Santa Febe,
Icona della santa
Sainte Phoebé
Ministre de l'Église à
Cenchrées (Ier siècle)
Sainte Phoebé habitait à Corinthe et saint Paul la mentionne dans son épître aux Romains (16, 1-2). Voulant faire de cette ville le centre de ses missions en Achaie, il habitait soit chez Aquila, soit chez Phoebé. Elle devint ministre de l'Église à Cenchrées, l'un des deux ports de Corinthe.
Commémoraison de sainte Phoebé, ministre de l'Église de Cenchrées, qui prit
soin de l'Apôtre saint Paul et de beaucoup de gens, comme il l'atteste lui-même
dans sa lettre aux Romains.
Martyrologe romain
Lettre de saint Paul
Apôtre aux Romains, chapitre 16
01 Je vous
recommande Phébée notre sœur, ministre de l’Église qui est à Cencrées ;
02 accueillez-la
dans le Seigneur comme il convient à des fidèles ; aidez-la en toute
affaire où elle aurait besoin de vous, car elle a prêté assistance à beaucoup
de gens, de même qu’à moi.
03 Saluez de ma part
Prisca et Aquilas, mes compagnons de travail en Jésus Christ,
04 eux qui ont
risqué leur tête pour me sauver la vie ; je ne suis d’ailleurs pas seul à
leur être reconnaissant, toutes les Églises des nations le sont aussi.
05 Saluez l’Église
qui se rassemble dans leur maison. Saluez mon cher Épénète, qui fut le premier
à croire au Christ dans la province d’Asie.
06 Saluez Marie, qui
s’est donné beaucoup de peine pour vous.
07 Saluez Andronicos
et Junias qui sont de ma parenté. Ils furent mes compagnons de captivité. Ce
sont des apôtres bien connus ; ils ont même appartenu au Christ avant moi.
08 Saluez Ampliatus,
qui m’est cher dans le Seigneur.
09 Saluez Urbain,
notre compagnon de travail dans le Christ, et mon cher Stakys.
10 Saluez Apellès,
qui a fait ses preuves dans le Christ. Saluez les gens de chez Aristobule.
11 Saluez Hérodion
qui est de ma parenté. Saluez les gens de chez Narcisse, ceux qui croient au
Seigneur.
12 Saluez Tryphène
et Tryphose, elles qui se donnent de la peine dans le Seigneur. Saluez la chère
Persis, qui s’est donné beaucoup de peine dans le Seigneur.
13 Saluez Rufus,
choisi par le Seigneur, et sa mère qui est aussi la mienne.
14 Saluez Asyncrite,
Phlégon, Hermès, Patrobas, Hermas, et les frères qui sont avec eux.
15 Saluez Philologue
et Julie, Nérée et sa sœur, et Olympas, et tous les fidèles qui sont avec eux.
16 Saluez-vous les
uns les autres par un baiser de paix. Toutes les Églises du Christ vous
saluent.
17 Je vous exhorte,
frères, à faire attention à ceux qui provoquent des divisions et des scandales
contrairement à l’enseignement que vous avez reçu : évitez-les !
18 Car les gens de
cette espèce ne sont pas au service de notre Seigneur le Christ, mais de leurs
propres appétits ; par leurs bonnes paroles et leurs éloges, ils séduisent
les cœurs sans malice.
19 Votre obéissance
est connue de tous, et je m’en réjouis pour vous ; mais je veux que vous
soyez avisés en vue du bien, et sans compromission avec le mal.
20 Alors, sans
délai, le Dieu de la paix écrasera Satan sous vos pieds. Que la grâce de notre
Seigneur Jésus soit avec vous.
21 Timothée, mon
compagnon de travail, vous salue, ainsi que Lucius, Jason et Sosipatros, qui
sont de ma parenté.
22 Moi aussi,
Tertius, à qui cette lettre a été dictée, je vous salue dans le Seigneur.
23 Gaïus vous salue,
lui qui me donne l’hospitalité, à moi et à toute l’Église. Éraste, le trésorier
de la ville, et notre frère Quartus vous saluent.
25 À Celui qui peut
vous rendre forts selon mon Évangile qui proclame Jésus Christ : révélation
d’un mystère gardé depuis toujours dans le silence,
26 mystère
maintenant manifesté au moyen des écrits prophétiques, selon l’ordre du Dieu
éternel, mystère porté à la connaissance de toutes les nations pour les amener
à l’obéissance de la foi,
27 à Celui qui est
le seul sage, Dieu, par Jésus Christ, à lui la gloire pour les siècles. Amen.
SOURCE : https://www.aelf.org/bible/Rm/16
Quel était le rôle des
diaconesses dans l’Église primitive ?
Vincent Aucante - publié
le 22/06/20 - mis à jour le 22/04/24
L’Église des premiers
siècles a connu des diaconesses, dont le service principal était de préparer
les femmes au baptême. Une mission, puis une dignité qui disparaîtra au fil des
siècles, y compris dans les Églises orientales.
La première diaconesse
dont l’histoire a retenu le nom est sainte Phoebe de l’Église de Cenchrées,
mentionnée par saint Paul (Rm 1<6, 1). L’ordre des diaconesses est ensuite cité
régulièrement tout au long des premiers temps de l’Église, par exemple par
Pline le Jeune dans une de ses lettres à Trajan, ou par la Didascalie des
apôtres, texte vénérable du IIIe siècle. Les diaconesses assument
très tôt diverses missions au profit des communautés chrétiennes, surtout
auprès des femmes se préparant au baptême. Les Constitutions apostoliques précisent
au IVe siècle qu’elles sont ordonnées par l’évêque qui leur impose les
mains (VIII, 24). Elles seront plus tard rattachées aux ordres mineurs du
clergé séculier, au même rang que les sous-diacres.
Préparer au baptême
Les diaconesses sont
choisies dès les premiers siècles parmi les vierges et les veuves les plus
respectables. L’âge minimal pour l’ordination a varié avec le temps : d’abord
60 ans, puis 40, avant que cette exigence ne disparaisse. Leur principale
mission consiste à préparer les femmes catéchumènes au baptême. Elles les
instruisent donc au préalable, et l’on peut encore voir dans les catacombes la
trace des chaires qu’elles utilisaient, notamment dans la chapelle
Sainte-Émérentienne. Puis elles assistent l’évêque pendant la cérémonie du
baptême réalisée alors par immersion complète : elles soutiennent la baptisée
pendant son immersion, la sèchent et enduisent son corps avec le saint chrême, puis la revêtent de l’habit blanc pour la
suite de la cérémonie. Les diaconesses exercent un ministère de charité et
d’hospitalité tourné plus particulièrement vers les femmes : elles assistent
les mères, visitent les femmes malades et leur apportent la communion, font la
toilette funèbre des défuntes.
Des femmes illustres
Avec la conversion de
l’Europe au christianisme, que ce soit l’Empire romain ou les royaumes
barbares, la tâche principale des diaconesses rattachées à l’ordre séculier, le
baptême des femmes adultes, a progressivement disparu. S’éloignant des missions
paroissiales et baptismales, elles se sont progressivement rapprochées des
ordres réguliers, comme la célèbre Olympias, correspondante de saint Jean Chrysostome, ou la diaconesse Ourbicia qui
vivait en recluse à Jérusalem. Les ordres religieux vont un temps ordonner des
diaconesses, mais l’expression désigne désormais une dignité honorifique plus
qu’une mission. Ainsi, au VIe siècle, sainte Radegonde, épouse du sinistre
roi Clotaire, entre dans les ordres et est ordonnée diaconesse. Cette
distinction honorifique finit par disparaître de l’Église latine dans le
courant du Moyen Âge, bien que Thomas d’Aquin en défende encore l’utilité. Les
ordres mineurs seront ensuite exclus du sacrement de l’ordre par Pie XII en
1947.
