Ludmila Javorová
Encyclopedia
Ludmila Javorová is a Czech
Roman Catholic woman who worked in the underground church during the time of communist
rule in Czechoslovakia
and served as a vicar general
of a clandestine bishop. She is known for being one of a number of Czech women who underwent a ordination ceremony as a priest
, the religious result of which is in dispute.
, but that was not possible in the time of communism. She started to work in civilian professions and to support Church activities in her free time.
According to statements made in 1995 and later, the underground bishop Felix Maria Davídek
, who was a friend of her family, secretly ordained Javorová on December 28, 1970, during the early years of occupation of the country after the Prague Spring
. She had served him as his secretary and deputy, after his return from prison in 1964, and "gradually took over important tasks in organising the clandestine Church structure Koinótés. Davídek named her his vicar general and later ordained her as a priest."
After the end of communist rule in Czechoslovakia in 1989, Javorová seemingly tried for some time to conceal her status from the wide public, saying that "the time is not ripe to talk about that". About 1995 she changed her mind and decided to speak. She helped to prepare a book interview about her experiences, authored by Miriam Therese Winter
. Javorová now lives in Brno and remains an active member of the Roman Catholic Church. She is currently a speaker of the Liturgical Commission of her local parish.
While there appears to be no evidence that an ordination ceremony did not take place as claimed, its theological significance is in controversy.
On one side, Davidek justified the ordinations by the pastoral needs of a church suffering harsh persecution (he himself endured fourteen years in Communist prison for his faith) and in particular, of women tortured in prison who had no access to male priests but may have been ministered to by priests of the same gender. Archbishop John Bukovsky
is quoted as saying that the ordinations were "illicit but valid".
On the other side, the Catechism of the Catholic Church
states that an ordination ceremony performed on a woman would be invalid as well as illicit; this doctrine is found in the writings of Thomas Aquinas
and many others. Pope John Paul II
has written "Priestly ordination
, which hands on the office entrusted by Christ to his Apostles of teaching, sanctifying and governing the faithful, has in the Catholic Church from the beginning always been reserved to men alone" in his Apostolic Letter, Ordinatio Sacerdotalis
. This is reflected in the current Code of Canon Law
.
The group Roman Catholic Womenpriests
dispute this doctrine.
Within Davídek's group itself, the ordination of women and of married men was highly controversial and may have played a role in its splitting in the early 1970s. Davídek himself concealed Javorová's ordination from many of his co-workers and demanded written promises of "absolute silence on the matter" from people participating in his secret ordinations. Historians Fiala and Hanuš conclude that these ordained women (there were about five, Javorová being the only publicly known) found very few specific sacerdotal tasks in the Davídek's group, and conclude from this that their ordinations can therefore be considered as only a "symbolical act and a precedent".
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
Roman Catholic woman who worked in the underground church during the time of communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
rule in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
and served as a vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of a clandestine bishop. She is known for being one of a number of Czech women who underwent a ordination ceremony as a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
, the religious result of which is in dispute.
Life
Javorová was born into a Catholic family, and expressed a wish to become a nunNun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
, but that was not possible in the time of communism. She started to work in civilian professions and to support Church activities in her free time.
According to statements made in 1995 and later, the underground bishop Felix Maria Davídek
Felix Maria Davídek
Felix Maria Davídek was a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He was born in Chrlice in what today is the Czech Republic. He was ordained a priest on June 29, 1945 in the diocese of Brno. He was arrested by the Czech secret police and was in prison from 1950 to 1964...
, who was a friend of her family, secretly ordained Javorová on December 28, 1970, during the early years of occupation of the country after the Prague Spring
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II...
. She had served him as his secretary and deputy, after his return from prison in 1964, and "gradually took over important tasks in organising the clandestine Church structure Koinótés. Davídek named her his vicar general and later ordained her as a priest."
After the end of communist rule in Czechoslovakia in 1989, Javorová seemingly tried for some time to conceal her status from the wide public, saying that "the time is not ripe to talk about that". About 1995 she changed her mind and decided to speak. She helped to prepare a book interview about her experiences, authored by Miriam Therese Winter
Miriam Therese Winter
Sister Miriam Therese Winter, M.M.S., is a Roman Catholic Medical Mission Sister, theologian, writer and songwriter ."Joy Is Like the Rain" is primarily acoustic music. All songs contain striking vocals...
