To say that society dictates what we do is an understatement, because society dictates so much more than that. We allow society to dictate our beliefs, our morals, and even the things we hold to be true. Society tells us that men should be the leaders, and we believe that and make assumptions based on this. Most Catholics would say that Women cannot be priests, and will tell you that they know it because it is in the bible. The truth is that there is nowhere in the bible in which Jesus states women cannot be priests. In fact, Jesus' teachings as well as history would tell us that the opposite is true. They would lead us to believe that not only is the role of the celebrant a gender-neutral role, but that the original celebrants were indeed women.In the catacombs under the streets of Rome, a new section has been discovered with a number of frescos painted on the walls. This, in itself, is not unusual, but the stories they tell and the history they convey are quite different from what many believe. These frescos depict people with outstretched hands signifying a priest, a group at a table breaking bread as if having a mass, and another figure is laying hands on the head of someone like a bishop ordaining a priest. What is striking is that these figures appear to be women. While many argue that the figures are men, a close look at the frescos reveals many feminine characteristics. Some of these characteristics are much more prevalent in some than in others. The paintings of women with outstretched hands and the bishop ordaining a priest are the easiest to distinguish. These figures have a woman's long hair and physique. There are no masculine characteristics about them. The figures around the table are not as easily distinguishable. Out of the seven at the table, one is clearly a female. The other, however, would be difficult to distinguish if not for a common trait that is found in all of the frescos. The garments being w...
