Japan Ordains Women Priests
Episcopal News Service. March 18, 1999 [99-029D]
(ENS) A number of women in the Nippon Sei Ko Kai, the Anglican Church of Japan, have recently been ordained as priests, marking a breakthrough in the long history of the male-dominated Anglican denomination that has long stipulated that priests must be men at least 24 years old.
The movement for the ordination of women started in the United States and Europe during the 1970s. Protesting that there were no grounds in religious teachings for the exclusion of women (from the priesthood), female priests were ordained one after another in a number of countries.
About 10 years ago, calls came from within the Japanese branch of the church for women to be ordained as priests. Support for the ordination of women in Japan grew gradually, with associations being formed to pursue this goal.
At a general synod of the church in May 1998, a majority approved a motion to allow women priests.
Following the ordination of the first female priest in Nagoya in December, ceremonies were held in Tokyo to ordain two more women in early January. Although women pastors have already been ordained in the Protestant Church the Catholic Church has long resisted allowing women to become priests, who perform baptisms and communion services.
Nevertheless, female priests may not be ordained in all regions of the country. Isamu Okiishi, general manager of the Tokyo office of the church said, "As different branches of the church interpret our (religious) teachings differently, we have decided to respect the opinions of those opposed (to the ordination of women)."