For several decades sociologist Sarah Frances Anders tracked Baptist women's
ordinations. Picking up on Anders' work in 2007, Pamela Durso and I launched the BWIM Registry to collect names of women in ministry, ordained and not (yet) ordained.
The Cullavagga (X.1) reports that Mahapajapati was the first woman to receive higher
ordination. In her case this took place by accepting the "eight principles to be respected," garudhammas.
Are Thai samaneri and bhikkhuni
ordinations really recognised as legitimate when they follow the new interpretation of 'right'
ordination?
As he arrived on Friday for the meeting, Hong Kong's outspoken Joseph Cardinal Zen said China's planned
ordination of a bishop who doesn't have the approval of Holy Father was illegitimate, shameful and uncivilized.
From Theravadin traditions, there were 2 Thai women; (5) Ven.Dhammavati, the leading bhikkhuni of Nepal and her group received full
ordination at this time.
EVEN TAKING THE QUESTION OF
ORDINATION OFF THE table, we simply can no longer afford the wait-and-see attitude to our "female problem" Pope Benedict seems to encourage.
Zen, without directly commenting on Liu's
ordination, told a TVB news program Wednesday that negotiations between the Vatican and China could not continue now that bishops are installed repeatedly without Vatican's approval.
According to Ida Raming, a German theologian and one of the priests who performs the
ordinations, the church leadership's official ban on women priests is "based on a grave lack of respect for the human dignity of women and their Christian existence."
Volume 1 of A HISTORY OF WOMEN AND
ORDINATION. Edited by Bernard Cooke and Gary Macy.
Where that debate will go remains to be seen, as does the effect that the
ordinations will have.
The U.S.-based Women's
Ordination Conference (WOC) is hosting the Women's
Ordination Worldwide meeting.
Prior to the
ordination of Father Lei on June 29, the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts published a statement to clarify crimes, penalties and remedies for an episcopal
ordination without papal mandate (gravely illegal).