Catholic Church left me quite discouraged, angry, and ... to be honest ... ironically bereft of hope. 

I ask in frustration: How long should we endure and tolerate an institution with a hardened heart? As someone who was ordained a transitional deacon in 1994 and a priest in 1995 but willingly resigned in 2005, I know the agony of holding hope for a long time but sadly concluding at a certain point that this intransigent and incorrigible institution is just not worth sacrificing one's whole life for. There are better things to do in life than to continually get frustrated and hurt by a fossilized structure that actively and continually frustrates--what I deeply believe to be--the genuine movements of "the spirit in the world." And one of them is this movement for conferring the diaconate on women. As Zagano affirmed, the symbol of having a woman stand beside the pope at mass as a deacon would have a tremendous effect on the Church, especially on the many discouraged, long-suffering Catholic women (and men!) throughout the world.

Sadly, I concluded many years ago that it is only when enough people stop cooperating with the dysfunctional parts of the institution and perhaps even boycott it into irrelevance that it will finally realize that a radically new transformation in its mode of being and thinking is necessary and truly have the will to ACT to realize that change. I'll believe it when I see it ... Please be easy on us who fought battles and got quite tired and discouraged ...

I sincerely hope that I'm proven wrong in this. Francis' becoming pope was a welcome surprise in 2013. Perhaps God has some powerful trick up God's sleeve? ... I wondered...   Thus, I've supported and continue to support Francis' efforts to move the church in--what I think--is a better direction. Zagano's remark is enlightening. She opined that, with this current synodal movement, Pope Francis is taking us Catholics on a two year-long Ignatian retreat. How I wish and pray that it would bear fruit!

But one man cannot do it. Ironically, the fact that a lot of things still depend on one man at the top of the Roman Catholic pyramid is the single most troubling ecclesiological factor for me. This is in fact the most damning dysfunctionality of the Roman Catholic structure: that one man can actually single-handedly stamp his seal on the billion-member institution. This has to go. It is uncannily too similar to fascism. For all we know, a super-conservative guy will be put on the throne of Peter tomorrow and voila! It'll be back to wintertime in the Church!

There should be proper checks and balances; true decision-making authority should be given to a wider circle of people (particularly, women, married people!) who represent more accurately the wide umbrella of Roman Catholicism and should not just be limited to a clique of male, ordained celibates. 

And ordaining women to the diaconate will be a VERY SIGNIFICANT baby step!

... Many thanks to Dr. Zagano and like-minded people who still give me a glimmer of hope. But God help us all --- we need more than just a glimmer!

---Julius-Kei Kato, PhD    jkato@uwo.ca   ---

[4] A Summary of the History of Christianity: A "Paradigm Shift" Approach (Part 4)

A Summary of the History of Christianity (by Hans Küng)

(with annotations and revisions done by Julius-Kei Kato)

Go to Part 3

Part 4 - Paradigm #4 : Martin Luther & The Protestant Reformation Paradigm

We will refer to sub-divisions of this article by the section numbers within square brackets (e.g. [1]).

Resources:

Original Link to this Summary (in the public domain / accessed 2020-09-20): https://www.global-ethic-now.de/gen-eng/0b_weltethos-und-religionen/0b-01-02-christentum/0b-01-0201-jesus.php

Paradigm Shifts in Christianity (a one-page visual diagram) https://www.global-ethic-now.de/gen-eng/0b_weltethos-und-religionen/0b-pdf/paradigm-shifts-christianity.pdf

 

[12] Martin Luther - Life

1483  Birth in Eisleben.
1505  Entry into the Augustinian monastery in Erfurt.
1512  Professor in Wittenberg.
1517  Publication of the “Ninety-five Theses” against indulgences.
1520  Papal bull threatening excommunication if he does not retract. Luther publicly burns the papal bull.
1521  Luther is excommunicated. He stands up to his writings at the Diet of Worms, he and his followers are put under the ban (Edict of Worms). Luther is hidden till 1522
in Wartburg Castle, where he begins his translation of the Bible.
1525  The Peasants’ War. Luther got married and broke with Erasmus of Rotterdam.

1529  Marburg Colloquy with Huldrych Zwingli and Martin Bucer.
1541  Jean Calvin established a theocratic republic in Geneva.
1546  Luther dies in Eisleben

 

 

[13] Luther’s Program

Luther’s program: Return to the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Bible

In place of innumerable ecclesiastic traditions, laws and authorities, the Holy Scriptures alone serve as the criterion of being Christian – translation of the Bible into the language of the people so that everyone could understand it

Christ

In place of innumerable saints and official mediators, Jesus Christ alone serves as the Mediator of humans before God

Grace

In place of ecclesiastically imposed pious deeds to merit salvation, believers find justification before God not through their works, but through grace alone, which cannot be earned, but is received through faith alone. Grace is unconditional.

