Ormai non conto più le volte in cui ho letto che le religioni, tutte le religioni sono oppressive nei confronti delle donne. Tutte? Ma siamo cosi' sicuri? Può ad esempio essere considerata misogina la Chiesa Evangelica Luterana del Venezuela che ha eletto la reverenda Guillermina Chaparro come sua presidente?

http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/LWI/EN/2357.EN.html

The new president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Venezuela (Iglesia Evangélica Luterana en Venezuela - IELV) Rev. Guillermina Chaparro says her election as the head of the church is an indication of the IELV’s steady growth, especially in the rural areas.

The first woman to head the church, Chaparro was elected and installed on 6 February at the IELV’s 12th general assembly in Caracas, Venezuela. She said her election was the “culmination of a process that has been in gestation within the church.” She succeeds Rev. Akos Puky who has served as church president since 2002.

The Lutheran church is growing steadily in communities in the provinces, “thus it is logical that leaders emerge in these areas to contribute to church leadership,” Chaparro explained in an interview with Lutheran World Information (LWI). “I come from a grassroots community in a poor part of the (western) State of Barinas,” she said.

Nella vecchia europa, in Germania, la nazione che ha dato i natali a Lutero, Ilse Junkermann è stata eletta vescovo della Evangelical Church in Central Germany.

Oberkirchenrat Ilse Junkermann of Stuttgart has become the first woman bishop of the Evangelical Church in Central Germany (EKM). In the third round of secret balloting, the church synod in Wittenberg on 21 March elected the 51-year-old theologian by more than the required two-thirds majority.

Junkermann thus becomes the fourth woman bishop in the history of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), after present bishops Maria Jepsen from Hamburg and Margot Kässmann from Hanover, and Bärbel Wartenberg-Potter from Lübeck, who retired last year.

http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/LWI/EN/2354.EN.html

http://www.ekd.de/english/News-news_090327_first_female_bishop_east_germany.html

 

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Purtroppo non c'è quasi nulla nelle pagine anglofone su internet ma la notizia è ufficiale. La Reverenda Tuulikki Koivunen Bylund è stata eletta il 4 aprile vescovo della diocesi di Härnösands. Tramite il traduttore di google potrete leggere, seppur in modo imperfetto, i due comunicati stampa della Chiesa di Svezia. Interessante è il fatto che la neovescova era arrivata dalla Finlandia, sua terra natale, quando i luterani finlandesi ancora non consentivano alle donne di diventare prete. You've come a long way, babe! Si potrebbe commentare. Ancora una volta i luterani scandinavi, ed in particolare quelli svedesi si confermano all'avanguardia per la parità tra uomini e donne. Attualmente in Svezia ci sono tre donne su un totale di 12 vescovi.

 http://www.svenskakyrkan.se/default.aspx?di=230970

http://www.svenskakyrkan.se/default.aspx?di=231747

Per un approfondimento sulla situazione e sulle implicazioni all'interno delle chiese nordiche delle donne vescovo suggerisco questo interessante articolo del Church Times:

Northern rites: the impact of women bishops

 

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Sara Hurwitz, ebrea ortodossa, ha ricevuto il titolo di  morateinu presso l'Hebrew Institute of Riverdale.

Nei blog ebraici si è parlato di lei come di una quasi-rabbina o di una donna che, pur non avendo ufficialmente il titolo è come se fosse un rabbino.

Riverdale Press ha pubblicato un interessante profilo su di lei. Riporto alcuni paragrafi che trovo particolarmente interessanti.

Su Youtube c'è, suddivisa in tre parti, tutta la Conferral Ceremony.

"Sometimes I feel like there is a cement ceiling, let alone a glass ceiling," Ms. Hurwitz said in a recent interview. "And other times I feel like there are opportunities waiting for me and it's just a matter of me taking hold of them."

The one-time congregational intern now holds one of the highest leadership positions possible for a woman in her Orthodox synagogue.

As Ms. Hurwitz explained, the title, which will be given to her by Rabbi Weiss, is in many ways synonymous with that of a rabbi, but it denotes a major difference: its holder is a woman and she will not be on equal footing with the synagogue's rabbis. Even with the new designation, she is not permitted to read from the Torah or perform weddings or bar mitzvahs. She will also not count toward the formation of a minyan - the quorum of 10 men needed for a prayer service.

Ms. Hurwitz finds herself conflicted over the disparity.

"I completely ascribe to the Orthodox movement and accept it, but I still grapple with the restrictions on women," she said.

http://www.riverdalepress.com/atf.php?sid=3437¤t_edition=2008-03-13

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Archdeacon Sarah Macneil was appointed by Archbishop Jeffrey Driver and will fill the vacancy from July.

Dr Macneil will also become the second female dean in Australia.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/06/2535703.htm

Nell'immagine sotto Barbara Darling, vescovo di Melbourne dal giugno 2008 parla nel giorno della sua consacrazione con Kay Goldworthy, vescovo di Perth dal maggio 2008. Ora la chiesa anglicana in Australia ha due donne vescovo e due donne decano. Macnell sarà decano della cattedrale di San Pietro in Adelaide.

 

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The 800-year-old Tibetan Drukpa lineage of Buddhism - based in Nepal and practised in Bhutan and India - is empowering women, reviving the ancient tradition of women masters and monks that the Buddha encouraged.

Buddha Sakyamuni (Gautam Buddha) treated his disciples equally, irrespective of gender.

In March 2008, the 12th Gyalwang Drukpa enthroned a London-born Buddhist nun Tenzin Palmo, recognising her as Jetsunma or 'his venerable holiness' for her spiritual achievements.

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=488938

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-20105.html

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world-news/tibetans-coming-to-terms-with-women-buddhist-masters-with-images_100178833.html

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=39,8006,0,0,1,0

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I also admire the rabbi who leads the Hebrew Institute, Avi Weiss, who is recognized as a great trailblazer within modern Orthodoxy. Weiss is the founder and president of a rabbinical seminary, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, which is dedicated to intellectual openness, including the expansion of women's role in Judaism. The seminary is an alternative to Yeshiva University, increasingly seen as dogmatic and insular. Hurwitz studied privately for six years with Weiss, and it is he who devised the new title.

Names do matter, and the title "rabbi" -- as with "priest" for Catholics -- brings with it a high level of respect and awe that "Maharat," let's face it, does not replicate. "Rabbi" is the pinnacle of Judaic authority. Many people regard their rabbi as a mediator of sorts between themselves and God. Children and adults alike look up to their rabbi as a role model. Eventually, I suppose, "Maharat" will cease to sound silly and gobbledy-gooky, and we will accept it as a legitimate title. But it will continue to belittle the women who hold it -- and, by extension, all women -- because it will always signify "she who is not fit to be called 'rabbi.'"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leora-tanenbaum/a-rabbi-is-not-a-rabbi-in_b_189767.html

Yesterday, the opening of Yeshivat Mahara"t, a new training program for Orthodox Jewish women to become spiritual leaders was announced. It's a big step, but women may still be barred from becoming rabbis. The school was founded by Rabbi Avi Weiss of New York's Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, who is an advocate for the expansion of women's rights in Orthodox Judaism

http://jezebel.com/5256244/new-school-for-orthodox-jewish-women-opens-but-will-they-be-rabbis

Rabbi Avi Weiss has launched a yeshiva to train Orthodox women to "function as rabbis."

Known as Yeshiva Maharat, the school is expected to be up and running in September and will offer women part-time instruction in all areas of Jewish law, pastoral training and a synagogue internship.

 http://jta.org/news/article/2009/05/21/1005336/avi-weiss-launches-yeshiva-to-train-orthodox-women-to-function-as-rabbis

A number of advocates for the rights of Orthodox women have been steadily pushing for several decades to expand the education and role of women in Orthodoxy. One major trend in recent years has been a greater emphasis on Jewish education for Orthodox women through such programs as the Drisha Institute for Jewish Education, which has offered intensive programs in Talmud study for women. Women have also taken on more high-profile instructional roles at Jewish day schools and some have taken official spiritual roles within synagogues. Though there have been only a few reported instances, some women have even been privately ordained as Orthodox rabbis.

