Women allowed in Easter processions

Source: Quino Al on Unsplash

Spain's religious brotherhoods told to accept women for Holy Week processions

Traditionally it has been an all male domain but women have now earned equal rights to participate in Seville's famous Holy Week processions with a decree from the city's Archbishop.

During Semana Santa – the week running up to Easter – the Andalusian capital grinds to a halt as the faithful take to the streets in parades organised by religious brotherhoods belonging to each of the city's many churches.

The decree, which comes into effect on March 2, makes it clear that women can be among the 'nazarenos' – the sombre ranks of hooded penitents parading with pointed hats and bearing huge candles tilted from the hip.

And for the first time ever it has been stated that women must also be allowed to participate in carrying the heavy thrones bearing images of the saints on a tour from their chapels across the city to the main cathedral and back.

Locals compete for the honour of transporting the holy images on their shoulders as they shuffle barefoot in cramped conditions beneath a load weighing up to six tonnes, accompanied by a mournful trumpet and the solemn beat of drums on a journey that can take hours.

Archbishop Juan José Asenjo published a decree on Wednesday stating that there be "equal rights" among the brotherhoods, "with no discrimination on the basis of sex, including participation in the processions".

While some of the 'cofradias' have been accepting women in recent years, three of the more conservative brotherhoods – El Silencio, La Quinta Angustia and El Santo Entierro – have refused to consider such a move.

They have said they may appeal the decree and are considering taking a complaint all the way to Rome.

"It is not an environment suitable for women because of the close proximity of bodies beneath the floats," said one regular male participant. "It gets hot and sweaty under there and the nature of the task means we rub up against each other."

Source: Telegraph 

Do you think women should be allowed to join these processions? Why/why not?

Comments

Natalia said…
And this other post is to make up for the bondes one? I really don't understand why people like to do such things, but everyone should be able to decide for himself, don't you think? Perhaps women can't lift the "Virgin" because it's too heavy but with the big costume they wear you never know who is underneath so, who cares if it's a woman or a man?
Graham said…
I notice that you say everyon should be able to decide for HIMSELF. Isn't that discriminatory?

I have thought of the perfect post to make up for the blondes.
Unknown said…
I think that It is a good new for the women of these brotherhoods although it happens with a decree from de city's Archbishop, it is amazing!
People that belongs to these brotherhoods should be able to choose whether or not to participate in processions regardless of gender because I believe that the most important thing is their faith.
Montse said…
The Catholic Church has trouble to see that the current society is not the same than it was two hundred ago. I hope that this decree be the first of many other changes.
Graham said…
Hi Alida,

The next thing there will be women priests.

I think that it is GOOD NEWS THAT WOMEN CAN JOIN these brotherhoods, although it happens with a decree from de city's Archbishop, it is amazing!

People that BELONG to these brotherhoods...

"NEWS" is uncountable, like "advice", "information","help"...

"people" = plural

Hope to see you Wednesday!
Graham said…
Montse:

What other changes would you like to see?

The Catholic Church has TROUBLE SEEING that the current society is not the SAME AS it was two CENTURIES ago. I hope that this decree IS the first of many other changes.
Paloma said…
Hi Gaham: I believe that women can and must to participate to the processions if they want, of course.( It must also have firewoman in Madrid and it hasn't got yet, for example). The day that things like that aren't notice, really we won't have discrimination of sexs.
Montse said…
Hi, Graham. The current Catholic Church would have to change a lot of things but, under my point of view, mainly three of them. To allow priests marry, I think that avoids many cases of sexual abuse with children. To allow the use of methods of birth control and to accept the idea that women and men are equal, they go on considering that woman is less than men.
Graham said…
Paloma:

Have you ever been on a flight with a woman pilot at the controls?

It hasnt happened to me often but I remember there was one on a flight home one Christmas.

The airport was surrounded by fog. We started descending through the fog when suddenly, the plane shot up again.

