I'm a young woman training to be a priest - AMA

[humanwinginglife]

As the title says. Any questions I'd be happy to answer!

[EmmaH2022]

Really interesting to hear about more women

also really interesting that you are working in demonology. Is it just my imagination or do the church prefer to keep that sort of thing quiet...or perhaps discreet would be a better term?

[Lesserspotteddogfish]

Would you mind saying what the other worldly experience was?

[humanwinginglife]

@5zeds

It's actually a very very scrupulous process of even allowing an exorcism which is now, again thankfully, only allowed after medical interventions, psychologists along with priests and after much investigating with tech etc has failed why? If there is no possession how does the exorcism hurt someone? The only link between Christianity and science is perception. You may as well say there’s a link between hope and lead.

The exorcism doesn't in the case of someone not possessed but a lack of medical care does.

[humanwinginglife]

@Helloauntienun

Whats the difference between you being a priest and a nun?

A nun is a separate calling. A nun doesn't take Sunday services or perform sacraments in a local parish for instance. Usually, they give their life to servantship, prayer and charity.

[humanwinginglife]

@EmmaH2022

Really interesting to hear about more women

also really interesting that you are working in demonology. Is it just my imagination or do the church prefer to keep that sort of thing quiet...or perhaps discreet would be a better term?

Definitely it's kept discreet. I believe this is due to the sensationalism which has come as a result of movies, books and occultist practices becoming 'cool'.

[humanwinginglife]

@Lesserspotteddogfish

Would you mind saying what the other worldly experience was?

I was helping at the altar, or in church terms 'serving/deaconing' and when I looked up I saw a bright, almost bouncing white light at the top of the aisle. It almost flowed and shimmered but was fully formed yet not fully formed. It was dense but not dense. Not a light like we know it. It's so hard to explain. Then I heard the words 'Jesus' and felt like I wanted to smile, laugh, cry and jump for joy simultaneously. I'd never and have never experienced such joy as that moment. It wasn't even close to the best joy/happiness I have ever felt before. I then just 'knew' this was exactly where I was meant to be and what I was meant to do.

I know that sounds utterly crazy and I expect some backlash from posters but I can't deny what happened

[LightDrizzle]

Do you really believe in all the metaphysical stuff? In the Nicene Creed?

With reference to the Catholic v Anglican and nun v priest confusion. Nuns can’t perform the Eucharist (administer Holy Communion) only priests can. There are many other differences but that is the most profound. Nuns and monks traditionally live a communal life in religious orders with very regimented routines of prayer, meals and work.

Vicars and Reverends are priests, just as Colonels and Majors are soldiers. Colloquially Vicar came to be used generically but it actually means something more specific. Not all priests are vicars.

I went to a high Anglican boarding school and our priests were addressed as “Father”.

I’m an atheist so no skin in the game.

[humanwinginglife]

Helloauntienun - my understanding is it is a calling. So not a choice you make. I feel called to be a priest. Your family members who are in a convent most likely felt called to be nuns.

[Lesserspotteddogfish]

@humanwinginglife

I was helping at the altar, or in church terms 'serving/deaconing' and when I looked up I saw a bright, almost bouncing white light at the top of the aisle. It almost flowed and shimmered but was fully formed yet not fully formed. It was dense but not dense. Not a light like we know it. It's so hard to explain. Then I heard the words 'Jesus' and felt like I wanted to smile, laugh, cry and jump for joy simultaneously. I'd never and have never experienced such joy as that moment. It wasn't even close to the best joy/happiness I have ever felt before. I then just 'knew' this was exactly where I was meant to be and what I was meant to do.

I know that sounds utterly crazy and I expect some backlash from posters but I can't deny what happened

Thanks for answering. I was expecting it to be a not so nice experience, given your chosen speciality, but that must have been wonderful.

[humanwinginglife]

@LightDrizzle

Do you really believe in all the metaphysical stuff? In the Nicene Creed?

With reference to the Catholic v Anglican and nun v priest confusion. Nuns can’t perform the Eucharist (administer Holy Communion) only priests can. There are many other differences but that is the most profound. Nuns and monks traditionally live a communal life in religious orders with very regimented routines of prayer, meals and work.

Vicars and Reverends are priests, just as Colonels and Majors are soldiers. Colloquially Vicar came to be used generically but it actually means something more specific. Not all priests are vicars.

I went to a high Anglican boarding school and our priests were addressed as “Father”.

I’m an atheist so no skin in the game.

Yes I do. It's hard to fathom for sure but so is many things in the world/universe etc. I did a couple theological lectures and an assignment on the Council of Nicaea which broke down what each thing means and the history behind it - it was very interesting!

[humanwinginglife]

Lesserspotteddogpit - no problem! I've also had not so nice experiences but in regards to my calling this was a significant moment

[PhotoDad]

@Smilingwithfangs

Thanks PhotoDad I’ve often wondered what the difference is!
can you explain the titles too? Why are some Rev and some Father even in the CofE?

@Smilingwithfangs As OP said, partly a matter of choice, but partly not. A priest in the Anglican communion gets the official title "Reverend" -- senior cathedral priests get "Very Reverend" and Bishops get "Right Reverend."

If you are a pedant and use these in the traditional way, they are used oddly; they get stuck in front of whatever other titles the person has, so a letter would be addressed to "The Rev. Mrs X" or "The Rev. Dr Y," or "Prof. the Rev. Dr Dame AB." (!)
"Rev. Smith" would be incorrect. However, very few people follow this tradition today.

