Re: Theos-World Leadbeater and the ordination of women
May 24, 2005 05:40 PM
by Cass Silva
Dear Gregory
And I thought it was because should a divorce occur who would get the property? Especially if the married couple built the little church and carekeepers cottage with community funds.
Re: Apostolic succession. Some people can make a buck out of anything.
Cass
gregory@zeta.org.au wrote:
Leadbeater claimed, on the basis of his alleged clairvoyant research, that
women could not be ordained to the Christian priesthood because of the nature
of their psychic constructions: Christian ordination only “worked” on male
bodies. The Liberal Catholic Church’s General Episcopal Synod recently
confirmed this view (and this led to Liberal Catholics who rejected this view
breaking from the Church).
Leadbeater did not claim that women could not be ordained for a “feminine
religion” (for which, presumably, men could not be ordained). Indeed, he
established the basis for such a new religion, but it seems to have failed to
thrive. The following extract from my paper on the history of the Egyptian
Rite may be of interest: it identifies another hitherto unpublicized secret
group within the Adyar TS:
“Leadbeater also used the Egyptian Rite as a vehicle for his interest in “work
for the World Mother”. The esoteric “work for the World Mother” was initiated
by Leadbeater in an inner group of members of the ES in Sydney in 1925.
Leadbeater also sought to establish a further esoteric group: a feminine
equivalent of the Christian Religion for the revival of ancient women’s
mysteries. He claimed that a form of “apostolic succession” from the World
Mother was transmitted through him to four young women among the “Seven
Virgins of Java” whom he “consecrated” as the female equivalents in this
feminine religion of bishops in the masculine Christianity. Jinarajadasa
commented in an ES document of 1948
Though the original four consecrated by the Holy Mother have lost interest in
the work, nevertheless the succession given to them has been passed on, though
for the moment it remains in abeyance.
And Jinarajadasa foreshadows
a secret organization confined to women only, working through one or more
rituals under their officers, which the World Mother will use as a special
channel of Her forces for the world. Such a secret organization will not be
confined to women of one race or faith only; it will be for all women,
provided they qualify themselves, as is the case with all secret
organizations. If such a ritual body is to be Her channel, it must begin with
those on whom She has conferred her “apostolic succession”....When those who
have the “succession” inform me that they have begun the work, then will be
time to make an announcement to the E.S.”
Any information on this “secret organization” will be gratefully received!
Dr Gregory Tillett
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