Blu Greenberg, a leading Orthodox feminist, praised the yeshiva initiative as a “path-breaking and revolutionary” extension of long-standing efforts to advance the role of women in Orthodox society. She said that the title of “rabbi” might have been preferable, but added, “There’s nothing like facts on ground. The power of one model or 10 models is worth more than a thousand discussions or arguments on the subject.”

 http://www.forward.com/articles/106320/

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1087780.html

 http://www.jofa.org/pdf/JOFA%20Press%20Release.pdf

http://www.jofa.org/pdf/Responsa%20on%20Ordination%20of%20Women.pdf

 

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Eva Brunne è stata eletta vescova della diocesi di Stoccolma. La Brunne che sostituirà l'attuale vescova Karoline Krook, è la prima vescova dichiratamente lesbica al mondo. Attualmente svolge la funzione di decano e la sua partner è anche lei prete nella Chiesa di Svezia, di confessione luterana.

A female Lutheran pastor who is in a registered partnership with another woman was elected May 26 to be the next bishop of the Diocese of Stockholm in the Church of Sweden.

According to the diocese, Eva Brunne, 55, was elected by a vote of 413-365 over Hans Ulfvebrand in the second round of voting. A first round of voting by clergy of the diocese and an equal number of elected lay people was held in April. There are 13 dioceses in the Church of Sweden.

 http://www.pewforum.org/news/display.php?NewsID=18182

http://episcopalchurch.org/81808_108348_ENG_HTM.htm

http://www.svenskakyrkan.se/default.aspx?di=248784

http://eurout.org/2009/05/28/god-bless-sweden-eva-brunne-worlds-first-lesbian-bishop

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Reverend Hannah Dwomoh, a 60- year-old educationist at Nkoranza in Brong Ahafo at the weekend became the first female priest of the Anglican Church of Ghana.

 

http://www.ghananewsagency.org/s_social/r_6417/

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E poi raccontano la favoletta che tutte le religioni sono oppressive alla stessa identica maniera nei confronti delle donne. Certo, come no. E la terra è piatta. E il sole gira attorno alla terra. Attualmente sono quattro le donne vescovo nella chiesa anglicana del Canada: Linda Nicholls, vescova suffragana della diocesi di Toronto, Susan Moxley, vescova della diocesi di Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, Jane Alexander, vescova della diocesi di Edmonton, e la neo-vescova Barbara Andrews. Rev. Barbara Andrews, executive director of the Sorrento Retreat and Conference Centre in B.C. for seven years, has been elected suffragan bishop for the Anglican Parishes of the Central Interior (APCI). ““I’m very excited and somewhat scared at the moment,” said Bishop-elect Andrews. “It is certainly a great privilege but it comes with even greater responsibilities.” She will leave Sorrento to be based at St. Paul’s cathedral in Kamloops and said resigning as director of the Sorrento Centre after her election was “heart-wrenching….. I have loved being the director at Sorrento Centre…. but I’ve tried to be faithful to what I believe God is calling me to next. And so it’s nice to have had such a good time here and I’ve been in a privileged position to get to know the people of APCI who have been my neighbours.” http://www.anglicanjournal.com/100/article/sorrento-director-approved-as-apci-bishop/?cHash=7d5e0b2590 http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/anglican_communion/barbara_andrews_bishopelect_in.html

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Les protestants de Genève ont désigné une femme à sa tête. Lors de sa dernière séance, le Consistoire à élu la nouvelle présidente de l´Eglise protestante de Genève, (EPG), en la personne de Charlotte Kuffer, âgée de 57 ans.

http://www.bonnenouvelle.ch/200907011035/breves/geneve-une-femme-a-la-tete-de-l-eglise-protestante-de-geneve.html

Non solo ma una donna pastore è stata eletta membro del Consiglio sinodale della Chiesa Riformata del Cantone di Vaud.

 Line Dépraz, 42 ans, de la paroisse Chailly – La Cathédrale à Lausanne, est élue au second tour. Une autre première, puisqu’aucune femme pasteur avant elle n’avait été membre du Conseil: «Outre le dialogue à l’interne, je veux améliorer la communication avec l’extérieur. Plutôt que d’être réactifs, nous devons être proactifs et mieux devancer les débats de société.»

http://www.bonnenouvelle.ch/200907011027/22-juillet-aout-2009/vie-de-l-eglise/un-conseil-synodal-tout-neuf.html

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Le 26eme synode de l’Eglise Evangélique Luthérienne au Cameroun est celui des plus grands changements.

Les femmes théologiennes reçoivent leur ticket  pour leur ordination au ministère de la parole et des sacrements.

La question de l’ordination des femmes qui depuis des années ne faisait pas l’unanimité de tous a finit par donner avis favorables aux femmes. Lors de ce synode à 90 %, les délégués ont voté en faveur de l’ordination des femmes. Ce résultat est certainement le fruit de plusieurs semainières et enseignements organisés ça et là par les théologiens pour expliquer aux fidèles que sur le plan Biblique ou théologique l’ordination des femmes au ministère pastoral ne posait aucun problème. Le dernier séminaire a eu lieu en novembre dernier et a été marqué par la présence du Dr. Kareen Blonquist du département de la théologie de la fLM.

http://africa-lutheran.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=232&Itemid=1

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Groundbreaking Ordinations in Mexico

Rev. Angela del Consuelo Trejo Haager, Rev. María Elena Ortega Mora and Rev. Sofía Deyanira Tenorio May receive the laying on of hands.© LWF/David Brondos

The Mexican Lutheran Church has affirmed a commitment to women in ministry with its first-ever ordination of female pastors. The three women will serve in congregations of the LWF member church in Mexico City.

Rev. Dr Elaine Neuenfeldt, LWF women's desk secretary, called the ordinations an "important sign" that will further reflection within the Lutheran communion on this issue. The LWF endorses women in ministry, and celebrates public witness of ordained women as both an expression and a gift of women’s leadership.

“The ordained ministry of women has been celebrated in the communion as expression and gift of women’s leadership and is a commitment member churches are encouraged to address,” Neuenfeldt told LWI. “The public witness of ordained women has also strengthened women in other areas of leadership, in both church and society.”

http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/LWI/EN/2394.EN.html

 

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Women can now be ordained as ministers in the Anglican Diocese of Bermuda.

The landmark decision was the result of a vote by the Synod at its June meeting.

The Anglican Bishop of Bermuda, the Rt. Rev. Patrick White, said support for the move was so overwhelming that a count was not taken.

"The feeling among most was: 'Why shouldn't women be able to be ordained?'" said Bishop White. "The vast majority feel women can do the job as well as men."

in at least three churches cheers and applause were spontaneous after the announcement.

Sandra Bushara, a lay reader at St. Mary's in Warwick is interested in women's ministry and welcomed the news.

"I am pleased with the decision, especially as I feel that ministry is a 'calling' and that women who feel led by God to preach the Gospel should be able to do so, especially as it is already happening throughout the world in our own faith," she said.

"The precedent was already there. I think that the decision was not a random one either, but one reached due to the prayers of many, both men and women here on this Island.

http://www.theroyalgazette.com/siftology.royalgazette/Article/article.jsp?articleId=7d9732f30030001§ionId=60

The ordination of Dr. Arnold Hollis as Bermuda's first black Anglican minister broke a racial glass ceiling in the 1950s. Now, more than 50 years later his daughter Joanna is uniquely poised to break yet another glass ceiling of the local Anglican Church.

Last month the Synod of the Anglican Church of Bermuda voted in favour of the ordination of women. The landmark decision came just four days after Ms Hollis became Rev. Hollis as she was ordained a Deacon in a US Episcopal church. She is expected to be ordained as a minister in the autumn.

 

Rev. Hollis explained that although she still has to be ordained into the priesthood, that it would not take place in Bermuda.

