Tradition of women priests lives in art

Catholic New Times, Sept 26, 2004 by Dorothy Irvin

This oil painting by an unknown artist dates to about 1500, and hangs in the museum of the former Cistercian cloister in Bebenhausen, Germany.

The beautiful, richly robed women seem to unify elements from several periods in history. The woman on the left has three objects. The crown and the sword indicate she might be St. Agnes or another martyr. In her left hand is a bible. She is a scholar and teacher.

The woman in the centre carries a tall, gold processional cross, not as mark of individual piety but of public ecclesiastical office. The woman on the right hold a ciborium, and she points to a host and ciborium, which are at the centre of the painting.

The painter was likely a skilled woman painting in the late Middle Ages.