L’Église syriaque,
l’Église maronite et les Églises grecques-orthodoxes vont garder la tradition
des diaconesses ordonnées pendant quelques siècles. Au Xe siècle, il
existe encore une zone réservée aux diaconesses dans la cathédrale Sainte-Sophie de Constantinople. Les
dernières diaconesses maronites disparaissent finalement au XIXe siècle.
Lire aussi :François
appelle à prier en avril pour “la dignité” des femmes du monde entier
Lire aussi :Décryptage
des Dubia : les femmes pourront-elles recevoir l’ordination sacerdotale?
SOURCE : https://fr.aleteia.org/2020/06/22/quel-etait-le-role-des-diaconesses-dans-leglise-primitive
Phoebé
Dictionnaire
encyclopédique de la Bible de Augustin Calmet
Diaconesse du port de
Corinthe, nommé Cenchrée. Saint Paul avait une considération toute particulière
pour cette sainte femme ; et Théodoret croit que l’Apôtre logea chez elle
pendant quelque temps, durant son séjour à Corinthe et aux environs. On croit
qu’elle porta à Rome la lettre qu’il écrivit aux Romains, et où elle est louée
et recommandée d’une manière si avantageuse. Je vous recommande notre sœur
Phoebé, dit-il (Romains 16.1-2), diaconesse de l’Église qui est au port de
Cenchrée, afin que vous la receviez au nom du Seigneur d’une manière digne des
saints, et que vous l’assistiez dans toutes les choses où elle pourrait avoir
besoin de vous ; car elle en a assisté elle-même plusieurs, et moi en
particulier.
Quelques nouveaux ont
avancé que Phoebé était la femme de saint Paul ; mais aucun ancien n’a
rien dit de semblable. On croit qu’en qualité de diaconesse elle était employée
dans l’Église dans quelque ministère convenable à son sexe et à sa condition,
comme de visiter et d’instruire les femmes chrétiennes, de les servir dans
leurs maladies, de leur distribuer des aumônes. Les martyrologes font mémoire
de Phœbé le troisième jour de septembre.
Le Dictionnaire
historique, critique, chronologique, géographique et littéral de la Bible, en
plus de donner la définition des mots de toute la Bible, aborde des aspects
historiques, linguistiques, culturels, ethnographiques et géographiques qui
pourraient échapper au croyant.
SOURCE : https://www.bible.audio/definition-calmet-3803-Phoebe.htm
La foi en action > Sur les pas de saint Paul
Vie et voyages de saint
Paul apôtre
Chronique hebdomadaire
sur le cheminement de Paul de Tarse, de sa naissance à sa mort, par le Père
Yvon-Michel Allard, s.v.d.
Deuxième voyage
missionnaire de Paul
35. Paul à Corinthe
Dès son arrivée à
Corinthe, Paul se met au travail et se lie d'amitié avec deux tisserands:
Prisca (Priscille) et Aquilas.
À Corinthe, Paul cherche du travail chez un couple juif originaire de Rome : Prisca et Aquilas. C’étaient des tisserands qui tenaient un bazar de tapis dans la ville. Ils ne pouvaient se douter, qu'à partir de ce moment, leurs noms seraient inscrits dans l'histoire de la jeune Église. Avec une hospitalité tout orientale, ils acceptent de loger l'étranger. Le couple considérait un honneur de recevoir chez eux un docteur de la Loi comme ouvrier et comme hôte. C'est ainsi que commença l’une des plus belles et des plus fécondes amitiés de l’Église naissante. Prisca et Aquilas étaient déjà chrétiens car Paul ne mentionne pas leur nom parmi ceux et celles qu'il a baptisés à Corinthe.
Tisserands prospères,
Aquilas et Prisca apportèrent un soutien considérable à Paul. Ils le suivront
jusqu'à Éphèse et Rome, faisant de leur maison une église domestique. Prisca
devint l'un des personnages féminins les plus influents de l'Église primitive.
Aquilas était originaire
de la région du Pont, près de la Mer Noire. Il s'était établi à Rome et y avait
exercé son métier de tisseur de toiles et de fabriquant de tentes. Dans
l'Antiquité où chaque voyageur avait besoin d'une tente, ce métier était pratiqué
à échelle industrielle. Il a probablement connu sa femme à Rome. Paul la nomme
Prisca, alors que Luc utilise le nom de Priscille. Quatre fois sur six, elle
est nommée en premier, ce qui est un indice de son importance. Elle devint l’un
des personnages féminins les plus influents de l'Église primitive. Aucune des
femmes qui ont soutenu Paul dans sa prédication, n'a reçu un éloge semblable au
sien : «Saluez Prisca et Aquilas, mes coopérateurs dans le Christ
Jésus. Pour me sauver la vie, ils ont risqué leur tête, et je ne suis pas seul
à leur devoir la gratitude : c’est le cas de toutes les Églises de la
gentilité; saluez aussi l’Église qui se réunit chez eux» (Romains 16,
3-5).
En 49 ap. J.-C., le couple avait été forcé de quitter Rome à cause d'un décret - bientôt annulé d'ailleurs - de l'empereur Claude. Ce décret fut prononcé, d'après Suétone, parce que des émeutes avaient éclaté dans le ghetto juif de Rome, «sur les instigations d'un certain Chrestos». Les aventures de ce couple sont caractéristiques de la vie errante et agitée des Juifs dispersés dans l'Empire romain. Plus tard, nous les rencontrons à Éphèse, puis à Rome, et finalement encore une fois à Éphèse.
Dès son arrivée à
Corinthe, Paul se met au travail pour gagner son pain. À une époque où le
travail manuel était considéré comme un déshonneur et bon seulement pour les
basses classes sociales et pour les esclaves, l'exemple de Paul était quelque
chose d'absolument novateur. Il fallut longtemps pour que cette conception
chrétienne du travail puisse prévaloir. Les Grecs et les Romains n’avaient que
mépris pour le travail manuel qui était réservé aux plus pauvres et aux
esclaves. Chez les Juifs, par contre, l'Ancien Testament avait créé, autour de
l'ouvrier, une atmosphère de respect social. Chez Paul, ce respect s'appuyait
sur sa conception de l'homme, temple du Saint-Esprit, et sur la fraternité de
tous les êtres humains dans le Christ. «Quiconque méprise un frère ne
méprise pas un homme, mais Dieu.»
Suivant sa méthode
habituelle de travail, Paul commence par présenter son message aux Israélites.
Il réussit deux conversions importantes : celles de Crispus et de
Sosthène, deux responsables de la synagogue. De nombreuses autres suivirent,
mais la majorité des Juifs lui était hostile. Les accusations ordinaires
d'impiété et de sacrilège, ne manquent pas. «Une nuit, dans une vision, le
Seigneur dit à Paul : Sois sans crainte, continue de parler, ne te tais pas.
Car je suis avec toi et personne ne mettra la main sur toi pour te faire du
mal, parce que j’ai à moi un peuple nombreux dans cette ville. Il séjourna là
un an et six mois, enseignant aux gens la parole de Dieu.» (Actes 18,
9-11)
Pendant que Paul
travaillait et prêchait à Corinthe, Silas et Timothée arrivèrent de Macédoine.