"My ordination to the priesthood will be determined by my bishop, the Rt. Rev. Mary Gray-Reeves. It will either be back at Trinity Cathedral or at/near the location of my first call," she said.

Back in 1956 her father, Dr. Hollis, was the first black Bermudian sponsored by the Anglican diocese in Bermuda for Holy Orders.

A fighter for tearing down walls of segregation, Dr. Hollis said he'd always advocated that women be given full rights in the church at all levels.

"It is such a thrill to realise that we have gotten this far in our interaction with each other," he said of the June decision to allow women to be ordained.

"Even before I realised that my daughter had this leaning to serving God and his church, I had always been a proponent of women being more visible in the church and I paid a penalty. I suffered rejection by the Church because of that," he added.

http://www.royalgazette.com/siftology.royalgazette/Article/article.jsp?articleId=7d9792330030016§ionId=118

 

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The Religious Women's Forum Kolech decided at their conference last week to choose a Hebrew title for a woman ordained as a rabbi by an Orthodox institution, although no woman in Israel yet holds this position.

 

The title chosen by a majority of conference participants is "rabba.

"The women's learning revolution has existed for quite some time," said Rachel Keren, chairwoman of Kolech's Board of Directors, to Ynet. "Women are advancing in Torah study, but there is a glass ceiling hindering their advancement. The glass ceiling was already shattered in the course for female halachic advisors and on the issue of female legal counselors, but still hasn't been shattered in the field of rabbis and religious judges. This issue is of prime importance.

 

"There is a threefold interest that this ceiling is shattered – the interest of the woman who wants to advance and gain recognition, a societal interest, and the interest of the Torah world that there be as many Torah studiers as possible. By choosing a title, we wanted to raise public awareness to this need. We believed that the public discourse (on the subject) would encourage women to continue learning."  

 

"Cooperation with the Hebrew Language Academy is very important," explained Keren. "There is a need for this word, and the roll of the Academy is to fill this need. We just now approached them, and they are very pleased by the initiative."

 http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3748903,00.html

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ONE of the first female priests to be ordained in the Diocese of Chester is to become the Church of England’s 13th woman Archdeacon.

Revd Canon Dr Judy Hunt, the Director of Mission and Ministry for the Diocese of Chester and a former Priest-in-Charge at Tilston and Shocklach, has been appointed Archdeacon of Suffolk.

Canon Hunt will take up her new role early in the autumn.

http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/chester-news/local-chester-news/2009/06/08/clergywoman-dr-judy-hunt-of-the-chester-diocese-heads-for-the-top-59067-23818403/

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On July 29, at the Church of the Advocate in Philadelphia, 11 women were ordained to the priesthood by three bishops of the Episcopal Church. At the time, this was a life-changing moment;

"I would never take women's leadership as a 'given,'" said EDS faculty emerita, Dr. Fredrica Harris Thompsett. "Our number of women bishops, parish rectors, etc. has not grown to reflect our population, let alone among Latina women and women of African descent. As Sue Hiatt would say, 'Pharaoh's army has not been wiped out by the Red Sea.' [Presiding] Bishop Katharine is a plus to be sure, yet even she is badly treated and/or ignored by many members of the Anglican Communion's leadership."

"Thirty-five years later, my sons presume women deacons, priests, and bishops. And yet, as the data presented at the Episcopal Women's Caucus breakfast at the General Convention make clear, barriers continue to exist to equal access for ordained women in the leadership of the church,"

http://www.anglicanjournal.com/100/article/reflecting-on-the-35th-anniversary-of-the-ordination-of-women-to-the-priesthood/?cHash=ad95beded3

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Canon Alyson Barnett-Cowan has been appointed director for Unity, Faith and Order for the Anglican Communion.

Ms. Barnett-Cowan is currently director of faith, worship and ministry of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada, a post she has held since 1995

 “It means that the Communion is willing to have ordained women in positions of responsibility,” she added. “I feel that I’ve put my head out into the wind and it’s blowing strong there now.”

http://www.anglicanjournal.com/100/article/canadian-woman-priest-appointed-to-prestigious-communion-position/?cHash=77742646ac

http://aco.org/acns/news.cfm/2009/8/14/ACNS4645

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Mindful of our strong desire to find a way of journeying together, in a context where people cannot yet reach agreement over the ordination of women to the priesthood, we have been reflecting on the Eucharistic arrangements which we made in the light of the appointment of the first woman canon to the cathedral staff.

http://www.blackburncathedral.com/news-details.asp?news_id=20

Blackburn Cathedral is changing the way Holy Communion is offered at its main Sunday Eucharist.

The change will mean that the practice of offering wafers blessed by a male priest, when a female priest was presiding, will be discontinued. This practice was introduced a year ago, following the appointment of the first female Canon to the Cathedral staff.

“It will now be the case that the sacrament at any celebration of the Eucharist will be consecrated solely by the person who is presiding,” said a statement from the Chapter, the Cathedral’s governing body.

The arrangement of having separate wafers marked an attempt by the Cathedral to maintain unity among people holding different opinions about women’s ordination, the Chapter said.

“We now regret the course of action that we took,” said the Chapter statement. “We apologise for any hurt or pain that this has caused.

 http://www.blackburn.anglican.org/news_more.asp?news_id=64¤t_id=1

 

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Rev. Georgina Bassett became the first Anglican deacon from the Slavey people when she was ordained on Sept. 6 at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Hay River, N.W.T.  The Slavey are native people who live mainly south of the Mackenzie River, in communities such as Fort Simpson, Fort Providence, Fort Smith and Hay River.

http://www.anglicanjournal.com/100/article/first-anglican-priest-ordained-from-slavey-people/?cHash=8c2ebfe8f9

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The Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, Bishop Paul Colton, has announced the appointment of a new Canon in the Diocese. She is the Reverend Eithne Lynch who is also Rector of Kilmoe Union (Schull, Altar and Crookhaven) in West Cork. Canon Lynch will be Prebendary (Canon) of Desertmore and Killanully in Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral, Cork and Prebendary of Timoleague in Saint Fachtna's Cathedral, Ross.

Canon Lynch said: "I am greatly honoured to have been appointed Canon."

http://www.ireland.anglican.org/index.php?do=news&newsid=2718

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Jerzy Sojka, spokesperson for the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland, which has 80 000 members, told Ecumenical News International that the matter of women clergy was not excluded from discussion but added, "Our situation is not conditioned by theological considerations alone but also by economic, social and cultural questions, as well as by ecumenical relations. Although a debate on this issue is taking place, it also needs quiet reflection."

The lay Lutheran was responding to a conference declaration by 30 women theologians from Poland, Germany, Russia, Latvia and Brazil that Lutheran churches in Poland and Latvia were being unjust in excluding women from their ordained ministry. Most member churches of the Lutheran World Federation, which represents 68.5 million Lutherans worldwide, do ordain women.

In their declaration at the end of the 9 to 13 September conference at Mikolajki, a town in north-eastern Poland, the female theologians said that qualified Lutheran women in Poland were still waiting to "live their vocation to the full," while colleagues in Latvia had been admitted to the ordained ministry in 1975 but were debarred again in 1992.

The statement added that Lutheran women in Poland and Latvia were victims of the "structural violence experienced for centuries by women in the church," which was "often invisible, silent and systemic," and "exercised through unjust social and ecclesiastical structures."

http://www.eni.ch/featured/article.php?id=3376

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THE COMMITTEE responsible for the progress of the women-bishops legislation through Synod is seeking to reverse the decision made in July 2008 to proceed by code of conduct only. Those who cannot accept the authority of women bishops have argued that their position should be protected by statute.

http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=83190

The amended legislation is also a U-turn on a proposal published last year that would have endorsed the authority of a diocesan bishop who would have retained the right to delegate certain functions to another bishop. Under such a proposal, diocesan bishops could have ultimately refused to delegate their authority and a parish would have needed a judicial review to overturn the decision. It was one of several steps designed to heal a rift that peaked last July during an angry and emotional meeting of Synod.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/09/church-removes-power-from-women

 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/6275489/Women-bishops-may-not-be-equal-to-men-under-controversial-new-Church-of-England-proposals.html

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Una piccola grande buona notizia dal Canada. 

