I Have Been Watching The Pope's Mass And I Can't Find A Single Woman.

[DistressedAmerican]

My sister first pointed it out.

Not even a single nun. Not to offend the Catholics out there but, it does seem really odd.

If Mother Theresa were alive , she would not be in the assembled guests.

Will this hold for all events or is it just this liturgy? Anyone with a better knowledge of pope funeral traditions that can enlighten me?

[rodeodance]

1. this pope set back any advancement of women in the church. simple

as that.

[ShaneGR]

2. There were 10 nuns directly behind the pall bearers carrying the pope...

I'm guessing most if not all of them were polish, the Pope had 5 or 6 personal "assistant" nuns, all from Poland.

Anyways, yes, you are correct, women don't tend to take a lead role in Catholicism. Usually the nuns will be off to the side during a mass.

[DistressedAmerican]

5. Do You Think They Entred The Basicilica?

Good that a few were sighted. O8)

Interesting.

[dogtag]

7. They are his housekeepers, but I suppose 'assistant' sounds

better. Nuns do the drudge work in the Vatican. What else is new?

[Nothing Without Hope]

3. Very interesting observation. And quite symbolic in an unintentional way

The attendees include the top church hierarchy, and of course they will all be men, as are all priests of whatever level. I'm surprised there weren't a few token nuns there, guess they must have overlooked the way this all-male scene would come across. Actually, it's an ironic demonstration of one of the problems of the church that this pope did not improve - the utterly subservient position of women in the hierarchy.

[Zynx]

6. There were a few "token nuns" - right behind the Pope

The procession is almost completely clergy, though, and there are no women clergy.

[BringEmOn]

4. Self deleted

Oops! Thought I was in the lounge.

[DistressedAmerican]

8. I Guess I Shouldn"t Be Surprised.

The near total lack of women in thr crowd just seemeed exagerated even bu Vatican standards.

[flyarm]

9. when they first laid out the pope in the chapel they said

dignitaries were the only ones invited in to see him..i looked around the entire room and said the same thing..its all men...the so called dignitaries are all men...and i was struck in the gut by that..but then as i watched and looked specifically for women i saw 2 ...2 women...in the entire room there were 2 women considered dignitararies....and i was furious..i thought /..how about all the nuns who have put their lives n the line daily in some of the most dangerous places in the world...not one nun..not one..thats when i shut it off and watched movies all day on hbo..i said thats it for me..that is exactly why i am a non practicing catholic ! i will not watch another minute of this charade...and with * going..what an insult to all catholics...do remember when the *es were running iran contra the nuns who were found dead ...all in the *USH run drug / gun running criminal activities..and this pope calling * the anti christ...i am done with all this crap!

turn it off folks..turn on a movie ..or go out and get sirrus or xm radio shut these networks down..they are an insult to all of us!

fly

[DistressedAmerican]

10. I Don't See It As An Insult. It Is A Reflection Of The Structure Of The u

I personally disagree with the church's teachings and high among those objections is the role of women in the church. However, to be fair the Cathiolics have never shoved God on me the way MY president and those of his demonination do.



This coverage is a blip. Next week they will be back to Michael Jackson and we will all be looking back fondly on the specticle.

Besides, even as an athiest I can enjoy watching the ritual. Is does not happen often. It is a curiosity for me much like an eclipse.

[tashidelek]

11. what did you expect?

You really didn't expect to see WOMEN in the catholic church's officially sanctioned media, did you?

I CAN'T BELIEVE that Catholic Women CONTINUE to complain about a religion that has ALWAYS been so against the rights of women.

Sheesh!!!

"However, to be fair the Cathiolics have never shoved God on me the way MY president and those of his demonination do. "


Just wait. They are just biding their time, as they have been able to do for centuries, testing the waters with their non-stop media blitz. Get back to us next weekend and tell us how you feel then. I'm already feeling more than shoved upon by the Catholice god-men.

[formernaderite]

12. Agreed...

I've never understood why women keep supporting organizations that don't support them. Of course as an atheist, I don't get the whole pope/holy thing anyway. Seems so silly in this century.

[flyarm]

19. i have been a non practicing catholic for over 30 yrs..

and the reason i left the church was i was told many years ago by a top church offical that the vatican wouldet priests be married before ever ordaining women as priests..i left the church then...

but i think in my heart of hearts i would see some nuns at the side of the pope in his death...duped again!!
now i am extremely comfortable in my long ago decision to leave the church!

and ..ithink this is all being shoved down american throats..remember we are not a catholic nation..if i was of other religous backgrounds..i would be furious at this non stop coverage..

but we have all been numbed to the crap this media puts forward...honestly ..yesterday i shut it all off and watched movies..i will not have my tv on stations with this non stop propaganda..and the popeathon!!

fly

[DistressedAmerican]

20. I had to watch some of it. It is such a spectacle.

Not the boring ass people filing past the corpse parts. Just the moving the boday around, singing , and sermonizing. From the perspective of an anthropologist it is pretty interesting stuff. Tomorrow I turn it off...

[barb162]

15. I hear ya'...one of the reasons I stopped being a practicing Catholic

many years ago. They were just never able to see women as equal and I don't think they ever will. There were a few nuns in the background but that was about it.

At the same time, believe it or not, I was almost crying as I was watching his body being carried from Clementine Hall to the Church. Between the solemn chant/music, the incredible beauty of the artwork and architecture, watching the Swiss Guard, I was just...I don't know, so damned sad.

[Clark2008]

13. Heh... I'm guessing none of you have been to a Catholic school

or hospital.

I knew who was in charge and it wasn't any of the priests.

WHACK!!

:7

[Bridget Burke]

14. Aren't women more visible in parish activities nowadays?

Women can serve as acolytes & deacons. This doesn't just include "altar girls"--I remember a nuptial mass led by a priest with a grown woman (in "civvies") assisting him. Lay people, in general, are taking more of the non-priestly duties--since there are fewer priests.

Sure, there are plenty of male clergy in the Vatican--that's the Big Time. But the realities of staffing parishes & Catholic schools are some of the factors that may eventually lead to female and/or married priests. Celibacy has only been the rule for less than a thousand years.

In fact, some ultra-conservative churchmen opposed females assisting at the mass because they considered it a move toward priesthood for women. Perhaps it is.

[barb162]

16. I went to Catholic schools and been to Cath. hospitals. I know!

[tashidelek]

17. just more mind control

clark2008

What do you think, that those in such an all-powerful institution as the Catholic church WOULDN'T use their power to put like-minded nuns into their institutions? So that when you grew up you would automatically dismiss any women who "complained" about how they were treated by the catholic system, and even joke about it? In your mind, I am quite sure, you feel that such women DESERVE to be punished and put in their places because of what you experienced or were TOLD that others experienced, but can you consider that YOU may have been manipulated to feel that way?

Do you think these really were free women who gave these (were they undeserved?) "whacks" to you boys (and girls?) in ONLY the Catholic schools? Did ALL of the nuns in your schools do that, or only just a few, and can you consider that they may have been victims of the system just as much as you were?

Can you consider that teachers (men and women) in the PUBLIC school systems at the same time, gave the very same types of whacks to "out of control students" in their classrooms?

But, of course, for those public school teachers, THEIR actions weren't somehow viewed as being an indictment of the nature of WOMEN in general as being deserving of the scorn (and retribution?) heaped upon them by the Catholic church. Or did I miss something?

[DistressedAmerican]

18. Kick.