Ils apportaient de l'argent de Thessalonique et de Philippes. Il est facile de
supposer qui étaient les généreux donateurs de cette contribution monétaire :
Lydie de Philippes et Jason de Thessalonique.
À Corinthe, Paul
rencontre une autre femme exceptionnelle dans le port de Cenchrées. Il s'agit
de Phoebée, femme d’affaires pleine d'entregent et grande voyageuse. Convertie
au christianisme, elle va patronner l'activité de Paul, le représenter si
nécessaire en justice et surtout témoigner de sa citoyenneté romaine. Autour de
Phoebée, une nouvelle communauté chrétienne va se développer. Plus tard, Paul
recommandera Phoebée aux Romains comme «notre soeur, diaconesse de
l'Église de Cenchrées». Il souhaitera qu'on «lui offre dans le Seigneur un
accueil digne des saints» et que, dans le cas où elle en aurait
besoin, on l'aide «car elle a été une protectrice pour bien des gens et
pour moi-même». (Romains 16, 1-2) C’est elle qui apportera à Rome l’épître de
Paul aux Romains.
La communauté de Corinthe
nous est connue par les deux lettres que Paul lui adressera un peu plus tard.
Composée de Grecs, de Romains et de Juifs, de riches et de pauvres, d’esclaves
et d’hommes libres, de lettrés et d’ignorants, d’hommes et de femmes, cette
Église est un bel exemple des communautés fondées par Paul. La diversité sera
source de difficultés mais favorisera en même temps un modèle admirable d’unité
dans la diversité. Elle donnera aussi à Paul l'occasion de s'exprimer sur la
nature de l'Église comparée au corps humain où chaque membre a une fonction au
service de l’unité, de la cohésion et de l’entraide (1 Corinthiens 12).
À Corinthe, on se réunit
dans des maisons privées où l'on prend le repas en commun. Conformément à
l'attitude qu'il avait préconisée à Antioche, Paul n'empêche aucun des nouveaux
chrétiens d'assister aux nombreuses fêtes juives ou païennes que l'on célèbre
dans la ville. A ceux et celles - surtout juifs - qui montrent des réticences,
il explique qu'il ne faut pas se singulariser. L'assistance aux célébrations
permet de nouer des relations utiles pour la diffusion du message chrétien.
Paul devra prendre
position sur les viandes immolées aux idoles dans un milieu où, en raison de
leur appartenance sociale, les chrétiens sont contraints de consommer ces
viandes offertes dans les banquets publics. Il abordera aussi des questions de
moralité sexuelle (1 Corinthiens 6, 12-20) en raison de l'importance de la
prostitution dans la cité.
Après un certain temps,
Paul sera de nouveau accusé par les autorités juives de contrevenir à la loi
romaine qui interdit le prosélytisme et les cultes illicites. Ceci provoque la
rupture avec la synagogue comme ce fut le cas à Antioche de Pisidie et à
Thessalonique. Paul secoua la poussière de ses vêtements, comme pour se libérer
de toute responsabilité personnelle : «Que votre sang soit sur votre tête.
Pour moi, j'en suis innocent. Désormais, je m'en vais auprès des
Gentils.» C'était une sorte d'excommunication, la première utilisée par
Paul.
Titius Justus lui offrit alors sa maison pour les réunions de la communauté chrétienne. Paul accepta avec joie et, dans la cour intérieure, il continua à instruire les intéressés. La communauté juive se scinda en deux groupes. Certains rentrèrent à la synagogue, d’autres accompagnèrent Paul dans la maison de Titius. La séparation était faite et la première Église des Gentils était fondée à Corinthe.
La semaine prochaine : Les
premières eucharisties chrétiennes
SOURCE : https://www.cursillos.ca/action/st-paul/paul35-paulacorinthe.htm
Lageplan
von Kenchreai und Lechaion, Friedrich Wilhelm Putzger historischer Weltatlas 1925
Also
known as
Febe
Foibe
Profile
Christian matron,
and likely a widow.
Deaconess at Cenchrese, Greece.
Delivered Saint Paul the
Apostle‘s Epistle to the church in Rome, Italy, and
is praised by him in it. Saint John
Chrysostom wrote a
sermon singing her praises.
Additional
Information
Book of
Saints, by the Monks of
Ramsgate
Roman
Martyrology, 1914 edition
books
Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
other
sites in english
images
sitios
en español
Martirologio Romano, 2001 edición
fonti
in italiano
websites
in nederlandse
Readings
I commend to you Phoebe
our sister, who is [also] a minister of the church at Cenchreae, that you may
receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the holy ones, and help her in
whatever she may need from you, for she has been a benefactor to many and to me
as well. – Romans 16:1-2, NAB
MLA
Citation
“Saint Phoebe of
Rome“. CatholicSaints.Info. 5 February 2022. Web. 3 September 2024.
<https://catholicsaints.info/saint-phoebe/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-phoebe/
Article
(Saint) (September
3) (1st
century) A Christian matron,
zealous in all good works. She was a deaconess of Cenchrese, near Corinth,
highly commended by Saint Paul,
and bearer to Rome of
his Epistle to that Church (Romans 16:1,3). Saint John
Chrysostom has written a sermon extolling the merits of Saint Phoebe.
MLA
Citation
Monks of Ramsgate.
“Phoebe”. Book of Saints, 1921. CatholicSaints.Info.
2 September 2016. Web. 3 September 2024. https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-phoebe/
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-phoebe/
St. Phoebe
Feastday: September 3
Phoebe (also spelled
Feben or Phebe) was a notable first-century Christian woman mentioned in the
Epistle to the Romans by the Apostle Paul (Romans 16:1-2). She held a prominent
position within the church of Cenchreae and was entrusted by Paul to deliver
his letter to the Romans.
In Paul's commendation,
Phoebe is described as both a "servant" or "deacon" (Greek
diakonos) and a helper or patron of many (Greek prostatis), making her the only
woman in the New Testament to be specifically referred to with these
distinctions. Paul introduces Phoebe as his emissary to the church in Rome,
providing her with credentials due to their lack of acquaintance. The use of
the term "deacon" or "deaconess" should not be confused
with the modern usage of the word, "deacon," as the ancient
understanding was different from the modern.
Paul's letter to the
Romans was composed in Corinth between the years 56 and 58 AD, with the
intention of garnering support for an upcoming missionary journey to Spain.
Despite not having visited Rome, Paul would have been familiar with the
community through contacts like Priscilla and Aquila, who had previously
resided there. Scholars debate whether Chapter 16, containing Paul's
commendation of Phoebe, was intended for the Roman or Ephesian Christian
community.
In his letter, Paul
commends Phoebe as a deacon of the church in Cenchreae, urging the Roman
Christians to receive her warmly and assist her as needed, highlighting her
beneficence towards many, including himself.
Unfortunately, little
else is known of St. Phoebe primarily due to the lack of further mention and
the long history that is passed from her time to the present age.
SOURCE : https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=115
St. Phoebe — A Benefactor
to Many
The feast of St. Phoebe,
who was mentioned in St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, is Sept. 3.
