Referring to the old tradition of Catholic, the Holy Thursday, the Protestant theology professor of Basle University of Swiss, Reinhold Bernhardt, pointed out that today the pope and the priests also wash the feet of 12 ordinary people in Thursday. At the past, they only washed the feet of men, but the rule has been changed since 2003 and now the feet of the women are also washed in order to highlight the role of women in Catholic Church which, of course, does not imply the women’s appointment in the church hierarchy, public relations of WFRC reported.
Explaining that in the Catholic religion the women can not be appointed as the leader or chief of the church, he told that in the Catholic religion spiritual leadership belongs only to the single religious clergymen; the women, of course, can hold official and administrative positions as well as the position of theology professor.
Explaining the reason that why in the Catholic religion only men should take the position of spiritual leadership, Professor Reinhold Bernhardt told that it is because of the apostles, being male and single and added that movements have been made by the women in churches to take the position of spiritual leadership, but it is unlikely that the Vatican will accept it in the future.
Referring to the differences between the Catholic and the Protestant he pointed out that in the Catholic doctrine appointing not the women in the position of spiritual leadership is considered a divine law, but in the Protestant doctrine it is regarded as a changeable human rule; for this reason we have seen the women taking positions in Protestant church during the last 50 years. Most of American churches also have appointed women in different church positions since the end of 19th century.
Professor Reinhold Bernhardt told that 10-12% of the priests in the Protestant church in the United States are women and added that there are still some sects in the United States that do not accept the appointment of the women in church positions. Of course the Catholic and the Orthodox churches also oppose this matter and it can be told, as a whole, that there are many disagreements in this regard among churches.
He explained that the appointment of the women in church positions originates from women’s and feminist movements, pointing out that masculinity is deeply rooted in Christianity and the question arises here as to whether it is a historical matter or it forms the main essence of Christianity.
Professor Reinhold Bernhardt added that from the Protestant perspective masculinity is a historical matter and from the Catholic perspective it is an essential matter, therefore it is easier for the women to take positions in Protestant church hierarchy.
Professor Reinhold Bernhardt stated that Jesus Christ had a critical look at the nature of patriarchy in his time and never considered the women as the second gender. He removed these ideas and even one of the famous figures “Mary Magdalene” was accompanying him based on which the Protestant theory has been formed.