Well, this one's creepy.
You can live a public life, not become part of any order of nuns, but yet, get an official consecration as a perpetual virgin.
Second, it's clearly a perpetuation of patriarchy. No such vow or consecration is promoted for male perpetual virgins. I quote from the Consecrated Virgins organization website:
The consecrated virgin in a particular way images the Church as virgin-bride of Christ, and, because of this, it is assumed that a woman who aspires to Consecration has been living tranquilly a private resolve of perpetual virginity for the sake of Jesus Christ for several years. She has the gift of physical virginity to offer to Christ, as she has not knowingly and deliberately engaged in sexual relations at any time during her life. [It is important to note that women who may not have the gift of physical virginity to offer to Christ may still make some form of personal consecration to Christ or pursue another form of Consecrated Life, such as being a member of a religious institute or a secular institute, or living an eremetical life.] A woman who has engaged in sexual relations before Baptism, or a woman whose marriage has been annulled, is not eligible to receive the consecration of virgins. In cases in which the loss of physical virginity was not intended by the woman, for example in case of rape or involuntary incest, she remains eligible for the consecration of virgins.
Unless one believes in a gay Jesus and a male bride for him (is that you, Morton Smith?) then this is women only. Well, the language says women-only, but, it's a good opening to kick Rome for opposing gay marriage, and to kick Morton Smith for being Morton Smith while I'm here.
It also vaguely reminds me of the Catholic May Crowning ceremony, about which I wrote three years ago.
No comments:
Post a Comment