Episcopalians, Orthodox Divided on Women's Ordination
Episcopal News Service. February 11, 1976 [76042]
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- After three days of "friendly but earnest discussions" on the issue of the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate, a U.S. Episcopal-Eastern Orthodox consultation has ended with "conclusions which are not unanimous or identical in everything."
In a joint statement issued after its January 22-24 meeting at General Theological Seminary, New York City, the Orthodox members of the consultation warned that "if the Anglican Communion takes the decisive action of admitting women to the priesthood and the episcopate the issue will involve not only a point of church discipline, but the basis of the Christian faith as expressed in the Church's ministries."
Such action, the Orthodox say, "will obviously have a decisively negative effect on the issue of the recognition of Anglican Orders and on the future of Anglican-Orthodox dialogue in general and will call for a major reassessment of the quality and goals of dialogue between the two bodies."
The Episcopal Church members of the consultation said that while they are "concerned for maintaining the historic relationships between our two churches and would regret any weakening of them or slackening of the pace toward mutual understanding," yet "the problem" is "whether withholding from women the sacrament of ordination to the priesthood and episcopate violates the common status of all Christians as imparted in Holy Baptism."
The answer to such a problem, the Episcopalians said, is not the same for each of the two churches: "The Orthodox clearly say no to this question and some Anglicans agree with them" and "others see a contradiction."
The Orthodox section of the statement notes "basic differences between Orthodox and Anglicans in the understanding of Scripture and Tradition and their significance for the Church."
While the Orthodox section states the reasons the Orthodox unanimously oppose the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate, the Episcopal section takes no position on such ordinations.
The General Convention of the Episcopal Church will have opportunity to vote on the issue of ordination of women to the two orders at its meeting in Minneapolis/St. Paul, September 11-23. The Episcopal Church approved the ordination of women to the diaconate in 1970, while female deacons are unacceptable to the Orthodox.
At the next meeting of the consultation, in October, the discussion will be on intercommunion.
Orthodox members of the consultation are: The Very Rev. Florian Galdau, the Very Rev. Radovan Milkovich, the Very Rev. Paul W.S. Schneirla, Dr. George E. Babis, Prof. John H. Erickson, Dr. Robert Haddad, and Dr. Serge Verkhovskoi.
Members of the consultation from the Episcopal Church are: Bishop Donald J. Parsons of Quincy; Bishop Jonathan G. Sherman of Long Island; the Rev. Winston F. Crum, Evanston, Ill.; the Very Rev. Robert H. Greenfield, Portland, Ore.; the Rev. William A. Norgren, New York; the Rev. Richard A. Norris, Jr., New York; the Rev. David A. Scott, Alexandria, Va.; Dr. Paul B. Anderson, New York; and Dr. Peter Day, New York, Ecumenical Officer.
Text of Statement on the Ordination of Women