Church

In place of the medieval clerical hierarchy, the Church is the community of believers, a congregation that prays and sings together.

 

 

[3] A Summary of the History of Christianity: A "Paradigm Shift" Approach (Part 3)

 A Summary of the History of Christianity (by Hans Küng)

(with annotations and revisions done by Julius-Kei Kato)

Go to Part 2

Part 3 - Paradigm #3 : The Medieval Roman Catholic Paradigm 

We will refer to sub-divisions of this article by the section numbers within square brackets (e.g. [1]).

Resources:

Original Link to this Summary (in the public domain / accessed 2020-09-20): https://www.global-ethic-now.de/gen-eng/0b_weltethos-und-religionen/0b-01-02-christentum/0b-01-0201-jesus.php

Paradigm Shifts in Christianity (a one-page visual diagram) https://www.global-ethic-now.de/gen-eng/0b_weltethos-und-religionen/0b-pdf/paradigm-shifts-christianity.pdf

[8] Rome: Primacy of Honour in the Early Church and the Process of Latinization

•         The Jewish roots of Christianity were forgotten by a church characterized first by Greek then by Latin culture.

•         In Rome, between 360 and 382, Latin replaced Greek as the language of the liturgy.

•         The basilica, originally a large hall for secular affairs, became the model of church architecture.

•         The thanksgiving meal (Eucharist) was gradually transformed into
a sacrificial offering: the table became an altar.

 

 

[9] The Pope – Successor of St Peter? – “No”, “Yes”, or “It’s Complicated”?

•         No evidence in the New Testament that Peter was in Rome.

•         No evidence for an immediate “successor” to Peter, not even in Rome.

•         No mention of a bishop of Rome in the New Testament or in the earliest Christian sources …

•         not in Paul’s Epistle to the Romans and not in the Letter of the Romans to the Corinthians.

 

•         Nevertheless, early evidence for the graves of the apostles Peter and Paul in Rome.

•         Around the middle of the 3rd Century, Bishop Stephen of Rome viewed himself as the successor of Peter and claimed a primacy over all other bishops.

•        (this part by jkk) Historically speaking then, it seems that the following idea: <the Pope is the literal successor of Peter who holds full authority [over all bishops in the Christian world], received in an unbroken chain of tradition going from the present pope all the way up to Peter himself who, in turn, received his authority as pope from Jesus himself> has to be re-evaluated very critically. It is not true in the literal sense. It can be considered an anachronism because the popes increasingly claimed this only later in history. The Eastern Orthodox churches (some of which are even older than Rome itself) have not accepted this. It remains the main block to unity among Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox. However, it is true that the pope as bishop of Rome has had a unique place of honour (a “primacy of honour” and primus inter pares “first among equals”) in the history of Christianity from ancient times.  (jkk)

 

 

How to Read the Bible: The Biblical Story as a Five-Act Play (acc. to NT Wright)

Transcript-Summary-Paraphrase (by JK Kato) of N.T. Wright's talk in: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN1bZhAhR38&list=WL&index=4&t=0s

Published on Youtube on Dec. 18, 2016

The Metaphor: A Five-Act Play

Imagine that you're part of a guild of actors. During a weekend retreat in an old mansion that once belonged to a great stage actor, you and your friends unexpectedly discover a long-forgotten yet seemingly fascinating play in the dusty attic. Upon further examination, you find out that this riveting

story is composed of four full acts. Unfortunately, the script only goes up to the beginning of the fifth act. Most of the fifth and last act is either unfinished or lost! What would you and your friends do? You may of course get a good playwright, show him or her the unfinished script and request this person to complete the fifth act based on how the wonderful first four acts played out.

Improvisation

However, if you and your friends are good and creative actors, another exciting and more creative alternative course of action would be, first, to "soak yourselves" in the first four acts in order to get the "spirit" and "flow" of the play and then, second, ... improvise the performance of the fifth and final act!

     NT Wright uses the image of improvisation to refer to how Christians should live their lives, based on scripture, so it is a key metaphor here.

     Improvisation (at least in music) is not merely "making up" just anything as you go along, contrary to how it is commonly and too simplistically imagined. More precisely described (by NT Wright who, it turns out, played jazz in his youth!), improvisation in a musical group means that the musicians in the band have to do the following: pay very careful attention to what the others are doing, know well the basic rhythmic and harmonic structure of the musical piece as well as its theme ; and then, they also have to know where it is that all of them are going to at the end. NT Wright describes musical improvisation as "weaving different new creative patterns around the musical drama to get where you have to go."

