This article provides a theoretical and literature framework accompanying a currently ongoing six-month post-doctoral research project, "Female Catholic Ordination to the Diaconate, Priesthood and Episcopate: A Constructivist-Epistemological-Phenomenological Inquiry," a post-doctoral research project submitted to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Kabwe, Zambia and the University of Pretoria in Pretoria, South Africa.
Essentially, the article debunks the argument of the Magisterium of the Catholic Church that "the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church’s faithful". The argument goes something like this. The priest presiding at Mass does so in persona Christi [in the person of Christ], therefore the priest must be male because Jesus was male, at least for 30-plus of his life in first century Palestine. The priest stands in for Jesus and therefore has to have a "natural resemblance" to the earthly Jesus, and that resemblance is his maleness. Just why this male resemblance is important is not set out in black and white. Being human or Jesus’ post-resurrection status in which gender or sex are irrelevant, do not cut the ontological mustard.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. A Catholic Priest enters a Women’s Public Toilet
3. The Toilet-Seat Up or Down Debate
4. Constructivism, Epistemology and Phenomenology and a Deficient Female
5. My Point of Departure
6. Peeing While Standing or Habet duos testiculos et bene pendentes Hypothesis
7. Female Ordination in the Catholic Church: Banging on a Closed Door
8. The Pontifical Biblical Commission and Ordination of Women
9. Absurdity of the Female Exclusion Criterion
10. Catholic Female Ordination: When Complementarians meet Egalitarians
11. The Danube Seven: It is not for lack of trying on the part of women
12. Conclusion
13. References
Research Objectives & Themes
This work examines the ecclesiastical exclusion of women from the Catholic diaconate, priesthood, and episcopate. It critically assesses the Magisterium's justification for this stance, specifically challenging the reliance on traditional male-gendered ontological arguments through the lens of a constructivist, epistemological, and phenomenological inquiry.
- The intersection of patriarchal clericalism and Catholic magisterial doctrine.
- Critique of the "female exclusion criterion" in the context of historical and scriptural interpretation.
- Comparison of "complementarian" and "egalitarian" schools of thought regarding gender and ministry.
- Analysis of the "Peeing While Standing" hypothesis as a metaphor for institutional gender bias.
- Evaluation of the "Danube Seven" case and its implications for the future of female ordination.
Excerpt from the Book
6. Peeing While Standing or Habet duos testiculos et bene pendentes Hypothesis
Just so that we are on the same page, this hypothesis is ludicrous. As I noted in my introduction, it was meant to peeve those who believe that there is something divine about excluding half the human race from Sequela Christi as ordained ministers. Perhaps that is why proponents of the non-ordination of women have not phrased this as peeing while standing. But I hasten to add that the peeing while standing or Habet duos testiculos et bene pendentes hypothesis is a trope and metaphor and goes something like this. Men are stronger, more superior and more important in all walks of life except pregnancy and child-birth. This was brought home to me recently by a female colleague I was helping to finalise the topic for her doctoral research proposal. Another colleague told me she was a Catholic. “You’re not a Catholic by any chance,” I asked. “I was,” she replied matter of fact. “What happened?” I pressed her. “I got married and my husband asked me to convert to Pentecostalism,” she told me without batting an eyelid. “Why didn’t you ask him to convert to Catholicism?” I insisted. “Because he married me and he is the head of the house.” I was speechless. In short, she was unable to pee while standing and had balls. It is the lot of men to make decisions and to lead as the 25-year-old married female student told me with a straight face recently, “a man is the head of the house” and nature has conspired with men to give them the option to pee standing or seating and they chose the former because it was the only thing women could not do.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the scope of the research project investigating the non-admission of women to Holy Orders within the Catholic Church.
2. A Catholic Priest enters a Women’s Public Toilet: Introduces the gendered power dynamics and the "War of the Sexes" through a provocative metaphor.
3. The Toilet-Seat Up or Down Debate: Explores the roots of patriarchy and male-gendered superiority in legal history and household power structures.
4. Constructivism, Epistemology and Phenomenology and a Deficient Female: Discusses the methodology of the study and critiques the Thomistic concept of women as "deficient".
5. My Point of Departure: Clarifies the author's critical stance toward the Magisterium's position, supported by previous theological literature.
6. Peeing While Standing or Habet duos testiculos et bene pendentes Hypothesis: Details the metaphorical hypothesis used to expose the absurdity of male-only ordination requirements.
7. Female Ordination in the Catholic Church: Banging on a Closed Door: Examines official magisterial documents, specifically Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, that enforce the ban on female ordination.
8. The Pontifical Biblical Commission and Ordination of Women: Analyzes the commission's findings on the scriptural evidence regarding priestly ministry and gender.
9. Absurdity of the Female Exclusion Criterion: Challenges the logic behind using the "Twelve Apostles" to eternally exclude women from church leadership.
10. Catholic Female Ordination: When Complementarians meet Egalitarians: Explains the two dominant theological frameworks regarding gender roles in the church.
11. The Danube Seven: It is not for lack of trying on the part of women: Chronicles the historical event of the ordination of seven women and the resulting institutional excommunication.
12. Conclusion: Summarizes the findings and argues that male-gendered clericalism remains the fundamental obstacle to female ordination.
13. References: Provides the comprehensive bibliography and source material for the study.
Keywords
Female Ordination, Catholic Church, Magisterium, Patriarchy, Clericalism, Gender Equality, Complementarianism, Egalitarianism, Sacramental Theology, Holy Orders, Peeing While Standing Hypothesis, Ecclesiastical Power, Apostolic Succession, Inter Insigniores, Ordinatio Sacerdotalis
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The work investigates the Catholic Magisterium's justification for excluding women from the diaconate, priesthood, and episcopate, challenging these practices as archaic and patriarchal.
What are the central themes discussed?
Core themes include the history of Catholic gender politics, the influence of Thomas Aquinas on sacramental theology, the "Peeing While Standing" metaphor, and the tension between traditionalist and egalitarian views.
What is the research's primary objective?
The aim is to test the author's "Peeing While Standing" hypothesis by analyzing the arguments used by those who support or oppose the ordination of women.
Which methodology is employed in this study?
The research uses a constructivist, epistemological, and phenomenological approach to examine the perspectives of Catholic professionals and students.
What does the main body of the work cover?
It covers the history of patriarchal "exclusion criteria," a critique of Magisterial documents (like Ordinatio Sacerdotalis), and an exploration of the "Danube Seven" case study.
Which keywords define the core of this publication?
Essential keywords include Female Ordination, Magisterium, Patriarchy, Clericalism, Sacramental Theology, and Gender Equality.
What is the significance of the "Danube Seven" mentioned in the book?
The "Danube Seven" refers to a 2002 event where seven women were ordained as Catholic priests by two bishops, leading to their subsequent excommunication and sparking significant discourse on gender within the Church.
How does the author characterize the "female exclusion criterion"?
The author views this criterion as a logical fallacy, arguing that Jesus' choice of male apostles was a pragmatic adaptation to the culture of his time rather than a permanent theological mandate.
- Quote paper
- Dr Tarcisius Mukuka (Author), 2021, Female Ordination in the Catholic Church. The Peeing while Standing Hypothesis, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/990332
