Women as Cardinals?

[Avier]

So a female friend of mine was in a tiffy with the whyole women can't have a "leading" role in the church. So I searched around and found this article, and showed it to her. We then started to debate the validity of ths.

[url="http://www.redemptoristpublications.com/reality/april01/editorial.html"]Here is the Article[/url]

Now can women become cardnals?

[url="http://65.163.5.5/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=15480"]Anotehr Article[/url]

[url="http://65.163.5.5/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=24584"]This guy saidnyes, but I dont really know where he falls into everything.[/url]


So yea, anything on this topic would be nice.

[Theoketos]

[quote]The Famiglia Cristiana article observes that if a deacon can be a cardinal, and if women can be deacons, then possibly women could be cardinals. As cardinals, they would then be eligible to vote in a papal election. It is also possible, Dianich suggests, that a future Pontiff would change the rule set by John XXIII, and appoint laymen to the College of Cardinals.[/quote]

Yes there were female deaconess at one point in the Church.

It is very doubtful that cardinals will be anyone but those who have recieved holy Orders.

The problem is that woman cannot be deaconess in the Church today the same way as deacons are. For today deacons recieve the Sacrament of Holy Orders, this is reserved for men not by a artificial limitations of man, but because the Church has no authority to confirm the Sacrament on Women. Those who recieve the sacrament of Holy Orders are ordained by God to act in the Person of Christ.

Now at one time some woman in the Church were called deaconesses. But according to most scholars these deaconesses assisted in the modest Baptism of other woman. (It is is still possible today in grave circumstances for the minister of the sacrament of baptism to be another lay person. ) However, there is no evidence to support the fact they were ordained as men deacons are today.

Hope that helps.

And here is a link to the Infalliable statement by Pope John Paul II saying that only men may recieve holy orders: [url="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_22051994_ordinatio-sacerdotalis_en.html"]Ordinatio Sacerdotalis[/url]ß

[cappie]

Code of Canon Law:

Can. 351 §1 Those to be promoted Cardinals are [b]men[/b] freely selected by the Roman Pontiff, who are at least in the order of priesthood and are truly outstanding in doctrine, virtue, piety and prudence in practical matters; [b]those who are not already Bishops must receive episcopal consecration[/b].