Dear Editor, An article (IC 28/11/13), regarding women priests, read:
“The reservation of priesthood to males, as a sign of Christ the spouse who gives himself in the Eucharist, is not a question open to discussion, but it can prove especially divisive if sacramental power is too closely identified with power in general.”
I am a male spouse married in the Catholic Church and would like to make the following points. Jesus gave us the image of the loving relationship of God with his people in the loving qualities of a bridegroom with his bride. He did not call himself spouse. Jesus said: “You call me Lord and Master and rightly so.” Jesus also called himself “Son of God”, servant, King and “Word of God”.
I believe that the spousal relationship of husband and wife is based on the relationship call of the 2nd Commandment of Jesus: “To love your neighbour as yourself.” This means among other things that no one spouse is above the other, but that both are servant to each other as in Christ’s example of washing one another’s feet.
The 1st Commandment, Jesus taught us, was “to love the Lord your God with your whole heart, strength and mind”. While Jesus is in the world loving us he is not of the world, e.g. spouse or son of a human father.
In sacramental marriage through the Word of God “to love your neighbour as yourself” both spouses male and female have equally the power of love, who can freely proclaim the word of God through word and sign to each other and others where there is no worldly power over each other exercised.
Refusing to communicate or not being open to discussion on an issue, can be using silence as a power tactic or worldly weapon, rather than serving the needs of each other e.g. our Church.
Yours etc.,
Donal Cleary,
Corofin,
Co. Clare.