Today, no Orthodox Cburch anywlere in the world ordains women priests. However,there is some movement in this area. To the extent that in November 1988, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople organised in Rhodes "an inter-orthodox consultation on the place of women in the Church and the ordination of women" For the first time In the history of the Orthodox Church, women were taking part in a high-level ecclesiastical conference. Despite a call for a possible re-establishment of women deacons, women priests were rejected. We questioned two Orthodox theologians who have considered the matter, Elisabeth Behr-Sigel and Nicolas Lossky.

"The Orthodox Church can no longer allow itself to say that it is a subject which does not concern it. Today roughly a third of theology students in the Orthodox seminary of St Vladimir in New York are women. At the Institut Saint Serge in Paris, women are given the responsibility for reading theology. I am not saying that women must be ordained in the Orthodox Church tomorrow, I am saying that the matter must be investigated, What shocks me about the refusal to make women priests is that people argue that women cannot receive the gifts of ordination, because, after all, the priesthood emanates from Christ. He is the only Priest and we are all united to his priesthood. On this context, some people are set aside, by virtue of particular gifts/charisms, to take on the pastoral charge. It is clear in the early church, women fulfilled functions that they no longer fulfil today because one only has the right to them through ordination.

Against the ordination of women some people raise the powerful symbolism of "Christ, Bridegroom of the Church". The priest, Icon of Christ, ought therefore be a man, he also is marrying the Church. This concept comes from the idea of sexual relation where the man inseminates and the woman receives. This symbol of the Bridegroom Christ is an image to say that the Church is totally dependent and receptive in its relationship to Christ, which is true, Having said that, this symbol is not to be taken for a biological or anthropological reality, Furthermore, the priest does not represent Christ but the Church. At the crucial and solemn moment of the Liturgy, the epeclesls, the priest asks for the Holy Spirit's presence with the gifts and "with us". He represents the Church at that moment,

Also, individuality transcends sex. Differences of function within the Church are based on Charisma, on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. St Paul affirms that these gifts are distributed to individuals and are according to sex. Men and women are different psychologically and biologically, but they can fulfil the same function in different ways. One must guard against restricting men and women within ontological definition. Fortunately, human vices and virtues are equally distributed. The argument, based on the idea of difference, that says women have other things to do than become priests is therefore irrelevant.

Orthodox Christians must ask themselves if the ordination of women brings into question the whole faith in a church,.and the Orthodox understanding of the ministry of the priesthood. Is it no more a matter for the historical expression of this ministry? An area where variation, evolution, some degree of pluralism, are not only permissible but desirable. In the line of interpreting signs of the times, under the guidance of the Church to whom Christ himself invites his disciples. For my part, I hope to play down the matter. For the moment my thoughts are not considered heresy."

Nicolas Lossky is Professor of Church History in the Institute of Saint Serge; teaches the history of the Church of England at Nanterre, and directs the Advance Institute of Ecumenical Studies at the Institut Catholique de Paris

"It is said that the priest represents Christ, in particular in the Eucharist. But Ignatius of Antioch said that the priest is in the place of Christ and not that he represents him. The Eucharist is not a re-enactment but a memorial. There is no objection to women in Christ's place. We are all equal in Him.

I have overcome childhood hangups over seeing a woman at the altar. It does not shock me. But this is not the question. The real question is : what gives us the right to exclude women from this charisma simply because they are women? I do not know if it is right to ordain women, but to say it can't be done because it has not been done for 2000 years no longer seems valid to me. Orthodox Christians must get to work starting from this question. It opens up the real debate over the universal ministry of those baptised and the specific ministry of various functions within the Church.

It also poses the question of the difference within the Church, between power and authority. The authority of the Church is not that of one person, it is shared. No part of tbe body can say to another l h ave no need of you( I Cor. 12). If there are one day women priests in the Orthodox Church it will be the result of unanimous agreement achieved by listening to the Holy Spirit. This ministry will be all the more difficult to achieve in that this question is new and comes from outside. Moreover there is no unanimity to say why the Church must not ordain women. It seems to me that is can no longer afford not to debate the question".