. Javorová now lives in Brno and remains an active member of the Roman Catholic Church. She is currently a speaker of the Liturgical Commission of her local parish.
Controversy
- For more detailed information see Ordination of womenOrdination of womenOrdination in general religious usage is the process by which a person is consecrated . The ordination of women is a regular practice among some major religious groups, as it was of several religions of antiquity...
While there appears to be no evidence that an ordination ceremony did not take place as claimed, its theological significance is in controversy.
On one side, Davidek justified the ordinations by the pastoral needs of a church suffering harsh persecution (he himself endured fourteen years in Communist prison for his faith) and in particular, of women tortured in prison who had no access to male priests but may have been ministered to by priests of the same gender. Archbishop John Bukovsky
John Bukovsky
Archbishop John Bukovsky SVD, was a naturalized United States citizen, born in Cerova-Lieskové, Slovakia, and a Vatican diplomat; he was a member of the Society of the Divine Word since 1950. He was ordained as a priest on 3 December 1950 in Techny, Illinois. Priest of Divine Word Missionaries...
is quoted as saying that the ordinations were "illicit but valid".
On the other side, the Catechism of the Catholic Church
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is the official text of the teachings of the Catholic Church. A provisional, "reference text" was issued by Pope John Paul II on October 11, 1992 — "the thirtieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council" — with his apostolic...
states that an ordination ceremony performed on a woman would be invalid as well as illicit; this doctrine is found in the writings of Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas, O.P. , also Thomas of Aquin or Aquino, was an Italian Dominican priest of the Catholic Church, and an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, known as Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis, or Doctor Universalis...
and many others. Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
has written "Priestly ordination
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
, which hands on the office entrusted by Christ to his Apostles of teaching, sanctifying and governing the faithful, has in the Catholic Church from the beginning always been reserved to men alone" in his Apostolic Letter, Ordinatio Sacerdotalis
Ordinatio Sacerdotalis
Ordinatio Sacerdotalis is an Apostolic Letter issued from the Vatican by Pope John Paul II on 22 May 1994, whereby the Pope expounds the teaching of the Catholic Church's position requiring "the reservation of priestly ordination to men alone." In its clear proclamation that "the Church has no...
. This is reflected in the current Code of Canon Law
Canon law (Catholic Church)
The canon law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system, with all the necessary elements: courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code and principles of legal interpretation. It lacks the necessary binding force present in most modern day legal systems. The academic...
.
The group Roman Catholic Womenpriests
Roman Catholic Womenpriests
Roman Catholic Womenpriests is an Independent Catholic international group that asserts a connection to the Catholic Church. They are descended from the Danube Seven, a group of women who claim to have been ordained as priests in 2002 by Rómulo Antonio Braschi, an independent bishop...
dispute this doctrine.
Within Davídek's group itself, the ordination of women and of married men was highly controversial and may have played a role in its splitting in the early 1970s. Davídek himself concealed Javorová's ordination from many of his co-workers and demanded written promises of "absolute silence on the matter" from people participating in his secret ordinations. Historians Fiala and Hanuš conclude that these ordained women (there were about five, Javorová being the only publicly known) found very few specific sacerdotal tasks in the Davídek's group, and conclude from this that their ordinations can therefore be considered as only a "symbolical act and a precedent".
See also
- Roman Catholic WomenpriestsRoman Catholic WomenpriestsRoman Catholic Womenpriests is an Independent Catholic international group that asserts a connection to the Catholic Church. They are descended from the Danube Seven, a group of women who claim to have been ordained as priests in 2002 by Rómulo Antonio Braschi, an independent bishop...
- Christian views of womenChristian views of womenFrank Stagg, PhD, was a Southern Baptist theologian, seminary professor, author, and pastor over a 50-year ministry career. He taught New Testament interpretation and Greek at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary from 1945 until 1964 and at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville,...
- http://www.womenpriests.org - An academic website providing the scriptural, traditional, and theological outline of the case for women priests as well as a thorough assessment of arguments made against the ordination women in the Catholic Church.
- http://www.womenpriests.org/circles/fb.asp?m=29454 - connect to a series of articles about the ordination of Ludmila Javorova.