Theresa
Doyle-Nelson Blogs September
6, 2020
I commend to you Phoebe
our sister, who is [also] a minister of the church at Cenchreae, that you may
receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the holy ones, and help her in
whatever she may need from you, for she has been a benefactor to many and to me
as well. ―Romans 16:1–2
The only reference to
Phoebe in the Bible occurs in the last chapter of Paul’s Letter to the
Romans. Although the mentioning is brief, much can be inferred from the two
verses offered. Many claim that the words surrounding Phoebe’s name strongly
suggest that it was Phoebe herself who actually delivered Paul’s letter to the
Christians in Rome. His written introduction of Phoebe to the Romans is
intriguing to ponder. It is full of warmth and praise, encouraging a wonderful,
accepting, and generous welcome, as if she were a holy one (a “saint”).
Because she is from the
Church in Cenchreae (a port in Greece a few miles from Corinth), it becomes
very plausible that she was Greek. Her ability and willingness to travel all
the way from Cenchreae to Rome shows that she had an outstanding belief in the
ways of Christ. Such a long and arduous journey had to have been made by
someone who was open to adventure and deeply committed to the mission.
Phoebe is mentioned as
being a “minister” (in some translations, a “deaconess”). The duties of a
minister or deaconess at that time in Church history are not clear, but it’s
safe to assume that the role entailed generous involvement and support one way
or another.
Paul also used the word “benefactor” (or “helper”) to
describe Phoebe. One can imagine some possibilities: No husband is mentioned,
so perhaps she was unmarried and had the time to devote herself to the needs of
the early Church. Perhaps she had the financial means to give monetary
assistance. Perhaps she offered her home as a place of worship.
Phoebe is an excellent
example of how women have crucial roles in the Church. Whatever talents they have,
there is a way to bring them to the altar.
Finding St. Phoebe in the
Bible
St. Phoebe’s memorial is
Sept. 3, and many women might turn to her for help with church ministries.
The four passages below may be used as a devotional to get to know St.
Phoebe a little better. Prayerfully meditating on and journaling about one
passage a day might inspire you to refresh or take up a new ministry at your
church.
Day 1) Romans 16:1–2
Day 2) Acts 18:18b
Day 3) Philippians 1:1
Day 4) 1 Timothy 3:8–13
Keywords:
Theresa
Doyle-Nelson Theresa Doyle-Nelson enjoys researching and writing about
holy people from the Bible. She has written for a variety of Catholic resources
and is the author of Saints
in Scripture. Theresa and her husband Chad have been married for over 30
years, and although their nest is now empty, their three adult sons have
growing families — providing enjoyable opportunities for growing gatherings and
grandchildren graces! Theresa and Chad are parishioners at the beautiful and
historic St. Stanislaus
Catholic Church in Bandera, Texas. You can find Theresa’s blog, “The
Hill Country Hermit” at TheresaDoyle-Nelson.blogspot.com.
SOURCE : https://www.ncregister.com/blog/st-phoebe-a-benefactor-to-many
Is Phoebe a
"Saint"?
by Felix Just, S.J.,
Ph.D.
A version of this article
was published in La Croix International on Aug. 28, 2023.
Some people have recently
asked:
Is Phoebe, the woman mentioned by Paul in Romans 16:1, considered a “saint” by
the Church?
The answer is
definitely YES, at least for Roman Catholics, as well as for Eastern
Orthodox Christians, Anglicans, Episcopalians, Lutherans,(1) and
possibly some other Christians.
On the one hand, she is
not currently included in the “Universal Calendar” of the Catholic Church,
meaning that her commemoration is not prescribed for Masses and other liturgical
celebrations (such as the Liturgy of the Hours) of the Church world-wide, and
thus her name may not be familiar to many people.
On the other hand, she
has been included for centuries in the “Roman Martyrology,” the official book
of the Catholic Church that lists thousands of saints, some for each day of the
calendar year. (See https://archive.org/details/MartRom2004/page/494/mode/2up for
the 2004 edition.)
Phoebe is the second of
eighteen entries for September 3. Her entry reads,
2. Commemorátio sanctae Phoebes,
ancíllae Dómini inter fidéles Cenchrénses, quae beáto Paulo Apóstolo
multísque ástitit, ipso testánte in epístula ad Romános.
[Translation: “Commemoration of Saint Phoebe, handmaid of the Lord
among the faithful of Cenchrenia, who stood by blessed Paul the Apostle and
many others, as he testified in his Epistle to the Romans.”]
So, she has clearly been
honored with the title “Saint” for many centuries, and there is no reason to
doubt or dispute this fact.
Some people might object
that she was never “officially canonized” by the Church. That may be true, but
it is also true for most of the saints of the first millennium, including all
the biblical figures that we indisputably venerate as saints. One must recall
that the formal processes of “canonization” (a Pope officially declaring
someone as a saint) began only in the 10th Century.
What does the Bible say
about Phoebe?
In the concluding chapter
of St. Paul’s letter to the Christian community in Rome, Phoebe(2) is not
only the first person Paul names, but he talks about her very highly and
positively:
“I commend to you Phoebe our sister (Gk. adelphē),
who is also a minister of the church (diakonos tēs ekklēsias) at
Cenchreae, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the holy
ones (hagioi), and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has
been a benefactor (prostatis) to many and to me as well.” (Rom
16:1-2, NAB).
Early Christians often
referred to each other as “brothers and sisters” and as “holy ones, saints”; so
Paul’s use of these terms here does not tell us much about Phoebe in
particular. Cenchreae was one of the two ports of the ancient city of Corinth,
where Paul almost certainly was when he wrote to the Christians in Rome (see 1
Cor 16:5-7; Rom 16:23; Acts 20:2-3).
Paul’s mentioning Phoebe
first in Romans 16 (before greetings to and from dozens of other people)
indicates that she most likely was the person who delivered his letter to Rome,
thus also serving as his representative to the Christians there. Moreover,
Paul’s reference to Phoebe is especially prominent in that he calls her a diakonos (“minister;
servant”) and a prostatis (“patron, benefactor”).
Does this mean Phoebe was
a “deacon”? Here we should be careful not to be anachronistic, since the
Church’s understanding of ordained ministries developed only gradually over the
first few centuries. In the Gospels, Jesus asks everyone who follows
him to be a “servant” (diakonos; Matt 20:26; 23:11; Mark 9:35; 10:43; John
12:26).(3)
The related Greek
words diakonein (“to serve, minister”) and diakonia (“service,
ministry”) are used dozens of times in the New Testament, not only for the
distribution of food, but also for a wide variety of other forms of service.
Interestingly, St. Stephen and the other men appointed to assist the apostles
in Acts 6:1-6 are never directly called “deacons” (diakonoi) in the Bible.
Instead of giving them any title, their role in “serving at table” is described
using the related words diakonia and diakoneo.
Yet the early
Christian diakonoi were not merely “servants”; they were clearly also
leaders in the early Church, including Timothy (1 Tim 4:6), Tychichus (Col 4:7;
Eph 6:21), and many others who are unnamed (2 Cor 11:23; Phil 1:1; 1 Tim
3:8-13).(4) The
apostle Paul also refers to himself as a diakonos at least eight
times (1 Cor 3:5; 2 Cor 3:6; etc.), and even calls Jesus Christ a diakonos twice
(Rom 15:8; Gal 2:17)!
Therefore, Paul’s
reference to Phoebe as a diakonos in Romans 16:1 clearly indicates
that she was a servant-leader, especially when paired with Paul’s mention of
her as a “patron” (prostatis) of many early Christians.(5)
Another question I was recently asked:
Can Saint Phoebe be celebrated in the liturgy of the Catholic Church?
