Description
A hystorical excursus: women ministries in early Church; disputed traces of women presbyteral ministry;
women diaconal ministry, and differences in ordination rite and functions for deaconesses and deacons of
Byzantine Church. The value of person and reciprocity asks today for identical ordination rite and functions of
deaconesses and deacons.
The analysis of hypothetical possibility of women presbyteral ordination: belief in women subordination; spousal
symbol; Mary; woman and person; reciprocity; incarnation of the Word; impossibility of women presbyteral vocation;
value of doctrines; sacramental sign and substance of a sacrament. A prayer for women presbyteral ordination is
proposed.
Cloe Taddei-Ferretti: Formerly researcher in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science at the
National Research Council of Italy.
Doctorate in Dogmatic Theology, Pontifical Theological Faculty of Southern Italy.