According to Catholic canons, a woman cannot become either the head of the church - the Pope, or an ordinary priest. However, there is a legend according to which a woman once occupied the papal throne.
The question of the female priesthood
The question of the female priesthood is usually raised by modern Christian churches. Thanks to women's emancipation and the spread of liberal ideas in the world, even Christians believe that the usurpation of the role of priest by men is unfair. This applies, first of all, to the Protestant denominations of the new wave. Supports the idea of introducing a female priesthood and part of the traditional Evangelical Lutheran Church. However, all the ancient Apostolic Churches, including Catholicism, unequivocally condemn and reject female clergy, believing that the priest is a type of Christ himself, whom a woman cannot symbolize.
Supporters of the female clergy consider this position to be incorrect and discriminatory, because both men and women have an image of God, which is much more important than sex differences.
Although in the ancient church there was an institution of so-called deaconess-ministers who had great informal authority in the church hierarchy.
The Tradition of Pope John
In accordance with strict Catholic canons, a woman cannot occupy the highest office of the Catholic Church. But from the Middle Ages, an amazing legend has come down to us, claiming that one day it did happen. It is believed that the woman occupied the Roman throne under the name of Pope John the Eighth. Legend has it that the future Papess was born on the day of the death of Charlemagne in the family of an English missionary, and at the age of twenty, overwhelmed by a craving for knowledge, retired to the Fuldi monastery. After meeting with a monk, she went with him to Athos. Then she settled in Rome under the guise of a young monk and surprised the Pope with her scholarship. Then she became one of the Pope's assistants and gradually rose to his personal secretary. Then she became a notary for the curia - for her good nature and broad scholarship, she was made a cardinal. So, she became the Pope himself.
Some insist that as a result of the discovery of the Pope, the Vatican introduced a new rite - any candidate for the holy throne now sits on a special throne with a slot, where he is tested for male dignity.
According to legend, Joanna got involved with her guard and became pregnant. She hid her pregnancy with magnificent papal robes, but one day, during a solemn procession, she suffered a miscarriage and a maddened fanatical crowd tore the imaginary Pope John apart. They say that the only Papess in the history of mankind was distinguished by a gentle calm disposition and wise government.