Go to page 3 of the pdf document to read about the news.

http://www.montreal.anglican.ca/pdfs/ma/MA091001.pdf

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Dalla Germania un'ottima notizia. Congratulazioni alla neo-eletta! Con l'auspicio di vedere più donne vescovo tra i luterani tedeschi.

Hannover Bishop Margot Käßmann became the first woman to lead the Protestant church in Germany on Wednesday after the majority of the synod voted in her favour.

Following the vote in Ulm, Käßmann, who has been at the helm of Germany’s largest regional church for more than 10 years, will lead all of Germany’s 25 million Protestants for the next six years.

http://www.thelocal.de/national/20091028-22863.html

 

 

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Sono 15 le donne arcidiacono nella Chiesa d'Inghilterra.

The Revd Christine Wilson, currently Vicar of Goring-by-Sea in the Diocese of Chichester, is to be the new Archdeacon of Chesterfield. She succeeds the Venerable David Garnett.

Bishop Alastair made the announcement to his Diocese this morning and said: " I am delighted to welcome Christine to the Diocese of Derby and look forward to working with her."

http://www.derby.anglican.org/news/?i201

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Yesterday, all eyes – well, Fleet Street's anyway – were on PMQs but in Westminster Hall a handful of honourable members were grappling with the application of sex discrimination laws to religious organisations.

Ben Chapman said the general law recognised that religious organisations "do need some exemptions" and on that basis "might it not be wise to go on enabling them to come their own views on these matters?"

This sentiment – that it was not parliament's business to interfere with the internal matters of religious organisations – was a popular one. But, in the case of legislation on women bishops, there is an established church and both houses will have to vote on the legislation when it arrives. In all likelihood there will still be an established church at that point.

Ann Cryer said the very fact of establishment was a very good reason to set an example especially when, in her constituency, women were not even allowed to go into mosques.

She has a point. Anglican clergy cannot take the moral high ground when they are advocating discrimination.

The debate on this legislation – when it comes to parliament – should not be about disestablishment nor whether parliament should involve itself in religious affairs. It is about, as Key himself said, whether the two houses should endorse something that is illegal. A law is being broken when women bishops will be subject to discrimination because of their gender and it is up to parliament to intervene.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2009/nov/12/women-bishops-parliament-debate

La trascrizione del dibattito può essere visionata a questo link:

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/whall/?id=2009-11-11a.73.0

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Dialogue between the churches, which has been strong and steady for the past 50 years, was no longer possible because of Käßmann’s election, said Rev. Georgy Zavershinsky, spokesman for the Russian church’s office of external relations in Moscow.

The church permitted no ordination nor even leadership roles for women, he said.

it appears to be the fact of her being a woman, rather than a divorcee, that the Russians object to.

http://www.thelocal.de/society/20091113-23249.html

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The Rev. Dr. Khushnud Mussarat Azariah shattered another barrier on Nov. 8 when, by way of the Diocese of Los Angeles, she became the first Pakistani woman ordained to the priesthood.

Azariah hoped her "miraculous" day sent a powerful message to women back home.

"Ever since I was a young child, I have felt God had a special calling for me but I was told there was no place for me in the church," said Azariah, 60. "This day is a miracle. I never knew this day would ever come. I always prayed to God that one day the Church of Pakistan would ordain women," she added tearfully.

No stranger to barriers, Khushnud Mussarat Azariah became the first Pakistani woman to attend seminary. "I could not get admission to seminary in Pakistan, so I went to Singapore," she said. There, she attended Trinity Theological Seminary from 1974-1977 and was the first Pakistani woman to receive a bachelor of divinity degree.

There are four women deacons in the Church of Pakistan currently, but the path to priesthood remained closed, Khushnud Mussarat Azariah said.

"The established church did not accept me as an ordained minister, but people always embraced me and accepted me," she said.

 http://www.episcopal-life.org/81831_116565_ENG_HTM.htm

 

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More girls study theology
Two-thirds of the new theology students at the universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus are women, and since a degree in theology is a requirement for a pastorate in the Danish Lutheran Church, the figures will have a knock-on effect on future pastoral recruitment. In 1976 the figure was 20%. Henning Kjaer Thomsen, Principal of Aarhus Pastoral Seminary, predicts that the pastoral role will become more of a caring, mother figure than an authority on the Bible and church tradition.

http://www.interchurch.dk/cn/cn.php?key=2160

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Kneeling during an ancient laying-on-of-hands ritual, the Rev. Susan Slaughter on Sunday became the first woman ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth.

She had pursued her dream of becoming a priest since the 1980s but faced many obstacles because bishops of the Fort Worth Diocese opposed the ordination of women on theological grounds.

"Today is the day many people have hoped for, prayed for, worked for, cried over and lost sleep over," she wrote. "After 33 years of struggle and prayer, confusion and angst, here we are, the holy people of God."

The Fort Worth Diocese, under the leadership of Iker and other bishops, was one of the few to refuse the ordination of women, though the national church has supported it since 1976.

Attendees included Sheila Camp, a Fort Worth Episcopalian who has long championed the ordination of women.

"We’ve waited so long for this day," Camp said.

After Slaughter was proclaimed rector, several of her relatives stood with her, and people in the packed sanctuary gave her a long standing ovation.

http://www.star-telegram.com/804/story/1764258.html

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The Rev. Canon Diane Jardine Bruce became the first woman elected a bishop in the Diocese of Los Angeles on Dec. 4, pending the required consents.

A former Roman Catholic, she joined the Episcopal Church in 1986. Bruno designated her an honorary Canon of the Cathedral of St. Paul in 2003.

She is married to Gregory Stephen Bruce. They have two adult children and reside in Irvine, California.

With 70,000 members in 148 congregations, the Diocese of Los Angeles includes all of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, and part of Riverside County.

The Diocese of Los Angeles is one of 110 dioceses that form the Episcopal Church, located in 16 nations and territories and part of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

 http://www.episcopal-life.org/79901_117534_ENG_HTM.htm

The 114th annual convention of the Diocese of Los Angeles made history for the second time in as many days on Dec. 5, electing an openly gay candidate, the Rev. Mary Douglas Glasspool, as bishop suffragan, pending the required consents from the majority of the church's other dioceses.

Glasspool is the second openly gay partnered priest to be elected a bishop in the Episcopal Church. The first was Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, who was elected in 2003.

Ordained to the diaconate in 1981 and the priesthood in 1982, Glasspool has been active at local, provincial and national church levels. She has served as a three-time General Convention deputy, a Province III representative and as president of the diocesan standing committee.

The daughter of a priest, Glasspool was one of two openly gay candidates on the Los Angeles slate but maintained that her sexual orientation was "not an issue" in the election.

 http://www.episcopal-life.org/79901_117538_ENG_HTM.htm

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Bermuda's first female Anglican priest has spoken of the "significance and importance" of her groundbreaking new role.

Reverend Joanna Hollis was ordained in Santa Barbara, California on December 10 and has joined her father, Archdeacon Emeritus, Arnold Hollis in becoming an Anglican priest.

The Anglican Church of Bermuda only this year overturned 400 years of tradition and voted in favour of women clergy on the Island.

Speaking about being the first female Bermudian priest, Rev. Hollis, who prefers to be called Joanna, said: "I think at this point, I haven't wrapped my head about it because you know in California where I am, I'm not thinking about it because there's females all over the place. But I am coming to realise the significance and the importance.

"It doesn't have anything to do with me personally, but it's important for the women of Anglican church in Bermuda and in general. It's pretty significant and I am honoured to be the one who's representing this movement."

 http://www.royalgazette.com/rg/Article/article.jsp?articleId=7da123730030005§ionId=60

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Ordaining women as pastors to serve Middle Eastern churches may become a reality. Delegates at the Fellowship of the Middle East Evangelical Churches (FMEEC) voted unanimously Jan. 12 to adopt a statement in support of this change.
     The statement was drafted on the spot in response to a report by the fellowship's theology committee, which found no biblical or theological reasons to oppose the ordination of women. The Rev. Munib A. Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL), is president of FMEEC.