Individual priests may opt to be called "father" or "mother" to their face (the latter is rarer). This is a very long tradition, and is more likely to happen in "high church" settings (those which embrace a lot of the ancient traditions more usually associated with Roman Catholicism). These people are protestants but are likely to call themselves "Anglo-Catholics" which can confuse people who don't know their church history.

@heidbuttsupper Most Christian denominations that I know call ordained ministers "priests" to tie in with Biblical language. It's not just an RC thing. What would you call an Orthodox celebrant at communion?

[newtb]

In the Anglican church you are ordained as a Deacon and then, generally, a year later you are 'priested'.and become a Priest. As a Deacon you cannot pronounce a blessing. A Priest can Say 'may the blessing of Good the Father almighty be upon you' for a Deacon it has to be 'upon us'. Generally deacons get all the funerals, and, because of the blessing cannot do weddings. Or it used to be so.

[xxcatcatcatxx]

What are some peoples issue on this thread it’s really distracting and very unkind 🤨

Thank you so much, good luck in your studies! xxx

[goldfinchonthelawn]

@ManSplainin

Yes, like when my mother and my sister and various other women went to medical school to become doctresses.

LOL @ManSplainin


OP - will you advocate for same sex marriage in church? (Please.)

[DazzlePaintedBattlePants]

This is a really interesting thread!

Do they teach you the intonation that priests use in the liturgy, or do you pick that up yourselves? All the priests I know have the same manner of delivery!

[GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut]

In Anglican Church - what is 'high church'? My DGM is Anglican, and I've heard DF say that growing up their church was 'high church' with incense etc. I've also seen her take communion (if that's what it's called in CofE? The wafer?) it all seems rather Catholic!

I suppose my questions are - what makes a church 'high church', who decides it's going to go that route, and what's the difference between 'high church' and Catholicism? And why is there seemingly a split where some are high church and some not? Why not all the same?

Thanks

[PhotoDad]

@GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut

In Anglican Church - what is 'high church'? My DGM is Anglican, and I've heard DF say that growing up their church was 'high church' with incense etc. I've also seen her take communion (if that's what it's called in CofE? The wafer?) it all seems rather Catholic!

I suppose my questions are - what makes a church 'high church', who decides it's going to go that route, and what's the difference between 'high church' and Catholicism? And why is there seemingly a split where some are high church and some not? Why not all the same?

Thanks

"High Church" or "Anglo-Catholic" is a fairly large group within the Church of England. It means that you think that the rituals and ceremonies which have grown up over the last 2,000 years are a valid way of worshipping God and didn't really need to be "reformed." Sometimes fondly referred to as "bells and smells." (Lots of robes, chanting, incense, normally older translations of the Bible, etc.)

However, it's still C of E. As a Protestant group, Anglicans think that Roman Catholics have some pretty serious misunderstandings of the teachings of Jesus and the early Church about theology (and obviously RCs think the same about Protestants). For instance, most Anglicans think that a lot of the language about bread and wine etc is symbolic not literally true, and they disagree that the Pope is anything more than an important bishop. RC theology tends to maintain that a spiritual/metaphysical change happens when becoming a priest; Anglicans think that a priest is more a representative of the people as well as a minister of God (so the C of E has a 'bottom up' structure, with elected councils to represent congregations, as well as a 'top down' structure). There are also a lot of more subtle and obscure differences about how the two traditions understand the role of Jesus and how people are saved, and even which books count as being in the Bible.

Tldr; Anglicans (very) vaguely agree on what they believe, and that it's different to RC or Orthodox ("theology"), but the differ about how to express that ("ecclesiology"). You could set exactly the same lyrics to a classical operatic aria or a modern pop-song! Individual Anglicans find a church which fits their style.

[5zeds]

Catholics have some pretty serious misunderstandings of the teachings of Jesus and the early Church about theology 🤣🤣🤣🤣(and obviously RCs think the same about Protestants).

I think there’s a teeny smidge of historical tension in this posters explanation.

[PhotoDad]

@5zeds

Catholics have some pretty serious misunderstandings of the teachings of Jesus and the early Church about theology 🤣🤣🤣🤣(and obviously RCs think the same about Protestants).

I think there’s a teeny smidge of historical tension in this posters explanation.

Well, literal wars were fought over this! I was trying to be diplomatic! 😀

(Actually I think that the wars were about other things and the Reformations were a convenient excuse, but...)

[5zeds]

There was a lot of charging about burning monasteries and slaughtering Priests. I’m not sure that’s “war” exactly. Pretty little CofE Churches dating from before the 15 hundreds were obviously originally Catholic Churches pre-Henry the 8th needing divorce.

My understanding was that High Church was more ritualistic and Low, more plain. Catholic mass very rarely involves incense.

[PhotoDad]

@5zeds

There was a lot of charging about burning monasteries and slaughtering Priests. I’m not sure that’s “war” exactly. Pretty little CofE Churches dating from before the 15 hundreds were obviously originally Catholic Churches pre-Henry the 8th needing divorce.

My understanding was that High Church was more ritualistic and Low, more plain. Catholic mass very rarely involves incense.

@5zeds Oh, sorry, I was talking about Protestantism more generally! (The Thirty Years' War was incredibly brutal.) Roman Catholic services have changed a lot more than Anglo-Catholic one since then.