A fresco unearthed in an Italian catacomb suggests that women were acting as bishops in the early Christian church, academics claim. A fresco unearthed in an Italian catacomb suggests that women were acting as bishops in the early Christian church, academics claim. The fifth century image of a woman named Cerula shows her surrounded by open, flaming Gospel books, symbolic of the role of a bishop. Bishops, and bishops only, had open gospel books placed over their heads during their ordination ritual." Dr Luca Badini, from the Wijngaards Institute for Catholic Research, said: "It was known that women bishops were preaching at that time but very little evidence exists of it.

Source: Irish Independent April 01, 2018 01:36 UTC