Speaking later of the historic vote, Younan said it is in keeping with the Middle Eastern evangelical tradition of leading the way in ministry. The fellowship's action means its 16 member churches are urged to open the doors to women's ordained ministry, he added.
     "If we have any influence in the Middle East, it is the theology of grace," Younan said at the opening of the conference the previous day.

http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Communication-Services/News/Releases.aspx#&&a=4386

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A committee charged with drafting the relevant law has failed to meet its February deadline after months of U-turns over what provisions, if any, should be made for those opposed to women's ordination.

Christina Rees, from Women and the Church, said she was "deeply disappointed" by the failure to keep to the timetable and warned that an imminent shake-up in General Synod membership could threaten the prospect of having women bishops.

"Why are these committee meetings shrouded in such secrecy? The subject has been debated openly many times but we are not allowed to know what is happening or what is being said."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/18/delay-women-ordination-bishops-legislation

William Fittall, secretary general to the General Synod, said the 19 members of the committee were dealing with "extraordinarily difficult" and complicated issues.

He denied that the 19 committee members were deliberately delaying the process in the face of threats of a walkout by Anglo Catholics to the Roman Catholic Church.

"We have said in the past that the Synod was very unlikely to get to the final approval stage for the legislation before 2012 and that meant it was pretty unlikely that we would have the first women as bishop before 2014," he said.

 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/key-debate-on-women-bishops-delayed-1871729.html

 

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E Cuba sarebbe una nazione sessista? Di sicuro non gli anglicani cubani che hanno appena nominato, per la seconda volta, una donna vescovo. L'altra è Nerva Cot Aguilera.

Anglican Church of Canada Archbishop Fred J. Hiltz announced Jan. 22 that the Metropolitan Council of Cuba, which he chairs, has appointed the Rev. Griselda Delgado Del Carpio as bishop coadjutor of the Episcopal Church of Cuba.

Currently the rector of Santa Maria Virger in Itabo, Cuba, Delgado will be ordained and consecrated on Feb. 7 at the closing service for Cuba's synod meeting at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Havana, Hiltz said in a letter to the Cuban church.

Delgado will work with Bishop Miguel Tamayo of the Anglican Church of Uruguay as he completes his work as Cuba's interim bishop, Hiltz said, and a date will be set for her installation as diocesan bishop.

Delgado "has a lot of insight into the history of the church's witness in Cuban society," Hiltz said, predicting that she "will lead the church in the spirit of compassionate and courageous discipleship."

"She is committed to the ministry of all the baptized and to the principles of diverse and dispersed leadership," Hiltz wrote. "She is well aware of the need to give attention to stewardship of financial resources for maintaining ministry and mission. She recognizes the necessity for strategic planning including both short and long-term goals."

 The Cuban church, with about 40 congregations and some 10,000 Episcopalians, is also served by two bishops suffragan, Nerva Cot Aguilera and Ulises Aguero Prendes, who were selected by the Metropolitan Council in February 2007 and consecrated in June the same year.

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_118748_ENG_HTM.htm

 

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Non conto davvero più le volte in cui ho sentito il ritornello "tutte le religioni sono discriminatorie nei confronti delle donne". Certo, come no. E la terra è piatta e il sole ruota attorno alla terra. Mi chiedo come si possa mettere sullo stesso piano chiese che non permettono alle donne di essere ministri del culto con quelle invece in cui tale funzione è aperta a tutti, sia uomini che donne. Ancor di più se si garantisce la stessa paga.

Les hommes et les femmes gagnent le même salaire pour le même travail au sein de l'Eglise réformée évangélique du canton de Neuchâtel (EREN). Elle est la sixième organisation en Suisse, et la première Eglise, à recevoir le label Equal-Salary attestant de cette égalité.

« L'Eglise réformée tient à promulguer des valeurs d'égalité. Il s'agit d'une question éthique. »

Un état d'esprit souligné par Karin Phildius, première femme pasteure d'une lignée familiale marquée par une sorte de patriarcat pastoral. Elle remercie dans une même formule les responsables et les membres de son Eglise « qui lui offrent la chance de vivre sa vie de femme pasteure sans problèmes de relations, ni obligation d'en faire plus parce qu'elle est femme ».

l'EREN se positionne comme une Eglise moderne par rapport à d'autres confessions ou religions. Même si c'est une conséquence et non le but de la démarche: « Peut-être que certaines Eglises vont grincer des dents. Chacune a parfois l'occasion de montrer ses spécificités, ce que nous faisons aujourd'hui. Nous assumons volontiers de profiler notre identité réformée. »

http://www.protestinfo.ch/201002165257/leren-applique-legalite-salariale-entre-hommes-et-femmes 

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The Revd Dr Marjorie Lewis, who worked as a missionary at URC head office, is to be the first female president of the United Theological College of the West Indies.

Marjorie Lewis, who takes up her post on 1 August 2010, is best known to the URC in the UK through a three-year secondment to Church House between 1997 and 2000. She worked as part of the Racial Justice and Multicultural Ministry team, conducting an assessment of race relations within the church, and developing policies to foster racial justice.

Marjorie Lewis was ordained in 1980 by the Disciples of Christ in Jamaica, (now part of the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands), and served as pastor for churches in rural Jamaica; as sub-regional officer for the Caribbean Conference of Churches; as a project officer for Oxfam UK and general secretary of the Jamaica Council of Churches. She has also published various academic articles and co-authored books on theology. 

http://www.urc.org.uk/news/2010/january/United_Reformed_missionary_to_head_Caribbean_college

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delegates from 16 native communities in the diocese of Keewatin’s northern Ontario region elected Archdeacon Lydia Mamakwa as their first area bishop on March 6.

Bishop-elect Mamakwa is an aboriginal priest from Kingfisher Lake, an Oji-Cree First Nation located north of Sioux Lookout, Ont. She has been serving the Anglican Church of Canada at local, diocesan and national levels.

A member of the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples (ACIP), Bishop-elect Mamakwa has been a member of the Anglican Church of Canada’s eco-justice committee. A non-stipendiary priest, she has worked with the Kingfisher Lake First Nation band council and as a mental health counselor.

http://www.anglicanjournal.com/100/article/oji-cree-archdeacon-elected-first-area-bishop/?cHash=8adb75e46e

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The news that the leading Orthodox advocate for female spiritual leadership reversed his decision to embrace the title “rabba” seemed at first a major setback for Orthodox feminists.

But supporters of the expansion of women’s roles in the Orthodox community have found cause for celebration in what they see as an unprecedented nod to women’s leadership by the Modern Orthodox establishment in the course of a debate over the term. In a statement, the Rabbinical Council of America, the organization of centrist Orthodox rabbis, referred to its commitment to “the assumption of appropriate leadership roles within the Jewish community” by women.

“I think it bodes very well,” said Blu Greenberg, founding president of the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance and a leading figure in the movement. “The fact that it was a recognition by the RCA of women’s leadership roles and talents in synagogues means a step forward, and in a certain sense a breakthrough.”

At this point in time, the quality and quantity of Jewish education available to Jewish women far exceeds anything that has been available to Jewish women in the whole of Jewish history,” Berman said.

With that expansion comes heightened expectations. “On the one hand, I do feel the disappointment [of] women who have worked for a title and a certain certification,” Greenberg said. “But I also feel, in the context of this entire enterprise, it’s going to work in their favor…. Ultimately we have to keep our eye down the road, as well as on today.”

 http://forward.com/articles/126558/

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La chiesa luterana tedesca ha perso la sua prima donna leader. Brutta storia. La Kassman era stata sorpresa al volante in stato di ebrezza e multata. In seguito a ciò ha immediatamente rassegnato le sue dimissioni. Quanti leader maschi cattolici ed islamici implicati in situazioni ben più gravi come pedofilia o terrorismo hanno avuto la dignità di dimettersi?