Here the answer is both
Yes and No, depending on when, where, who, and why one wants to celebrate her.
If September 3 is a Sunday,
then all Masses should use the presidential prayers and lectionary readings
prescribed for the 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, rather than any liturgical
texts related to a saint.(6) However,
St. Phoebe could certainly be included in the introduction to the Mass, the
homily, the Prayers of the Faithful, the final announcements, and/or the parish
bulletin.
If September 3 is a
weekday, the Universal Calendar of the Catholic Church ordinarily requires the
liturgical celebration of St. Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church,
since he is ranked as an “Obligatory Memorial,” at least since 1969.(7) However,
while using the liturgical texts prescribed for St. Gregory, one can certainly
also include other saints (like St. Phoebe) in the homily and other parts of
the Mass, as mentioned above for Sundays. Moreover, in any parish dedicated to
St. Phoebe (is there one somewhere yet?), the celebration of her patronal feast
day would be a "Solemnity," which outranks the Memorial of St.
Gregory, according to the Church’s ranking of liturgical celebrations.(8)
Can we celebrate St.
Phoebe liturgically on any other day? The answer again depends on when and why
one wants to celebrate her. On the one hand, we should not normally ignore any
Solemnities (which includes all Sundays), Feasts, or Obligatory Memorials
prescribed for a particular day. However, the 2011 edition of
the General Instruction of the Roman Missal(9) states
that Votive Masses “of any given Saint” may be celebrated “in response to the
devotion of the faithful on weekdays in Ordinary Time, even if an Optional
Memorial occurs” (GIRM, 375).
Moreover, although Votive
Masses are generally forbidden on obligatory memorials, the General
Instruction allows for some exceptions: “If, however, some real necessity
or pastoral advantage calls for it, in the estimation of the rector of the
church or the Priest Celebrant himself, a Mass appropriate to the same may be
used in a celebration with the people” (GIRM, 376). So apart from days with solemnities and feasts,
one might consider what kind of “real necessity or pastoral advantage” would
allow for the celebration of a Votive Mass of St. Phoebe on other weekdays.
Finally, it is good to
remember that the Universal Calendar of the Catholic Church is not set in
stone, but is constantly evolving. Since the 1970’s, various Popes have made
over 50 changes to the calendar (see https://catholic-resources.org/Lectionary/Supplements.htm):
adding newly-canonized saints to the calendar; changing the dates of some
memorials; changing the rank of some celebrations (e.g., Mary Magdalene, July
22, was upgraded from a “Memorial” to a “Feast”), or even adding some biblical
characters to the calendar (e.g., changing the Memorial of St. Martha, July 29,
to now include her siblings: Sts. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus).
So, it is entirely
possible that St. Phoebe could someday be added to the liturgical calendar of
the Church, especially since she is the only woman explicitly referred to as
a diakonos in the Bible!
(Originally published in La Croix International on Aug. 28, 2023)
Addenda & Notes:
1)
Most Western and Eastern Christian Churches commemorate St. Phoebe on September
3, but the Lutheran Church celebrates her on October 25.
2) Phoebe is
a Latin version of the Greek name Φοίβη (Phoibē), which means "radiant,
bright, shining." In ancient Greek mythology, Phoebe is a
"Titan" who is related to the sun-god Apollo and the moon-goddess
Artemis.
3) Many
English-language versions of the Bible also use "servant" to
translate the common Greek noun doulos, which would better be translated
"slave," since it connotes more servile types of work and/or the
master/slave relationship that includes ownership of someone by another person.
In contrast, diakonos has no connotations of slavery or servile work.
4) Although
not directly using the noun diakonoi, the NT says that many other
individual men and women perform various kinds of "service" (using
the noun diakonia and/or the verb diakonein). See the Appendix
on the bottom of my webpage on "Ministry in the New
Testament."
5) Some
scholars suggest that Phoebe may not have been wealthy herself but was a
capable fundraiser, organizing her local community to support those in need.
Most biblical scholars, however, suggest that the title prostatis implies
that Phoebe herself was wealthy enough to support Paul and other early
Christians financially. Similarly, some women in the Gospels are said to use
their own resources to "serve" or "provide for" (diakonein)
the material needs of Jesus and his disciples (see Matt 27:55; Mark
15:41; Luke 8:1-3).
6) Four
types of "Proper Solemnities" can outrank the Sundays in Ordinary
Time in the Catholic Church's official "Table of Liturgical Days."
These include (a) "The Solemnity of the principal Patron of the
place, city or state"; (b) "The Solemnity of the dedication and
of the anniversary of the dedication of one's own church"; (c) "The
Solemnity of the Title of one's own church"; (d) "The Solemnity
either of the Title, or of the Founder, or of the principal Patron of an
order or congregation" (Universal Norms for the Liturgical Year and the
Calendar, #59). In such cases, Sept. 3 could be celebrated as the Solemnity of
St. Phoebe, rather than the 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time. However, I am unaware
or any place, church, or religious order for which Phoebe is a patron; so these
exceptions may not apply (yet), but they would if a diocese or parish or
religious order were dedicated to St. Phoebe sometime in the future!
7) Prior
to 1969, Sept. 3 was the Memorial of Pope St. Pius X, while St. Gregory
the Great was commemorated on March 12 (the day of his death in
604). With the 1969 reform of the liturgical calendar, however, St. Gregory was
moved to Sept. 3 (the anniversary of his election as Pope), and St. Pius
X was moved to Aug. 21 (the day after his death, which was Aug. 20, 1914).
8) According
to the Universal Norms mentioned in note 4 above, the
"Solemnity" of a patron saint would outrank the "Memorial"
of any other saint assigned to that day.
9)
The GIRM is available online at https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/general-instruction-of-the-roman-missal.
Resources and Related
Websites:
Discerning Deacons -
a Catholic organization that has St. Phoebe as their patron
St. Phoebe Center for the
Deaconess - a similar organization within the Orthodox Church
Saint Phoebe School for
Deacons - a partnership of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia and the
Episcopal Diocese of Southwestern Virginia
Phoebe
(biblical figure) - a good overview article on Wikipedia
St Phoebe - A Benefactor to Many - a nice brief blog
entry by Theresa Doyle-Nelson
Feast
of St. Phoebe - the preaching on Sept. 3, 2021, by Carolyn Osiek, RSCJ
(also on YouTube)
Bible
Character: Phoebe - a short video produced by Dan Daly, SJ
Click
here for a printable PDF version of this article.
SOURCE : https://catholic-resources.org/Bible/Phoebe.htm
Household Names
Junia, Phoebe, &
Prisca in Early Christian Rome
April 23, 2018
Please email comments
to letters@commonwealmagazine.org.
Paul’s letter to the
Romans is arguably the most significant theological text in Christian history.
The longest and most fully developed exposition of Paul’s thought, it examines
among other things the nature of God, the origin of sin, the means of salvation,
the relationship between Jews and Gentiles, and matters of ethics and ritual.
Many Christians have read it, in one form or another. But few readers focus on
the end of the letter, where Paul greets almost thirty people in the nascent
assemblies of Roman Christians. After all, it seems mostly like an ordinary
exchange of pleasantries and commendations.
But pay closer attention
to whom Paul addresses and a surprise emerges: the status of women in the early
church in Rome. Specifically, three women: Junia, Phoebe, and Prisca. They are
not household names. They are not mentioned from pulpits on Sunday morning. But
they were undeniably important to Paul—and to the Christian assemblies in Rome
and Corinth, where they were authoritative leaders.
