HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – Seeming confident and proud of herself, Ms. Matilda Michael Sabbagh, the first woman priest in Syria, and the third in the history of the Synod, is standing as a pastor in the holy altar in the National Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Hasakah northeast Syria.
On April 3, the 39-year-old Sabbagh was ordained as Reverend although the law of the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches forbids women to ascend to temple so women and men don’t get in touch in the holy altar.
The National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon announced, during a ceremony presided over by Rev. Joseph Kassab, head of the church in the two countries, that the woman priest assumed her position in the National Evangelical Presbyterian Church, according to reports.
However, the Protestant (Evangelical) Church does not take this principle, “because it was not mentioned in the Bible, but was put by the disciples of Christ and those who followed,” according to informed sources.
She said that this is the first time when a female is ordained as a reverend but it is not the first for Syria to be the leader in a certain field or to issue a decision.
The National Evangelical Synod in Syria and Lebanon is the Synod of Christian Bishops, within which clergy are appointed or dismissed, and other religious matters are issued.
Unusual event
The mother of a twin believes that being a female priest is a “strange thing for our society” as she was encountered with “social challenges rather than religious ones”.
The Lebanese-Syrian female pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Tripoli in Lebanon, Rola Sleiman, had previously said that the Evangelical congregation differs from other Christian denominations in term of allowing the priest’s marriage to build a new Christian family.
Speaking of other issue, she elaborated saying that women tend not to be as aggressive as men in expressing anger and this helps them not to make speedy decisions or engaging in conflicts that my disgrace life and the peace in church.
Backing to Sabbagh, in 2016, she was appointed as a pastor in the National Evangelical Presbyterian Church where the church and the followers “were open and helpful from the very start day welcoming, supporting and encouraging me.”
On April 10, the priest performed the first prayer on the occasion of Palm Sunday.
Organizing time is the most remarkable difficulty according to her because she is a mother and is eager to faithfully serve the Lord and the family as well.
Reactions
Never the less, Sabbagh was criticized for being ordained a priest she was even insulted and verbally abused.
The event was seen to be new and unusual within the Christian community since they don’t have a law known as “ordaining a woman to be priest”, according the Syriac lady from the city of Qamishli Sabah Shabbo.
Some people believe that the female priest is qualified to be a priest because she has studied and made efforts gaining wisdom and preaches.
They say that since the priest is a woman, Christian women will be touched by her wisdom and this will contribute to help the Christian reality develop and improve.
“Jesus Christ said in 6:26, Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you!” Sabbagh said noting to those criticizing her for becoming a priest.
“When a person is against, he/she should provide his/her own thesis in an objective way rather than condemning, insulting or abusing.”
She added saying, “The Holy Book has always been our reference to how we deal with any incident.”
“Jesus Christ’s Proverbs say, She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come,” and I laughed,” she noted.