[MR] Women and the Early Church

[Rowanwald Central]

Hi Eogan!
   I'm sure you noticed that I caught on that "reply to" meant "to the author" and not "to the list" - thank you for your offer to forward the message.
   I realized upon reading your responses that we are at cross-purposes. I was addressing women priests who were Christian, and you were addressing "ordained by the early church", with "church" meaning the Roman Church. That gives us each different parameters. No way would I state that the Roman practise, or even the Eastern, after the 300s, allowed or condoned women officiates! The question for me is did they exist as Christian priests before that time within the developing church, which is what the reference to Paul and Peter's letters is addressing (and the quote that I cannot find at this time is out of one of the Jesuit articles, but danged if I can find it now. It was a pass-by on my way to finding a particular article about "Celtic" saints). 
   Tracing down stories and references to Irish Christianity before/during the time of Patrick is tough, and again, the question of women officiates is not the thrust of my research, but I do find references to this, as well as discussion within the community about eucharistic practises by non-Catholics. But finding anything definitive is nigh impossible, and as your response clearly showed - what works as possible evidence for one researcher, is not acceptable to the other.

   Perhaps we should examine something easier - like the pagan references and themes within the saga known as "Beowulf"?   *grin* (the Anglo-Saxon list nearly exploded just recently with the hot debate. Hoo babay! I'm glad I'm not an English professor!)

Rosine
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