We deeply regret Margot Käßmann's decision to resign her functions. The integrity and clarity of her theological, sociopolitical and societal positions will be missed within the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD). Her departure is a great loss for German Protestantism and a cause of great personal sadness. This departure, however, is consistent precisely with the integrity that we deeply appreciate in Margot Käßmann.

http://www.ekd.de/english/4250-4517.html

« Il me semble que Margot Kässmann a tiré très vite – peut-être trop – les conséquences de son erreur », a expliqué Denis Müller à ProtestInfo. « La question est rendue plus difficile quand la personne est très médiatisée ». M. Dubied abonde dans son sens: « Sans la médiatisation préalable de la cheffe de l'Eglise protestante allemande, elle n'aurait peut-être pas été sanctionnée de cette façon. Et sans la médiatisation de l'incident de l'ivresse au volant, elle n'aurait certainement pas dû quitter son poste ».

Le fait qu'elle soit une femme a certainement joué un rôle. « Il est clair que les femmes sont plus exposées à ce niveau de responsabilité. On attend d'elles plus de perfection et de professionnalisme », a évalué M. Müller.

http://www.protestinfo.ch/201003115270/ivresse-au-volant-la-cheffe-de-leglise-allemande-devait-elle-demissionner

http://www.thelocal.de/opinion/20100225-25503.html

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Dal 1960, anno in cui le prime donne sono diventate prete nella Chiesa di Svezia, sono passati 50 anni. Ora è il momento di celebrare. In questo caso occorre dirlo "You have come a long way, baby!". E non mi vengano a raccontare la solita storiella che tutte le religioni sono alla stessa maniera misogine perchè i fatti dimostrano che cosi' non è. I luterani svedesi sono avanti e meritano un bel plauso.

http://www.svenskakyrkan.se/default.aspx?id=100243&did=394579

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The next Archdeacon of Wrexham will be the Revd Shirley Griffiths, Vicar of Abergele and St George, the Bishop of St Asaph has announced

Making this announcement on Palm Sunday, 28 March, Bishop Gregory said, “Shirley is an experienced and wise parish priest, who has all the skills for which I look in an Archdeacon, and I am in no doubt whatsoever that she will be an excellent successor to the eminent ministry that Malcolm Squires has exercised as Archdeacon of Wrexham over the last nine years.”

Mrs Griffiths (62) said, “I was quite amazed when Bishop Gregory asked me; it was last thing I was expecting when he invited me to see him.  I’m looking forward to the new challenge – but will be very sad to leave Abergele and St George, where my husband and I have developed many friendships and have felt ourselves to be very much part of the community.”

The Church in Wales has one other female Archdeacon, the Ven Peggy Jackson, Archdeacon of Llandaff, but Mrs Griffiths is the first Welsh woman to be made Archdeacon.  

http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/asaph/press/display_press_release.php?prid=4924

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The undersigned, as well as many others in our Orthodox communities, strongly desire to see efforts and support from the RCA to enable women in positions of religious communal leadership. Doing so not only empowers Orthodox women to contribute to their communities in integral ways, but also offers them a goal in their pursuit of higher levels of Torah study. The RCAs position on women's leadership creates ceilings and limits for women's religious and spiritual growth, and truly inhibits the enormous contributions that women can make to our communities. It also creates a significant schism and enormous frustration for women who see that they are so empowered in the secular sphere but see this empowerment is absent in the sphere that is most important to them.

I applaud those brave, learned women leaders who have stood with dignity, committed to their religious learning, halachic observance, and steadfast dedication to their communities, despite the unfortunate lack of support from the RCA. The RCA should encourage its members and affiliates to create communal leadership positions for women in their respective communities. It is my hope that the RCA will realize the enormous meaning their support would have to these women, and the immense benefit this would have in our communities by increasing the quality of Orthodox leadership, the faith of Orthodox women in our religious system, and strengthening observance and commitment to a Torah life of klal yisrael.

http://www.petitiononline.com/rca613/petition.html

http://www.jofa.org/pdf/Letters%20to%20RCA%20Leadership%20for%20Website.pdf

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The first woman elected as general secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia has vowed to help heal wounds "not only in our societies, but also within our churches" in the world's most populous continent.

Hutabarat-Lebang takes up office in November at the Chiang Mai offices of the CCA after the term of outgoing general secretary Prawate Khid-arn ends in October.

She is a vice-president of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and is a member of the Joint Working Group between the WCC and the Roman Catholic Church.

WARC general secretary the Rev. Setri Nyomi said, "We in WARC have benefited from Dr. Hutabarat-Lebang's leadership skills and deep commitment to global ecumenism. We extend our congratulations and best wishes to her in her new appointment."
 

http://www.eni.ch/featured/article.php?id=3994

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The Maclean-born woman has become the first Aboriginal person to be ordained in the 146-year history of the Anglican Diocese of Grafton.

Reverend Parker was made a Deacon on Saturday in her Maclean parish church and in another first has had her prayer, linking dreamtime concepts with the Christian Eucharist, included in the Anglican Prayer Book for Australia.

“The occasion has been historical for me in many ways,” she said.

“It is the first time the sacred scriptures have been proclaimed to my people in language within the Anglican Church.”

http://www.dailyexaminer.com.au/story/2010/04/13/lenores-faith-leads-way-aboriginal-deacon-first/

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E poi continuano a dire che tutte le religioni sono discrimatorie nei confronti delle donne alla stessa maniera. A fronte di esempi come questo bisogna essere davvero in malafede per fare un'affermazione di tale natura.

The Rt Revd David Urquhart, Bishop of Birmingham, has announced that the new Dean of Birmingham will be the Revd Canon Catherine Ogle, who is currently Vicar of Huddersfield.
As Dean of Birmingham, Catherine will lead the team of clergy and lay staff at Birmingham Cathedral as well as playing a leading role in the life of the  city.

She is expected to move from Huddersfield to Birmingham in the summer with her husband Robin Goater and their son, Thomas.  A fashion and design graduate, Catherine (48) retains a strong interest in the arts and has a background in broadcasting and journalism.

‘It’s a great honour to be invited to take up this role,’ said Catherine Ogle. ‘I’m excited by the prospect of living and working in such a vibrant and diverse city and looking forward to building on the excellent work that is taking place in and around the Cathedral.’ 
 
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Rt Revd David Urquhart said: “It is a pleasure to be welcoming Catherine to the Diocese. She is a talented priest with a strong track record of Christian leadership and mission. I look forward to working closely with her for the good of the city and the surrounding region.”

Canon Catherine Ogle will be the most senior female clergyperson in the Diocese and as Dean will be part of the Bishops core leadership team.

http://www.birmingham.anglican.org/content/content_yourchurch_news_story.asp?id=569

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Sources told The Times that the legislation for women bishops would include no statutory provision for opponents. Instead, arrangements to allow traditionalist parishes to opt out of the oversight of a woman bishop are expected to be included in a voluntary code of practice. This will not be enough to placate a small number of leading Anglo-Catholics who fear that female bishops will “taint” the historic catholicity of the Church of England.The proposed legislation is to be sent to members of the synod on Friday.

A source told The Times that, even though the code of practice would not come under statutory provision, the top 10 or 12 women being spoken of as future bishops in church circles had already resolved privately to do their utmost to keep traditionalists happy by facilitating the woman-free oversight.

Christina Rees, an adviser to the lobby group Women and the Church, said: “I really hope this is draft legislation we can go ahead with. If they have got the shape of it right, I hope we will avoid a lot of amendments that would force us to start the whole process over again.”

To succeed at the synod in July, the legislation to consecrate women bishops must be passed by a simple majority by bishops, clergy and laity.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article7114628.ece

 

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Auckland's first female dean was a lawyer before she became a priest.

