Ask many a Roman Catholic priest (though by no means all) about women and priesthood and he will tell you that women may have a vocation, but they simply cannot be priests as that is for men only. Consult the Book of Leviticus, and it will tell you that priests must be descendents of Levi and be without any handicap. Ask Protestant reformers about priesthood, and you will get several different responses, mostly that the one who leads the congregation is a minister, that is servant, and that too high a doctrine of the priesthood may touch on magic and paganism. Some today will admit women into leadership positions, some will not – and all will quote scripture to prove their point. The eternal verity of priesthood is not so absolute as it is sometimes made out. And Quakers are different again. We have universalised the word. We, as Protestant reformers themselves declared, are a church of priests, in which there is no laity. Thus we have kept the concept of priesthood, but have understood it differently.

• Username
• Password
• Log in
  

• Forgot your password?

If you don't have an account you can register here