Women administering Sacraments

Birgit Weiler: "In Amazonia, women administer Sacraments - delegated by the bishop".

There is an acute shortage of priests in Amazonia. Women even administer Sacraments with the permission of the bishops, says religious Birgit Weiler (64). A conversation about Eucharistic celebrations without a tabernacle, the anointing of the sick - a new theology of the Sacraments.

Long taken leave of her nun's habit

Many hoped that Pope Francis would abolish compulsory celibacy after the Amazon Synod in 2019. Are you disappointed in the Pope?

Birgit Weiler*: The first step has been taken. It was clear to us from the outset that the concept of the "viri probati" would need further elaboration. But the question of the "viri probati", that is, experienced married men who can be ordained priests, is more pressing in Amazonia than elsewhere.

Why?

Weiler: There is a great shortage of priests in the Amazon. In many parishes a priest comes only once a year. Parishioners take on pastoral tasks and lead services of the Word. At the same time, we must avoid creating a two-class priesthood. Priests with full training and priests with less training, so to speak.

"There must be no narrow-track priesthood."

There must be no narrow-track priesthood. Proven family fathers who are already coordinating congregations now must be appropriately trained theologically in a culturally sensitive way.

What would be so bad about a two-class priesthood? In the case of the permanent diaconate, there is one in Germany - there, men without high school diplomas can also become deacons.

Weiler: Especially in Amazonia, the "viri probati" are recruited from the ranks of the indigenous people. Because of the long historical experience of exclusion, one has to be particularly culturally sensitive here. Under no circumstances should the impression be created that indigenous priests are inferior or less capable priests or not fully trained priests.

What does a shortage of priests in Amazonia mean in concrete terms? Do parishes have a large supply of consecrated hosts for celebrations of the Word of God?

Weiler: No. Due to the climatic conditions, this is not possible in the Amazon region. Hosts do not last long. Therefore, in many congregations only services of the Word can be held without Communion. Accordingly, there is a different attitude to Communion in this region. 

How does that manifest itself?

Weiler: A very committed priest from Brazil told me that he comes to many of his parishes only once a year. And when he is there and celebrates the Eucharist, no one goes to communion. That is understandable. Because the people there have had to make arrangements to live their faith without the Eucharist, which can only be celebrated very rarely due to the lack of priests.

"Many parishes can only celebrate the Eucharist once a year at all."

One should have no illusions about this. If only one priest can celebrate the Eucharist and if there are only very few priests who have to cover a large area, this means: many parishes can only celebrate the Eucharist once a year at all. Then the Eucharist loses its meaning for these parishes.

In which language are the services held?

Weiler: When indigenous people preside over a service of the Word, it is celebrated in the indigenous language.  In the Amazon region there are over 400 different indigenous peoples with different languages.

The lack of priests does not only affect the Eucharist. Have you ever administered a Sacrament?

Weiler: No, I haven't. In the places where I worked, there were either religious who were permanently on site or a priest who could at least administer Sacraments periodically.

Do you know any women who administer Sacraments?

Weiler: Yes, I know women who do. And quite officially. For example, they are delegated by the local bishop to administer baptism. That is nothing unusual in Amazonia. Especially in indigenous communities, life and health are often more threatened than in urban centres. Therefore, parents want their child to be baptised soon after birth. Therefore, the bishop delegates these tasks to religious sisters.

Does that also apply to the anointing of the sick?

Weiler: Yes, also the anointing of the sick. Of course, it depends on the local bishop. There are bishops in the Amazon region who, for pastoral reasons, take the view that there is no other way: because there are simply no priests in the vicinity of many parishes. And when people are seriously ill and religious sisters are present, they administer the Sacrament that the sick and their families ask for. The religious sisters do this with the permission of the respective bishop.

"Many bishops ask religious to perform a simple ritual."

Do we understand you correctly: we are not talking about a ritual at the bedside, but a sacramental anointing of the sick?