Mrs Kelly-Moore was appointed to the role after the former dean, Ross Bay, was elected bishop.

She will leave her role of the past six years - vicar of St Aidan's Church in Remuera - in August.

Asked whether she would have a different leadership style because she is a woman, Mrs Kelly-Moore said: "I think I bring the gift and vision of a priest, like all my colleagues.

"It is a privilege to be the first woman Dean of Auckland, but as an individual and probably growing up in the era that I have, I tend to find my vocation as a human being doing what I'm called to do rather than focusing on being a woman as such."

A growing number of ordained women are in paid roles within the church, and about 40 per cent of the paid positions are filled by women.

 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/religion-and-beliefs/news/article.cfm?c_id=301&objectid=10648529

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The Revd Canon Dr Frances Ward, currently Residential Canon at Bradford Cathedral and Canon Theologian of Bradford Diocese, has been named as the new Dean of St Edmundsbury in Suffolk.

She has been at Bradford since 2006: previously she was a vicar at Bury in the Manchester Diocese, and has done various jobs in parishes and as an educator since she was ordained in 1989. This includes teaching for the United Reformed Church at the Northern College in Manchester.

Canon Frances said: "Suffolk holds real attractions for me. As a child I sailed the estuaries of Suffolk and North Essex, and will relish rediscovering this beautiful part of Britain, and serving the town of Bury St Edmunds and the Diocese as Dean. The Diocese and Cathedral will celebrate their centenary in 2014, and already all sorts of ideas are shaping to make that a year to remember."

http://www.bradford.anglican.org/news/story.php?PageID=10053138d08

 

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La notizia ha un rilievo particolare in quanto si tratta della prima volta in assoluto in cui la Chiesa luterana in Finlandia elegge una donna vescovo.

Pastor, Master of Theology, Irja Askola (born 1952), was elected as Bishop of the Diocese of Helsinki on the second round of the election with 591 votes. She is the first woman to be elected as bishop in Finland.

Irja Askola graduated as Master of Theology in 1975, and was ordained as priest in 1988. Her home parish is Alppila. She works now as the Special Assistant in Theological Affairs for Bishop Mikko Heikka.

http://evl.fi/EVLUutiset.nsf/Documents/1FFFA301B08034B5C225773700519633?OpenDocument〈=EN

http://www.irjaaskola.fi/vaali/

 

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Ce ne fossero di più di simili notizie!

A Canadian author will become the first Muslim-born woman to lead a mixed-gender British congregation through Friday prayers tomorrow in a highly controversial move that will attempt to spark a debate about the role of female leadership within Islam.

Raheel Raza, a rights activist and Toronto-based author, has been asked to lead prayers and deliver the khutbah at a small prayer session in Oxford.

She has been invited by Dr Taj Hargey, a self-described imam who preaches an ultra-liberal interpretation of Islam which includes, among other things, that men and women should be allowed to pray together and that female imams should lead mixed congregations in prayer.

Raza, 60, is part of a small but growing group of Muslim feminists who have tried to challenge the mindset that has traditionally excluded women from leadership roles within the mosque. They argue that nowhere in the Koran are female imams expressly forbidden. Instead scholars rely on the hadiths (the words and sayings of the Prophet Mohamed) to exclude women – although Muslim feminists and some progressive scholars argue that even these are not clear enough to say with confidence that women are altogether banned.

Ms Raza's appearance in Oxford is a repeat of a similar prayer session in 2008 which was led by Amina Wadud, an American-born convert and Muslim feminist. But this is the first time a Muslim-born woman will lead a mixed prayer service in Britain. 

Ms Raza, who is due to fly into Britain this morning, said she was aware that she would be preaching to the converted tomorrow. "But it's about opening one heart, one mind at a time," she added.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/first-woman-to-lead-friday-prayers-in-uk-1996228.html

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There is a growing backlash against women being treated as equals in churches around Australia, with some women being pressured not to become priests.

For decades Melbourne had been the diocese most supportive of women priests, and the issue seemed long resolved.

But now, in the Anglican Church and in others, it seems to be a divisive issue once again, with a backlash unleashed and gaining ground.

The question is broader than whether women can be priests and exercise leadership over men, though that is usually how it is framed inside the church.

It concerns all the roles women play in the church and in the

home, where the once-traditional idea that they should submit to their husbands is gaining fresh traction.

This is being re-examined in churches around Australia: Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Pentecostal and others.

Modern technology is also playing a significant role in emboldening conservatives to stand against women joining the threefold ministry of deacon, priest and bishop.

Important American evangelical leaders such as Mark Driscoll and John Piper are instantly accessible through their podcasts and blogs, which thousands of people around the world download every day.

She says many young women are not even attempting to get into Christian ministry.

"If they can get in they can't express their gifts in the fullest extreme, and sometimes run up against neo-Calvinism. So a lot of younger women are going off and doing their own things."

Among Anglicans, the young women bearing the brunt of opposition are reluctant to say much because they are told that to highlight disagreement within the church would hinder spreading the gospel.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/men-lead-women-obey-20100610-xz97.html

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The Gender Audit Report was presented to General Synod 2010 by Mrs Elaine Cameron.

http://www.scotland.anglican.org/index.php/news/entry/gender_audit_report_presented_to_general_synod_20104/

http://www.scotland.anglican.org/media/news/files/Gender_Audit_Report_General_Synod_2010.pdf

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Sinceramente starei ancora aspettando di vedere una presa di posizione dei leader della Chiesa d'Inghilterra contro la violenza alle donne. Evidentemente al momento non giudicano importante condannarla.

Dr Rowan Williams and Dr John Sentamu will propose a new concession to opponents of women bishops.

It involves "co-ordinate jurisdiction" between a woman bishop and another bishop caring for traditionalist parishes in her diocese.

The proposal by the two most senior figures in the Church of England is aimed at catering for objectors in dioceses where a woman is consecrated a bishop.

The question of the powers of a bishop appointed to look after parishes which do not accept women bishops have been the clearest obstacle to a compromise on the issue.

Opponents do not want bishops appointed to look after them to obtain their powers by delegation from a woman diocesan bishop.

On the other hand, supporters of women bishops say that if the bishop caring for traditionalist parishes holds his powers independently, it will impair the woman bishop's authority in her own diocese and make women "second-class" bishops.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/10368700.stm

http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/2909

http://www.archbishopofyork.org/2908

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On June 25, Grace Cathedral’s Board of Trustees by unanimous roll call vote enthusiastically approved the nomination of the Rev. Canon Dr. Jane Alison Shaw as the eighth dean of Grace Cathedral. She was nominated by the Rt. Rev. Marc Handley Andrus after an extensive search process.

“Jane Shaw’s spiritual depth, commitment to the Gospel, theological vision and leadership skills make her uniquely qualified to help guide Grace Cathedral into its second century,” said the Rt. Rev. Marc Handley Andrus, Bishop of California.

http://www.gracecathedral.org/welcome/overview/cathedralnews/detail/index.php?eid=1191

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Rev Hudson-Wilkin is currently Vicar of the United Benefice of Holy Trinity with St Philip, Dalston, and All Saints, Haggerston, in the London diocese.

She will combine this role with the position of Speaker’s Chaplain and as a Priest Vicar at Westminster Abbey. Her appointment will begin in September following the retirement of the Rev Robert Wright after 12 years in the role.

She was ordained Deacon in 1991, and Priest in 1994. In 2007 she was appointed a chaplain to the Queen, making her one of only 36 religious leaders who are invited to officiate and preach, on occasions, at the 400-year-old Queen's Chapel beside St. James' Palace.

She is presently a member of the General Synod of the Church of England and has served as one of the Panel of chairs for the Synod. During her time on the synod she was one of the C of E delegate at the World Council of Churches meeting in Zimbabwe & Porto Allegre.

“In Rose Hudson-Wilkin we have found a superb successor. She is one of the most prominent younger black women priests in the Church of England. She is already a Chaplain to the Queen and I hope her new association with the House means we can build strong links with her parish in Hackney.”

http://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2010/06/new-speakers-chaplain-appointed/

 

 

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A gathering of women theologians in India has expressed concern over discrimination against women pastors and those with theological training.

