Nuns admitted to theology course despite Vatican ban

Ranchi – A theological seminary in Jharkhand has admitted six nuns to its three–year Bachelor of Theology course, in spite of a ban by the Vatican on women conducting mass in churches, Christian Today has confirmed.

Of the six nuns, the St. Albert College has admitted, two belong to St. Anne's Convent in Jharkhand while the remaining four are from other places in India.

According to the Vatican guidelines, women are to be kept away from priesthood work.

However, the college authorities said the six women would not be allowed to join as priests despite studying the theology course, which paves the way for students becoming priests.

Justifying the admission, Cardinal Telesphore P. Toppo of Ranchi Archdiocese said the nuns had been taken to enable them to acquire academic excellence. He reiterated that the six women would not be allowed to become priests.

"Just getting a theology degree does not mean that a person will become a priest. Even every man who completes the course does not become a priest. Only those who have God's blessings become priests," he said.

"The theology course is open to even non–Christians who have basic knowledge," he added.

The authorities said the theology curriculum would be changed slightly and the nuns would not receive practical lessons on conducing mass.

St. Albert is one of the biggest theological colleges of India. This year, a total of 18 students have been admitted for the theology course.