Bishop Wantland: a metaphor too far

Julia Duin posts this revealing comment from Bishop William Wantland, who apparently thinks that when you go to church you are marrying Jesus:

I queried retired Eau Claire, Wis., Bishop William Wantland, an old friend and an ardent opponent of ordaining women. He reminded me that 22 of the ACNA's 28 dioceses do not allow female priests. It's a system known as "dual integrity," dioceses that differ on a question where Scripture can be read both ways agree to respect and live with each other's views.

I asked him if he wanted the ACNA to eventually outlaw ordaining women entirely.

"Of course. That's our mission," he said. "Christ is the bridegroom and the church is the bride. The priest at the altar is an icon of Christ. What image is that if the person at the altar is a woman? It's a lesbian relationship."

The bishop's turn of phrase is distinctly his own, he's actually captured the official thinking of the Roman Catholic Church on this issue. The Vatican's opposition to women's ordination has nothing to do with Scripture. The Pontifical Biblical Commission found in the mid 1970s that the issue of women's ordination was unresolved in Scripture. (All of this business about the apostles being men ignores the fact that the apostles were not what we think of as priests. And then there is that whole Mary Magdalene business, but that is another matter.) The Church's opposition hangs primarily on interpreting the nuptial metaphor literally.

But if you interpret it literally, what exactly is the nature of a man's participation within the mystical body that is the bride of Christ?

Posted by Jim Naughton on July 2, 2009 2:25 PM | |
Comments (6)

Sounds kind of transgender to me. Is that why vestments look like dresses? ; * )


Posted by Jeffrey L. Shy, M.D. [TypeKey Profile Page] | July 2, 2009 4:13 PM

What ever happened to that metaphorical third leg of the stool, the one called REASON?

Posted by Peter Pearson [TypeKey Profile Page] | July 2, 2009 4:39 PM

Are we meant to understand from this that the dioceses of ACNA have not yet finished purging themselves?

At the risk of indulging in schadenfreude, I have to wonder along with so many if this new "marriage" of ACNA is really only a marriage of convenience. . .at least for some.

Posted by The Rev. Richard E. Helmer [TypeKey Profile Page] | July 2, 2009 5:05 PM

I have never, in all my life, when contemplating a priest at the Altar presiding at Mass, have thought of his or her penis or lack thereof.

Third leg indeed!

Posted by Dcn Scott Elliott [TypeKey Profile Page] | July 2, 2009 5:38 PM

But the bride of Christ is made of men and women. So for some it is a heterosexual affair and for others a same sex union, which means since both are happening at once, then it is all very bisexual.

See how ridiculously some metaphors can be construed!

Posted by David Allen |dah • veed| [TypeKey Profile Page] | July 2, 2009 6:34 PM

Wantland continues his heretical mumblings. Doesn't he know that the human nature of Christ (all that is visible of Christ as icon in any sense whatever) derives entirely from the Virgin Mary?

Posted by tobias haller [TypeKey Profile Page] | July 2, 2009 6:53 PM

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