     The above metaphor is appropriate for us to reflect on what it means to read the Bible and apply its message to life as part of a community that—in NT Wright’s description—is a “Scripture-reading and God-following people” (from Scripture and the Authority of God). In short, the Christian community and all of its individual members are part of a people who follow God, mainly by reading and applying the Sacred Scriptures (the Bible) in their lives.

The Bible as a Story

(see 4:40) The Bible offers itself to us first and foremost as "a great narrative," not so much as a book with plenty of lists of rules we have to obey and things we have to believe in. It's a story that moves from 'creation' to 'new creation'. It's a story that "catches us up in the middle of it."

     Stories work differently from lists or rules because stories have beginnings and ends and middles as well as different phases. In particular, when we think of some of the really great stories in world literature, the story will have a different kind of "phased rhythm," that is, certain things set up the narrative; conflicts make it all difficult and tense; other events seem to make it even worse; when things seem to be improving, some other complication happens and makes things go awry ... Finally though, there's often some resolution which leads us to an ending, an end that might also be a new beginning... This is how interesting stories work.

     When you take the Bible with its two bookends of 'creation' to 'new creation' and all sorts of things going on in-between--particularly the story of Israel and, especially, the story of Jesus--it's helpful to see it "as a play in five acts." (~6:03)

The First and Second Acts: Creation then Human Rebellion and Arrogance

The first act is creation itself. Christianity and Judaism affirm that a good God created a good world. This (our world) is a good place and a good place to be. It's not trash; it's not rubbish; God is not going to get rid of it. But this good world is put into the care of human beings who are called to reflect God's image into the world. That's an incredible vocation: to be God's image, bearing God’s reflection into the world and reflecting the praises of creation back to God himself.

     That's the first act. If we get that wrong, for instance, if we mistakenly think that humans were put in the garden--such as, as a sort of test to see if they can get 10 out of 10, if not they were in deep trouble--we would distort all the other things that come after. 

     So if we start with this good world and God giving humans responsibility for it, then Act 2 is where it all horribly goes wrong. In the narrative structure of Genesis 3-11, we see the story going from human rebellion to the arrogance of empire.

The Third and Fourth Acts: Israel - Jesus

Act 3 (which runs longer) goes from the call of Abraham right up to before the birth of Jesus. Act 3 is made up in a big way of the story of Israel, the nation and the people chosen by God. Unfortunately, lots of Christians treat that as a miscellaneous collection of stories, ideas, principles, prophecies, ideals, examples of people getting it right or wrong, ... and, of course, all that is there. But the story of Israel means what it means as Act 3 in our five-part play.

     Act 4 is Jesus himself -- Jesus who draws Israel's story into its climax and does for Israel and for the world, what the world could not do for itself. If we look at the gospels, each one of the gospels in its own way begins by hooking the story that it's telling into the story of Israel. Take Matthew telling the genealogy from Abraham to Jesus, for instance; or John opening with those echoes of Genesis 1. The gospel writers themselves are telling us that the story they're relating doesn't stand by itself . Rather, it's the climactic act of this drama.

     But then again, the gospels themselves end with the death and resurrection of Jesus, not with the sense of 'Oh that's solved it all and there's nothing more to happen', rather with this strange new vocation--the renewal of the original human vocation: that those who follow Jesus are to be equipped with his Spirit, to be God's 'new creation' people; they are people who are put right so that the world may be put right.

     When we get that vision, we not only have a way to read the Bible but we also have an extraordinary energy for the mission of the people of God in the world. This is what it means to be renewed human beings.

Some Concrete Suggestions for Bible Reading and Living in the “Fifth Act”

When I (NT Wright) read the Bible and when I encourage others to read the Bible, I say, read it in great swaths, large chunks. Only then could we get an idea of the "big picture," "the big story". We humans are hardwired to do story. 

That's how you need to read the Bible.

     And then, going further, we also need to focus in on the details of the biblical story because every little bit needs working, needs fresh understanding. But the main thing is to understand those five acts, particularly, where we fit in – and it is within the fifth act – We are supposed to be fifth act people for the sake of the world, indwelt by the Spirit so that the story from 'creation' to 'new creation' can go forward and we'll be able to play our part within it.

     So when we think of ourselves as Bible-readers reading this “five-act play,” we find that we're in a very odd moment in the play because the fifth act isn't scripted yet. That is to say, we've got some strong clues as to where it's supposed to end. If you look at Revelation 21, 22, the picture there isn't as many Christians imagine--saved souls going to heaven. Rather, it is of the new Jerusalem coming down from heaven to earth. We have a sense that the ultimate new creation is God's sphere and our sphere, heaven and earth, joined together. We're not fully there yet; it's happened in Jesus. It's happening through the Spirit but it hasn't fully happened yet and we are called to be people to live between one and the other.