Weiler: Yes. However, this is not a widespread practice. There are also many bishops in the Amazon region for whom the pastoral situation described is very painful because of the lack of priests. However, they ask religious sisters and brothers and other pastoral workers to pray with the sick and their relatives and to perform a simple ritual, but not to administer anointing of the sick.

Women's rights thanks to lack of men?

Weiler: Yes. One can also see the lack of priests as an opportunity to rethink the understanding of the Sacraments. But one should also take cultural aspects into account.

For example?

Weiler: Confession, for example. For the people in the rural and urban parts of Amazonia, the relationship between people is something very important in their lives and a central value. It is about relationship in the sense of a presence that is continuously given. A relationship that is characterised by human closeness and participation in the life of the other.

"In Amazonia, seriously ill people want the Sacrament of confession from a religious with whom they have a relationship."

In Amazonia, it is mainly women religious who are the bearers of such relationships. And when people fall seriously ill and know that their illness will lead to death, they want the Sacrament of confession from the nun with whom they have a relationship - and not from a foreign priest. If they can find one at all who can come.

According to church law, not even a deacon, let alone a woman, can absolve from sin.

Weiler: That is a very painful experience for the people we accompany. Dealing with the end of life is also culturally shaped. In order to be able to go in peace, people in Amazonia talk to their families. Reconciliation is central. This is a very beautiful human practice in the indigenous cultures. And that's actually where the Sacrament of confession has its place and is desired by the people.

"Formally, we cannot give absolution - many religious find this very painful."

For in confession, what burdens the heart is spoken out. Forgiveness is asked for and then given in the name of God. As religious sisters, we listen to people and pray with them for God's forgiveness. These are de facto confessions that we hear. But formally we cannot give absolution. Many religious sisters in the Amazon region - and I join them - feel this is very painful and not right. There is an urgent need for a fundamental rethinking of our theology of the Sacraments.

A central criticism of the Church is clericalism. How do you see the problem in the churches of Latin America?

Weiler: I am encouraged by what is happening at the moment in terms of awakening. Church representatives at all levels are aware that a process of conversion has to happen. There is a clear awareness that we have to break up clerical structures and set out on the path towards a synodal church that is ready to go to the social and existential peripheries.

"We all have the same baptismal dignity. Therefore, it must be possible to admit women to the priesthood."

The greater responsibility of women religious in Amazonia is born out of the need for a shortage of priests. What are the theological reasons for admitting women to the priesthood?

Weiler: For one thing, it stems from our dignity as human beings. Men and women are equally made in the image of God. If you want to put it biblically, we are all Christ-bearers. We all have the same baptismal dignity. There is not more for one and less for the other. Therefore, in my opinion, it must be possible for women who feel called to it to be admitted to the priesthood.

"The Church must become aware of the urgency of the question of women's priesthood."

When will compulsory celibacy end? And when will there be women priests? In five years? In ten years?

Weiler: I hope that the "viri probati" will come in ten years at the latest. With women's priesthood, I fear that it will take a little longer. But the Church must definitely become aware of the urgency of this issue. More and more women are graduating from universities all over the world. If young women keep experiencing that they are kept down in the Church, they will distance themselves from the Church. This process will not be reversible. In Peru and throughout Latin America, this can already be seen in many universities and colleges. 

"The diaconate for women could actually come very soon."

When will the diaconate for women come?

Weiler: It could actually come very soon. There are no theological hurdles if one understands the diaconate as an independent office in the church, through which Christ is made present in the church in his service to the lives of people. The diaconate has its own theological significance and dignity; it should not be understood merely as a preliminary stage to the priesthood. The diaconate is a ministry of service. Here Christ, the Servant, is made present through men and women who carry out this service to the congregation. There is no theological necessity to tie the diaconate to the priesthood.

* The religious sister Birgit Weiler (64) teaches at the Pontifical Catholic University (PUCP) in Lima. Among other things, she acts as theological advisor to the Centre for Pastoral Programmes and Networks (CEPRAP) of the Episcopal Council of Latin America and the Caribbean (CELAM) and is a member of the group of theologians of CELAM. She was a guest at the Synodal Path in Frankfurt and works with the Swiss relief organisation Fastenaktion.

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