If you’ve never heard of Junia, you can be forgiven; very little is known about
her. Yet what we do know is remarkable. Paul greets “Andronicus and Junia” in
Rome as “my relatives and fellow prisoners,” who are “prominent among the
apostles” and were “in Christ before me” (Rom 16:7). The plain sense of the
text suggests that this pair is probably a couple, biologically related to Paul
in some way, converts to discipleship in Christ prior to Paul—making them
exceedingly early Christians indeed—and also distinguished or outstanding among
the “apostles.” In its etymological and everyday use, the Greek word apostolos meant
one “sent out” or “dispatched” for a purpose. It was even used in such a way by
Paul, about the messenger Epaphroditus (Phil 2:25). But outside the context of
travel and delivery, the term usually denoted a person who had been sent out by
Christ himself. This is why Mary Magdalene in Christian tradition came to be
called the apostola apostolorum, the “apostle to the apostles.” As the
first witness to the resurrected Jesus, she was dispatched by him with a
message to the rest of his apostles. The very reason that Paul struggled to
defend his own authority as an apostle was that he had not met or been
commissioned by Jesus on earth, but only through a visionary experience of him
as resurrected (e.g., 2 Cor 12:1-12).
Why would so few of us
know of a woman called “apostle” in first-century Rome? Junia was a victim of
the Bible’s manuscript tradition, in which she was erased from existence by her
transition to a man named “Junias.” That saga of textual transmission has been
expertly charted by Eldon Jay Epp in his book, Junia: The First Woman
Apostle. Epp is among the leading scholars of textual criticism, which is the
practice of discerning the when, how, and why of manuscript transmissions and
edits. The Pontifical Biblical Commission defines it in positive terms as the
first step of historical-critical method: “Basing itself on the testimony of
the oldest and best manuscripts, as well as of papyri, certain ancient versions
and patristic texts, textual-criticism seeks to establish, according to fixed
rules, a biblical text as close as possible to the original” (The
Interpretation of the Bible in the Church). Epp’s arguments require knowledge
of ancient Greek, but in short, his book persuasively demonstrates that the
best reading of the oldest manuscript tradition is the feminine name “Junia.”
The masculine “Junias” was introduced at a later date by copyists, if not
intentionally then perhaps unintentionally due to a subconscious bias that
someone called “apostle” would also be a man.
To rediscover a
“prominent,” “distinguished,” or “outstanding” woman apostle in early Christian
Rome would on its own be a notable find. But there is much more to mine from
Paul’s greetings to Rome.
Paul describes Phoebe at
the beginning of his greetings, but she was not a native of the community in
Rome. Rather, he “commends” her as a “minister” (diakonos) of the church at
Cenchreae, the eastern harbor city of Corinth in Greece. She had been a “benefactor”
(prostatis) to many, and to Paul as well. He urges the Romans “to receive her
in the Lord in a manner worthy of the holy ones” (Romans 16:1-2).
As in the case of Junia,
interpreters of these facts about Phoebe have often downplayed their
significance. One could minimize her status as “deacon/minister” by noting that
these were incipient church offices, not the fully developed “deacons” of later
centuries (see also “Will the
Church Get Women Deacons?”, Commonweal, July 8, 2016). One could
minimize the term prostatis by restricting it to only monetary
support, as in the translation “benefactor.” And one might minimize Paul’s
“letter of recommendation” for her by assuming that he would say this about any
Christian sister traveling on dangerous Roman roads.
But concerning all three
of her attributes, a fuller reading of the evidence is warranted. Though it is
probably true that she was not a “deacon” in the sense of later church offices,
that is not a strike against her authoritative leadership. None of the church
offices, including those ascribed to men, were clearly established and defined
by the mid-first century. (In any case, the most important term of authority at
that time was not bishop, presbyter, or deacon, but “apostle,” the title for
which Paul fought so hard—and the one which he presumed everyone in Rome knew
Junia already had.)
Archaeological evidence
shows that some Christians of later centuries certainly viewed Phoebe as a
forerunner of women deacons, in the official sense of the term. In their
admirable Ordained Women in the Early Church, Carolyn Osiek, RSCJ, and Kevin
Madigan catalog sixty-five ancient inscriptions about women deacons. The vast
majority come from eastern Christian communities (Greece, Asia Minor, the Holy
Land, Syria), while only a few come from Rome, Gaul, or North Africa. Yet the
geographical breadth of the “find spots” (from modern-day France all the way to
Syria) suggests that the diaconate of women was, while concentrated in the
Christian East, not merely a regional peculiarity.
Persuasive evidence is a
stone found by workers at the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem on December 8, 1903
(see also “Women
Deacons, Set in Stone,” posted online at Commonweal, September 8,
2016). Probably dating from the fourth century, the Greek inscription
translates as “Here lies the slave and bride of Christ, Sophia, the deacon, the
second Phoebe, who fell asleep in peace on March 21 during the eleventh
indiction….” The inscription’s subsequent lines are broken or missing, which is
unfortunate because one of them likely contains the name of a presbyter, which
may have helped to date and situate the artifact.
Inscriptions can be
ambiguous in their meaning, just like texts transmitted through tradition can
be. But we should not ignore that inscriptions were the primary public texts of
the ancient Mediterranean world. They communicated values and priorities of
communities. The prevalence of these inscriptions demonstrates that women’s
ordained leadership was not secretive or embarrassing. To the contrary—and this
may be the most important point—many of the inscriptions display reverence for
the female deacon named therein; after all, giving honor was the primary
function of inscriptions. This particular example tells us that in the Holy
Land of the fourth century—certainly a significant time and place for the
Christian tradition—a real deacon named Sophia was acclaimed precisely by
connection to her predecessor Phoebe. For the Christians who commissioned this
public monument, the honorable status of women as deacons was set in stone.
Back to the first-century
Phoebe: a more powerful translation than “benefactor” for prostatis would
also be more faithful to the Greek term in its social context. When used in the
masculine form prostatês, its semantic range covers “leader,” “ruler,”
“presiding officer,” “administrator,” “protector,” “guardian,” or “patron.”
Certainly the possession of wealth and the concomitant powers of benefaction could
be related to one’s role as a leader, presider, or protector. But generosity
alone does not capture the meaning of the term that Paul uses for Phoebe.
What will be most
revealing to casual readers of Romans is the historical meaning of Phoebe’s
third attribute: that Paul “commends” the Romans “to receive her.” There are
only two interpretive options for this commendation, which is, lest we forget,
the very reason that Paul mentions Phoebe in the first place. Either Phoebe has
already left for Rome and Paul expects his letter to arrive before she does, or
Phoebe herself is carrying the letter as its courier.
As a historian of
Christianity in the Roman Empire and a papyrologist of Greek letters, I think
it is virtually certain that the second scenario is correct. Since no one but
Roman military officials and other political administrators had access to the
Roman mail system, regular folks like Paul had to rely on personal couriers.
When ancient writers followed the conclusion of a letter with a commendation
for a person, that person—in this case, Phoebe—was the courier. Paul trusted
her, presumably accompanied by an entourage, to carry his most weighty
theological letter from Greece to Rome. And since she was not yet known to the
Roman Christian assemblies, Paul offers this note of commendation to vouch for
her status.