"Ordination is often denied [to us] on flimsy grounds. Even if we succeed in getting ordained, we are not assigned duties as pastor but are posted as Bible [studies] women and hostel wardens," decried the women in a statement issued following their June 22 to 26 seminar.

"Theologically trained women, especially those who are qualified in women's studies, find few takers for their qualifications. We work as teachers in schools or, if in a theological institution, we are asked to teach subjects like English or ethics," the statement noted.

Several women delegates at the conference commented about the "disappointment and neglect" they face in their churches after undertaking theological education with much enthusiasm.

"We're really disappointed by the response of the churches to ordination and empowerment of women in the churches. Some churches ordain women with much fanfare. But, the marginalization they face after ordination is shocking. It's really frustrating for us to hear that many of them are virtually unemployed."

 http://www.anglicanjournal.com/nc/news-items/article/indian-women-theologians-lament-unemployed-female-pastors-9264.html

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The new resolution, passed in late June at a convention of the International Rabbinic Fellowship, lays out specific roles for women leaders as teachers, preachers and clergy, but is silent on the fraught questions of their titles and their ordination. It contrasts sharply with a resolution passed in April by the Rabbinical Council of America, which barred women from the rabbinate without describing which roles are allowed.

“I think it’s an affirmation of what’s already happening,” said Rachel Kohl Finegold, education and ritual director at Chicago’s Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel, and one of a small group of prominent female Orthodox congregational leaders. “It was nice to see.”

“I think it’s very explicit in terms of what roles the IRF believes women can fill, and we’re hopeful that this resolution becomes another part of this ongoing discussion,” said Rabbi Barry Gelman, IRF president and rabbi of the United Orthodox Synagogues of Houston. “We see ourselves very much as part of the Modern Orthodox community, and we believe that this resolution expresses the opinion and the feeling and the hopes of large segments of the Modern Orthodox community.”

The IRF was founded in 2008 as an alternative to the RCA by Weiss and Rabbi Marc Angel of Congregation Shearith Israel in New York City. Unlike the RCA, it is open to graduates of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, the left-wing Modern Orthodox seminary opened by Weiss in 2000.

http://www.forward.com/articles/129234/

 

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The Synod yesterday rejected Rowan Williams' ingenious attempt to square the circle about women bishops; and the essential fact about this vote is that it was the clergy who rejected the scheme. One third of the Church of England's clergy are now women, though most of those are unpaid. It was they who were being told that God had put a glass ceiling on them, and they who replied that He hadn't.

But the real losers are Reform, and the other evangelical opponents of women priests. This is a much less popular cause than opposing gay people, and the evangelical reasons are much less defensible than the Catholic ones. "The Bible says women should shut up and do what they're told" is not a line that many people would seriously defend as a vital part of the Christian message. But that is the position to which Reform is committed. It won't have done either Archbishop much good that they attempted to cloak it in obscurity and respectability.

Anyway. I have been watching this story, more or less, for nearly 25 years now, and in all that endless wrangling this is only the second time I can remember the synod making an unequivocal choice. From now on, things really will be different.

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/andrewbrown/2010/jul/11/religion-anglicanism

Most of Britain has accepted that women can assume positions of authority and that homosexuality is a quite ordinary part of human experience. The explicit discrimination practised by the church is unacceptable in most non-religious settings and would be illegal if expressed by any other employer. There are, meanwhile, ample theological grounds for accepting that women are not created subordinate to men and that homosexuality is not hateful in the eyes of God. Dr Williams was determined not to go down in history as the Archbishop who split the church. He could have been remembered by future generations as a religious leader who stood unequivocally on the right side of a moral argument about sexual equality. Regrettably, that opportunity seems now to have passed.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jul/11/rowan-williams-homosexuality-anglicanism

The Church of England's ruling synod has decided that women bishops should be created.

The synod has given minimal concessions to traditionalist Anglicans who opposed the move.

They had sought exemptions from serving under women bishops and guaranteed access to a male alternative.

But the synod decided that it would be up to the women bishops to decide the identity of any bishop coming into their dioceses.

They would also have the ability to dictate the functions these bishops could carry out.

The BBC's religious correspondent Robert Pigott said women bishops would have only to consult a code of practice guiding them in their dealings with traditionalists.

Proposals to create a class of male-only bishops to oversee traditionalist parishes were rejected on Saturday.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/10603968.stm

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Compiled by Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lynton and his friend Gary Ginsberg, this year’s Newsweek list had only six women on it — and most of them were on the bottom half of the rankings.

The results got us thinking about all the female rabbis whose influence cannot necessarily be measured by their national/international profile, their media presence or the size of their constituencies — some of the criteria on which Newsweek bases its rankings — but who, nonetheless, are playing important roles in shaping the Jewish story.

So we decided to select 50 of the most influential women rabbis in America, plus five in Israel, for this inaugural Sisterhood 50 list. These women span generations and the denominational spectrum; they are pulpit rabbis, teachers, academics, pastoral caregivers and organizational leaders. All of them have made it their life’s work to put Jewish values into action — and, as a result, are changing lives in and beyond their communities. This alphabetical list contains a lot of "firsts," which is evidence of just how much ground there’s been to break in recent years.

While The Sisterhood 50 has on it only three Orthodox women, many more hold key religious leadership roles in their communities — even if they lack a path to the Orthodox rabbinate because of their gender.

http://forward.com/articles/129451/

 

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In an alleyway called Wangjia hutong, women go to their own mosque, where Yao Baoxia leads prayers. For 14 years, Yao has been a female imam, or ahong as they are called here, a word derived from Persian.

As she leads the service, Yao stands alongside the other women, not in front of them as a male imam would. But she says her role is the same as a male imam.

"The status is the same," Yao says confidently. "Men and women are equal here, maybe because we are a socialist country."

China has an estimated 21 million Muslims, who have developed their own set of Islamic practices with Chinese characteristics. The biggest difference is the development of independent women's mosques with female imams, something scholars who have researched the issue say is unique to China.

Yao studied to become an imam for four years, after being laid off from her job as a factory worker. First she studied under a female imam, then with a male imam alongside male students.

Shui points out that the women's mosques in China are administered independently, by women for women, in addition to being legally separate entities in some cases.

"After reform and opening up [in 1979], some female mosques registered independently, which shows the equality of male and female mosques," she explains.

Controversy still rages in the Muslim world about whether women can be imams. In 2006, Morocco became the first country in the Arab world to officially sanction the training of female religious leaders.

"I haven't had any students since 1996," she says, shaking her head. "Women don't want be imams anymore, because the salaries in the mosques are too low. No one is willing to do it."

Female imams sometimes earn as little as $40 a month, one-third of what can be earned in other jobs. Younger women need to earn more to support their families.

And so it appears the future of female imams in China is threatened — not by the state, not by resistance from inside Islam, but by the forces of market economics.

 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128628514

 

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The Anglican Diocese of Kumasi has ordained its first woman priest of the Church, the Rev Mrs Priscilla Lovia Owusu-Asiedu.

         

She joined the priesthood alongside Rev Father Gilbert Dua Otuo-Acheampong, Rev Father Joseph Adarkwa-Yiadom Akowuah and Rev Father Augustine Kwasi Boateng Acheampong at an ordination service held at the Obuasi Saint Paul's Anglican Church.

         

http://www.ghananewsagency.org/s_social/r_18562/

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The Reverend Aisling Shine will be installed as a Canon of Christ Church Cathedral next month.

Aisling is currently working in Drumcondra North Strand and was previously based in Clondalkin and Rathcoole parish. She was deaconed in 2003 and ordained to the priesthood in 2004.

Regarding her new appointent, Aisling stated that she was "looking forward to meeting the people who work and worship in Christ Church and being part of that work and worship myself." 

http://www.ireland.anglican.org/index.php?do=news&newsid=3140

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