Paix liturgique

Bishop Erio Castellucci of Modena-Nonantola, one of the most prestigious bishops of the Italian Episcopal Conference and a possible future Archbishop of Milan and Cardinal, has presented a “brilliant” idea to promote the role of women in the liturgy.

On May 24, in an interview with Notizie Carpi, he proposed that the first part of the Mass, the Liturgy of the Word, be presided by a woman, while the second part, the Liturgy of the Eucharist, would continue to be presided by an ordained priest. For now. While the Liturgy of the Eucharist would remain the prerogative of the ordained minister, the Liturgy of the Word would be led by a woman, who would “proclaim Easter” in the guise of a new Mary Magdalene.

Those who support the ordination of women often highlight the "priesthood" of Saint Mary Magdalene, from which a parallel female priesthood supposedly would emanate. It is said that the transmission of this priesthood would occurr in a way that is still unclear, but certainly not through the ordination of women by men, which, once again, would subordinate the former to the latter.

The truth is that this female leadership is already evident in ceremonies without a priest, such as the numerous funerals which, since the parish priest cannot officiate them all, are celebrated by a group of lay people from the parish, where women often play a leading role. In fact, they already celebrate a kind of Liturgy of the Word, which includes exhortations, prayers, the equivalent of a sermon, the Prayer of the Faithful, and even the distribution of Communion.

In a previous letter to the Sentinels, I spoke of the Office of the Word celebrated at St. John's Church in Nürtingen, in the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, an office entitled "Holy Here and Now." Katharina Leser, wearing an alb, accompanied by another layperson also in an alb and several altar servers, explained that "before God, we are all equal and holy." Then, raising her hands, she offered a long prayer for the unity of all (and especially of men and women).

In Brazil, Cardinal Leonardo Ulrich Steiner, Archbishop of Manaus, explained at a press conference that he was performing paraliturgical ordinations of deaconesses that were not strictly ordinations, but were nonetheless something which resembles an ordination. He laid his hands on them as for the ordination of a deacon, but clarified that it was not an actual conferral of ordination. Well, in fact, there is more to it, since most of the small parishes in the Diocese of Manaus are led by women who are not officially ordained, but are nonetheless “a little bit” ordained.

Here we see a way a sort of circling around the various matters that is very characteristic of the attempts to impose liturgical reforms. Moreover, the path is actually paved by official texts: in the motu proprio Ministeria quaedam of August 15, 1972, Paul VI replaced the subdiaconate and minor orders with the simple ministries of lectors and acolytes, who remain lay people; the instruction Immensæ caritatis of January 29, 1973, regulates the distribution of Communion by lay people, both men and women; and a response from the Congregation for Divine Worship of March 15, 1994, permits girls to serve at the altar. And Pope Francis, through the motu proprio Spiritus Domini of January 11, 2021, decided that the ministries of lector and acolyte could be conferred on women, roles which, in fact, they were already performing in practice.

Therefore, it will be necessary to closely follow the work of a study group on the liturgy, created with the Pope's approval on July 7, 2025, after the Synod on Synodality and dedicated to "the liturgy from a synodal perspective." "From a synodal perspective"... We may already fear the worst! Its task will be to articulate the "unity of the sacramental mystery and the variety of liturgical traditions." In short, this group has the mission of promoting an even more diverse liturgy. And, in particular, it must study how to encourage greater participation of women in the liturgy.

Very soon, then, we will have women "almost deaconesses" and "a little bit" priests. Very soon? In many cases, this is already the case!

The liturgical night is falling down and advancing over the Church, dear Parisian sentinels. We accompany you in prayer, you who pray the rosary at 10 rue du Cloître-Notre-Dame, Monday to Friday, from 1:00 to 1:30 p.m., at Saint-Georges de La Villette, 114 avenue Simon Bolivar, on Wednesdays and Fridays at 5:00 p.m., and in front of Notre-Dame du Travail, on Sundays at 6:15 p.m.