I am not alone in this
assessment. In his 2005 essay, “Phoebe, a Letter Courier,” New Testament
scholar Antti Marjanen refers to Phoebe’s role as “a scholarly consensus,”
summarizing the argument persuasively and spinning out some of its impact as
well. To his treatment I would add one further piece of evidence from biblical
manuscripts. In ancient writings, the title usually appeared at the end of a
manuscript, not the beginning. Thus early manuscripts of the Gospel of Matthew
conclude with “according to Matthew,” and early manuscripts of Romans end with
simply “to the Romans.” These short texts (each of which we call a subscriptio)
are rarely printed in our modern Bibles and even omitted from many scholarly
versions of the Greek New Testament. For the letters of the New Testament, we
can observe a scribal tendency to fill in more details over time, with later
manuscripts expanding beyond the letter’s destination to include also the
letter’s origin, scribe, or courier. In the case of Romans, some manuscripts
note that the letter was sent “from Corinth” and “through Phoebe the deacon,”
while others say it was written “through Tertius” (the scribe, Romans 16:22)
and “sent through Phoebe.”
The subscriptio is
important not because it adds external evidence from someone who knew more than
we do about Paul’s circumstances in the mid-first century. Rather, the copyists
who filled out the subscriptio were themselves deducing details about
letter production and delivery from the internal evidence of the text of
Romans, just as we are. They do the same thing with other letters, such as
Philippians, where Epaphroditus is introduced as the courier in 2:25-30 and so
noted in the subscriptio. Why is the inclusion of Phoebe in the subscriptio so
compelling? Because the copyists would have little reason to elevate an
otherwise unknown woman if it were not clear to them what the letter implied.
Indeed, we know that just verses later, some copyists—intentionally or
not—eliminated Junia’s authoritative status. Feminists they were not.
Communication was
haphazard in antiquity, with senders of letters tending to use whatever courier
they could find. (This explains the common forthright opening of ancient
papyrus letters: “Having found someone heading your direction, I did not
hesitate to write to you.”) But when the courier was a real confidant of the
sender, he or she could be trusted not only to deliver the letter, but also to
comment on its contents, clarify its background, and relay the intentions of
the author. In other words, trusted couriers sometimes had authority to
interpret.
We see glimpses of this
in the letters of Cicero, as analyzed by Timothy Luckritz Marquis in his 2013
book, Transient Apostle: Paul, Travel, and the Rhetoric of Empire. The
clearest example appears in a letter from Cicero to Appius Pulcher (Letters to
Friends 3.1), which affirms that a previous courier he had sent will
expand on his letter, and which also describes the expansions on Appius’s
letter provided by the new courier. As an honored and trusted courier, Phoebe
could have had the sender’s blessing to explain her letter and its author’s
intention as well. The social context thus suggests that, in addition to being
a diakonos, a prostatis, and the courier of the most important
theological text in Christian history, Phoebe may also have been its first
authorized interpreter.
Now imagine Phoebe
arriving in Rome, tracking down one of the nascent Christian assemblies,
opening her satchel of scrolls, and producing Paul’s letter. To whom did she
give it? Tradition says that Peter was there, though he is not mentioned in
Paul’s greetings. But from scripture, we know for certain the names of the
leaders of only one house-church in Rome at this time. In fact, Paul greets
them in the very next line: “Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the church that meets
in their house” (Romans 16:3).
Prisca, also called
Priscilla in the book of Acts, was the most important early Christian who is
not a household name. Even taking the minimal interpretation of her
significance, she and her evangelistic partner Aquila (probably her husband)
were leaders at three of the main centers of early Christianity: playing host
to Paul in Corinth (Acts 18), then later leading house-churches in Ephesus (1
Cor 16:19) and Rome (Rom 16:3-5). What’s more, of the six times the pair is
mentioned, Prisca’s name is mentioned first four times. Recall, by contrast,
the pair “Andronicus and Junia,” presumably also a couple, in which the man’s
name was listed first.
In his 1992 article
“Prisca and Aquila: Traveling Tentmakers and Church Builders,” Jerome
Murphy-O’Connor, O.P., argues that if we evaluate her prior position “by
secular standards, this would mean that she outranked Aquila in terms of social
status or independent wealth; if by Christian criteria, this would mean she had
been converted first or was more prominent in the life of the Church. The
choice is not easy, but the balance of probability favors the second
alternative.” As a manual laborer (according to Acts), Prisca would almost
certainly not have held wealth or high status. Moreover, Paul shows no signs of
favoring such social status in his patterns of greeting. Murphy-O’Connor
realistically depicts Prisca and Aquila as a kind of advance evangelism team,
whom Paul had met through trade in Corinth and with whom he developed a
life-long kinship. The textual evidence and social context suggest that Prisca
was among the top few leaders in Paul’s orbit.
Consider what else he
says about her: Prisca is a “co-worker in Christ Jesus,” she “risked her neck”
for Paul’s life, and “all the churches of the Gentiles” are grateful to her.
Her aforementioned leadership at three early Christian centers explains the
gratitude of “all the churches,” and her “risking her neck” likely suggests the
dangers of ancient travel, combined with the ostracization occasioned by
different religious attitudes (for example, refusal to participate in local
temple activity at Corinth, Ephesus, or Rome). Even the term “co-worker” should
not be overlooked: for Paul, the term “worker” or “co-worker” typically means
evangelistic activity, such as the description of Prisca’s teaching a certain
man named Apollos about Christianity in Corinth (Acts 18:12). In Paul’s
greetings to Rome, five of the seven people described as “workers” are
women.
For those keeping score,
that’s five evangelistic “workers” and one “apostle” among the women Paul
greets at Rome—not counting the “minister” carrying the letter itself.
In the modern sense,
these women are not household names. But in the ancient sense of the
“household,” a woman such as Prisca probably first found her leadership role in
the early Christian movement through its deep roots in household metaphors and
management. Margaret Y. MacDonald puts it well in her 1999 article “Reading
Real Women Through the Undisputed Letters of Paul”: “The fact that the group
[of early Christians] functioned practically in much the same way as an
extended household (the domain traditionally associated with women) has led to
a good deal of speculation about how this facilitated the involvement of women
in Pauline Christianity. The household base of the movement may have enabled
women to turn community leadership into an extension of their roles as
household managers.” In other words, women were usually in charge of domestic
space, which was the very space where Christians met in the first century. And
the first household name we have for a house-church in Rome is the name of a
woman, Prisca.
Thus when Phoebe arrived
in Rome with Paul’s letter, it was into Prisca’s hand she most likely placed
the scroll. Prisca had known Paul for years, and she was one of his most
trusted partners, just as Phoebe was a trusted courier. So when we envision the
very first discussion of the letter to the Romans, both scriptural and
historical evidence suggest the same thing: it was women who were doing the
talking.
Michael Peppard is
associate professor of theology at Fordham University and on the staff of its
Curran Center for American Catholic Studies. He dedicates this article to
Elizabeth Johnson on the occasion of her retirement. Research was funded by a
grant to the Theology department from Ms. Rita L. Houlihan.
Michael Peppard, a
frequent contributor, is a professor of theology at Fordham University and a
Trustee of the Village of Pleasantville, New York.
Also by this author
SOURCE : https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/household-names
About St. Phoebe the
Deaconess
St. Phoebe is recognized
as the first woman deacon, although we know little about her life. She is
honored as being the prototype for female deacons just as St. Stephen is the
prototype for male deacons. In her book Women Deacons in the Orthodox Church
[See book review in this issue.], Dr. Kyriaki FitzGerald suggests that St.