The woman pilot announced that we'd try again. We circled for another 20 minutes or so before she attempted to land again.

I must admit, I was more apprehensive because we had a woman pilot. Wouldn't you have felt the same?


I believe that women can and MUT PARTICIPATE IN the processions if they want, of course. THEY must also have FIREWOMEN in Madrid BUT THEY HAVEN'T got ANY yet, for example). The day that things like that aren't NOTICED, WE REALLY WON'T have discrimination BETWEEN THE SEXES.


If we are politically correct, we should say "firefighter".


Have you checked the answers to the post on File 2 Grammar?

See you on Tuesday.
Graham said…
Montse:

but, FROM my point of view/ IN MY VIEW, mainly three of them.

To ALLOW priests TO marry, I think that avoids many cases of sexual ABUSE OF children.

I don't think that there would be less abuse if priests were married.

... they go on considering woman INFERIOR TO men.
Paloma said…
Hi Graham. No, I didn't feel the same, of course. I have travelled wih women pilots and I have been very calm. I like women driving plains, buses, trains, also. Person's sex isn't important always, but to want to do any think well. I don't like doing traditional male jobs, but it doesn't mean that I don't know to do them and the other way.
When I was writing the answers (File 2)to send you, I saw that they were in the blog.
To see tomorrow
Graham said…
Hi Paloma,

I think women make better drivers because they drive more carefully while men take more risks.

But I think that when there is an emergency, I would have more confidence in a man flying a plane.

Am I being sexist?



No, OF COURSE I WOULDN'T feel the same. I have travelled wih women pilots and I have been very calm. I like women FLYING PLANES, AND DRIVING BUSES AND TRAINS TOO. A person's sex ISN'T ALWAYS important...
but to want to do any think well. (DO YOU MEAN - YOU SHOULD JUST TRY TO DO THINGS WELL ?)
I don't like doing traditional male jobs, but it doesn't mean that I don't KNOW HOW TO do them ..
and the other way - DO YOU MEAN THAT MEN CAN DO TRADITIONAL WOMEN'S JOBS?


SEE YOU LATER!
Paloma said…
Hi Graham: I don't know if you're sexist, but your words seem. I have wanted to say that a person's sex isn't always important, that what matter is to know doing things well and to want doing them (lo que importa no es quién lo hace sino querer hacerlo y saber hacerlo, sorry).
1.I really found interesting the story of the film.
2.Since the film starts you have to be concentrate what is happening.
3.It's such long time doesn't know each other.
4.I had thought to be relaxed next weekend but ....
5.I had never listened or saw anything about these talks, so that I prefer choose you
6.In yours thirties is difficult to make news friends. In these years everybody are married or have his own group of friends.
7.Although in the first time the history could be understood like stupid, you have to...
8.One thing that you can do is looking for people who has the same hobbies than you, because this will do that it would be easy to speak about things which you have in common.
9.Friends agree in some kind of issues.
10.When you will be alone at home, you should go to a pub.
11.They are very busy with their jobs or they live far, in other country.
12.I like a lot science festival so it's a great new that we can go to one next weekend.
13.I prefer to talk about animals. Do you agree?
14.Do you know how much is the ticket and what time opens the festival ?
15.I want to have more information about this place ¿"that I can before"?.
16.I would like to learn things on the other talks too.
17.She doesn't want to remind that her holidays had finished.
18.It isn't my fault. My subsconcience is the guilty
19.I don't mind if we'll decide to go to ¿the first one.?
20.Like you know I like everything about science but if I have to choose between one of the topics that you said me in your letter.
21.I recommend everyone to see this film.
22.I couldn't believe what I was listening to
I don't have more time...see you
Graham said…
Hi Paloma!

Amalia is more sexist than I am. LOL

You are very brave doing this exercise. I'll put the answers under the First Cert post.

If you like this kind of exercise, you should do exercise from EF Pre Int or even look at exercises in Mad Teacher 1.