how Catholic women feel about no ordination of women

[TypesAndShadows]

Christ gave the task to Peter to build his church, he didn’t give Peter an instruction book, with a list a authority rights. The message was one of serving. All are called to serve.

It’s not about “turn women into priests” like some sort of magical powers.

Ordination is fundamentally and permanently changing someone’s soul, in the same manner as Baptism. In this sense, it is about ‘turning’ people into priests, not about careers or leadership.

As I’ve said, if there was more clericalism around here, or if the Church was less picky about the other Sacraments, or women were disempowered around me in my parish, I would find it harder. It’s still not a teaching I find easy.

 

[Mount_Carmel]

Well, according to ‘visionaries’, even Our Blessed Mother cannot participate as a priest. In her visions she does not even distribute Communion. She seems to leave the Consecration to our clergy, and occasionally the likes of Archangel Gabriel might distribute.

Only God, may change the rules, and even that would most likely be via His representative on earth - the Pope.

 

[simpleas]

Ordination is fundamentally and permanently changing someone’s soul, in the same manner as Baptism. In this sense, it is about ‘turning’ people into priests, not about careers or leadership.

As I’ve said, if there was more clericalism around here, or if the Church was less picky about the other Sacraments, or women were disempowered around me in my parish, I would find it harder. It’s still not a teaching I find easy.

Baptism cleanses the person from original sin, I never knew a man’s soul was changed again when he is ordained…?? That sounds like a different sort of power that only males receive from God and renders females not as worthy.

 

[simpleas]

Well, according to ‘visionaries’, even Our Blessed Mother cannot participate as a priest. In her visions she does not even distribute Communion. She seems to leave the Consecration to our clergy, and occasionally the likes of Archangel Gabriel might distribute.

Only God, may change the rules, and even that would most likely be via His representative on earth - the Pope.

Yes god only chances the rules through his humans. That would be my point, that as head and authority the Pope has the “power” to make those decisions. I think allowing some women to be decons would be enough.

 

[Catholic_farmer]

Yes god only chances the rules through his humans. That would be my point, that as head and authority the Pope has the “power” to make those decisions. I think allowing some women to be decons would be enough.

But where is the precedence for this? We can’t change God’s word. It’s like suddenly deciding that we’d rather eat something other than bread for the Eucharist. Sure, granola bars are tasty, but if you don’t have precedence, you can’t take such liberties, whether you’re a priest or a Pope.

 

[eamonnroma]

There is always the feeling in these debates that God is male, which is reinforced by our terms of God the Father… However God is not male. God is Father, but God is also Mother.

I was standing in St Peter’s Square when Pope John Paul 1st said exactly that.

The above does not take away from the fact that we have a male priesthood, and that is never going to change.

However I have always thought that women would make better priests in general.

 

[savedbygrace71]

I was a career woman for nearly 15 years before becoming a mother. I think that the mentality of “fulfillment must come from outside the home” is depressing. It’s my home, where I live, where we all spend our time, where my children’s lives are being shaped. In the offices where I worked for all those years, I was replaceable within a few weeks with barely a ripple. But at home, it is me, my role as wife and mother, which makes our family exist. I’m the heart of the home and the family and I’m more fulfilled doing that than I ever was in my paid career.
I don’t even think it’s the don’t work outside the home aspect that is at stake here. It’s the recognize that our role as mothers is vitally important to the growth and emotional health of our children. And that this is worth being here, sacrificing our personal needs and desires for a few years. It’s not our whole lives we are talking about. I get bored and frustrated all the time, but within a few years my kids will be in high school and won’t need me so much. Things will change.
And I totally agree with the PP who said to read up on St. Therese the Little Flower. Find joy in the little things, do them thankfully. I dislike small chores, but try to do them with grace and gratitude that I have a home to clean, clothes to wash, food to prepare and so on. It helps. And it’s true.

 

[TypesAndShadows]

Baptism cleanses the person from original sin, I never knew a man’s soul was changed again when he is ordained…?? That sounds like a different sort of power that only males receive from God and renders females not as worthy.

Baptism washes away the stain of Original Sin, but it also permanently marks your soul as a child of God, changing you forever in a way that cannot be reversed. There is no power that comes with this: you are not receiving power, you are being permanently marked.

Were you Confirmed? This is all the sort of basic information about the Sacraments that one learns in preparation for Confirmation, which also permanently marks your soul, as do Marriage and Ordination. That is why they are permanent and irreversible. A priest is forever changed by Ordination: that is why they can confect the Eucharist and absolve sins.

In no way does receiving Ordination make someone more worthy, or more likely to make it to Heaven. Many saints have spoken about it being harder for priests and especially bishops to make it to Heaven, and that they need our prayers. Just as getting Married and receiving that permanent mark on your soul, receiving that Grace for married life, does not make you more worthy than someone whose vocation is to take vows of celibacy as a religious.

Because Sacraments are believed to actually do something to something, and the Church teaches that it matters what that something is in order for the Sacrament to take place, I can accept that Ordination can actually require a man as the subject. If Ordination were just a swearing-in ceremony for a leadership role, a graduation ceremony for pastors, then it would be wrong to limit it to men. If the Church allowed us to use rye bread or crisps, with grape juice, for the Eucharist, then limiting Ordination to men would be arbitrary and wrong. If the priesthood were all about leading and successful careers in leading people, then limiting it to men would be wrong (a lot of the younger men joining the priesthood lately have been opting to become religious rather than diocesan, not taking on leadership of a flock).

If you really were unaware that Ordination is a Sacrament that permanently changes the Ordinand, you might find it helpful to read up more on what the Sacraments actually are and what they do: that might help give some perspective.

 

[Lapey]

I know I’m not going to change anyone’s mind here, but here’s my take on it. If I had a new product, and I wanted to sell it to the masses, I would hire sales people who I thought my target audience would respond to.

In a society where most (if not all) of the political leaders, religious leaders, teachers, prophets, etc. are men, and where women are limited in their ability to travel and speak freely, I would bet my money on male salespeople.

If, in the future, women became the better educated, more influential members of society, I might adjust my approach.

The church’s stance is that Jesus picked all men because he intended for all priests forever and ever to be men. Maybe he was just making a shrewd managerial decision based on the prevailing business climate.

Rather the decision is based on TRUTH despite the prevailing climate. There ya go, I fixed it for you.