Phoebe is an example of faith and service for female deacons.
St. Phoebe came from a
very busy port area called Cenchreae, a popular stop for people traveling from
Syria or Asia Minor. Although there has been a great amount of debate concerning
what her actual duties as a deacon might have been, it is clear that St. Paul
gave recognition to St. Phoebe, thanking her in public for her hospitality and
for meeting the needs of the people in Cenchreae, and urging others to help her
with her ministry as “a deaconess of the Church at Cenchreae.”
Centuries later, St. John
Chrysostom praised St. Phoebe’s work for the Church as an inspiration and model
for both men and women to imitate. He calls her a saint – a holy person and a
woman who served the Church through the office of deacon.
Women were indeed called
to serve in the early Church, as is seen in the example of St. Phoebe. It was
an honor to be able to give such service to the community through charitable
acts and dedication to the church community. There are many women in addition
to St. Phoebe who are recognized by the Church for their various ministries –
St. Poplia (fourth century), St. Sophia, known as the “second Phoebe” (fifth
century), St. Tabitha, mentioned in the early Acts of the Apostles, also known
for her almsgiving, St. Mary, St. Mark’s mother who opened her house for
Christian meetings in Jerusalem, St. Lydia, who showed her hospitality to St.
Paul and his companions, and St. Priscilla, who was involved in missionary work
(FitzGerald 1998). Female deacons are mentioned in the salutations of the
epistle to the Philippians (1:1), and the first epistle to Timothy (3:8,12).
Since the beginning of
the Church, women have been using their talents and gifts from God to serve. I
hope and pray that the Church will find some way to embrace these talents and
gifts and restore the office of the female diaconate.
by Maria Khoury
Originally published in the St. Nina Quarterly
SOURCE : https://orthodoxdeaconess.org/about-st-phoebe/
Santa Febe Collaboratrice
di San Paolo
Festa: 3 settembre
I secolo
Etimologia: Febe =
lucente, spendente, dal greco
Martirologio
Romano: Commemorazione di santa Febe, serva del Signore tra i fedeli di
Kenchris, in Grecia, che assistette insieme a molti altri il beato Paolo
Apostolo, come egli stesso attesta nella Lettera ai Romani.
Fonte illustre, quanto laconica, su questa santa è lo stesso s. Paolo.
Da questo risulta che Febe aveva una mansione ecclesiastica presso la comunità cristiana di Cencre, piccola città portuale ad est di Corinto, sull'omonimo istmo. Vi ricopriva la carica di diaconos (= ministra), termine qui per la prima volta applicato a una donna nella Chiesa nascente e vi si può ben ravvisare, almeno in embrione, l'ufficio delle diaconesse che si affermò nella Chiesa nei secoli posteriori. Di tali donne sembra tratti s. Paolo anche in I Tim. 5,9s, dove sono messe in rilievo le qualità familiari e morali necessarie alle vedove per essere elette: la vedova "deve avere non meno di sessanta anni; sia stata sposa di un solo marito, goda di buona riputazione per le sue opere buone, cioè per aver bene allevati i figliuoli, per avere praticata l'ospitalità, lavati i piedi ai santi, soccorsi i tribolati e per essersi dedicata a ogni opera buona". Da questo, qualcuno deduce che Febe fosse vedova di una certa età e di buona condizione sociale: il che le permetteva di dedicarsi alle buone opere sopra elencate, e in particolare all'ospitalità. Forse s. Paolo allude proprio all'ospitalità quando la loda per aver assistito molti, incluso lui stesso, cosa del resto molto plausibile anche per la posizione geografica di Cencre, dove convergeva un notevole traffico con le isole Egee e con l'Asia Minore. Ciò doveva offrire a Febe molte occasioni di assistere i viaggiatori cristiani provenienti da quelle terre.
Non sappiamo quale fosse il motivo del suo viaggio a Roma, ma vi è una certa tradizione che la vorrebbe latrice dell'Epistola ai Romani. Egualmente ignoti rimangono l'anno e il luogo del suo trapasso Se, come sembra accertato, l'Epistota citata fu scritta nei primi mesi del 57, Febe, già allora forse oltre la sessantina, dovette venire a mancare tra quell'anno e, al più, qualche decennio appresso. Il suo culto, almeno in Occidente, è ben accertato, come attestano vari martirologi, compreso il Romano (3 settembre).
Autore: Giorgio Eldarov
SOURCE : https://www.santiebeati.it/Detailed/68850.html
Foebe van Rome, Italië;
medewerkster van apostel Paulus; † 1e eeuw
Feest 3 september
Foebe komt één keer voor
in het Nieuwe Testament. Wanneer Paulus op het eind van zijn brief aan de
Romeinen de groeten doet, begint hij Foebe aan te bevelen:
'Ik beveel u onze zuster
Foebe aan, diacones van de gemeente te Kénchreae. Ontvangt haar hartelijk,
zoals christenen past en staat haar bij in alle zaken waarin zij hulp nodig
heeft. Zelf is zij voor velen, en met name ook voor mij, een echte
beschermengel geweest' (Rom.16,01-02).
Het was te Kénchreae (of
Kenchreeën) dat Paulus zijn brief aan de Romeinen had geschreven, rond het jaar
55. Kénchreae was de oostelijke haven van Korinte, en vormde in die tijd een
kruispunt van handelsroutes over land en water.
Opmerkelijk is, dat Foebe
'diacones' wordt genoemd. Dit is de enige keer dat het woord in het Nieuwe
Testament wordt toegepast op een vrouw. Waarin haar werk precies bestond...?
Uitdelen van eten en goederen aan de armen, waarschijnlijk, en onder hen dan
vooral de vrouwen. Sommige commentaren op de Romeinenbrief vertalen 'diacones'
met 'gastvrouw'; in dat geval zou zij haar huis beschikbaar hebben gesteld aan
de huisgemeente van de christenen in Kénchreae en naar we mogen aannemen aan
Paulus, toen hij zijn brief dicteerde aan Tertius. Blijkbaar was zij het die de
brief van Paulus overbracht naar de christengemeente van Rome.
In later tijd zullen de
diaconessen ook assisteren tijdens de liturgie van het doopsel. Dopelingen
gingen geheel naakt onder in het water van het doopbekken. Wanneer ze eruit te
voorschijn kwamen werden ze afgedroogd en in smetteloos witte kleren gehuld
door diakens, als het mannen waren, en door diaconessen als het om vrouwen
ging.
Over Foebe is verder
niets bekend. Alleen de liefdevolle aanbeveling van Paulus aan het slot van
zijn Romeinenbrief was voor de traditie voldoende om haar in de rijen der
heiligen op te nemen. Dat is niet zo overdreven als het lijkt. Zij behoort tot
de pioniers van de christelijke godsdienst. Om je eigen cultuur met alle
waarden en normen die daarbij horen en die je van huis uit hebt meegekregen, op
te geven ten bate van een nieuwe godsdienst, die in de maatschappij nog nauwelijks
iets voorstelt..., en om dat vol te houden, zó dat Paulus haar een 'ware
beschermengel' durft noemen: dat betekent dat je tot de groten behoort.
[101a; Dries van den Akker s.j./2007.08.30]
© A. van den Akker
s.j. / A.W. Gerritsen
SOURCE : https://heiligen-3s.nl/heiligen/09/03/09-03-0100-foebe.php
Voir aussi : https://cbw.iath.virginia.edu/women_display.php?id=9149
