If women could be priests

[Ad_Deum]

Read the Bible it has the answer!

Old and New Testament contains evidences and teachings about priestly order strictly for male.

Pax

Instaurare omnia in Christo!

 

[chicago]

Thanks.

You said what I meant.

I think the question would probably receive a more fair shake in another forum than apologetics where the tendency is to provide technical answers about why something is or isn’t objectively. I’m not sure which forum that would be that could find it best suited, though. But, in any case, the question obviously isn’t directed at an apologetical debate over whether or not women can/should be priests but a more human one of what the challenges would be were the vocation (theoretically) open to them.

 

[rpp]

I think the question would probably receive a more fair shake in another forum than apologetics where the tendency is to provide technical answers about why something is or isn’t objectively. I’m not sure which forum that would be that could find it best suited, though. But, in any case, the question obviously isn’t directed at an apologetical debate over whether or not women can/should be priests but a more human one of what the challenges would be were the vocation (theoretically) open to them.

I think the only forum that would provide the feedback you want and say what you might want to hear is the “Non-Catholic Religions” forum.

 

[chicago]

I think the only forum that would provide the feedback you want and say what you might want to hear is the “Non-Catholic Religions” forum.

I don’t see how it necessarily fits there, either, unless one’s particular desire is to get insight concerning the experiences of denominations and faith systems with female clergy/ministers. And, yet, it remains a topic which is essentially more “human” in type, but still related uniquely to a Catholic sensibility of ministry in nature.

Unfortunately, there really isn’t a specific forum for topics like this here, as the very nature of the board is different in the kinds of discussion opportunities it enables.

Perhaps the Water Cooler? Liturgy and Sacraments? Vocations?

I guess there are individual forums which might enable particular highlighted discussion on different aspects of the ultimate question, as has been witnessed in how it’s addressing was responded to here in Apologetics.

Perhaps the Water Cooler would allow for the widest spectrum of insight as it tends to attract and invite all persons of varying perspectives/interests and is kind of wide open in topic potporri. Still, the question and discussion’s intent must be made clear from the outset to eliminate some of the types of response focus which were here had and foster an honest dialogue about the core interest/concern at hand. A question which, on it’s own terms, is quite legitimate, interesting, and worthy of seriously being taken up, even by (nay, especially by) faithful Catholics.

 

[rpp]

I don’t see how it necessarily fits there, either, unless one’s particular desire is to get insight concerning the experiences of denominations and faith systems with female clergy/ministers. And, yet, it remains a topic which is essentially more “human” in type, but still related uniquely to a Catholic sensibility of ministry in nature.

Unfortunately, there really isn’t a specific forum for topics like this here, as the very nature of the board is different in the kinds of discussion opportunities it enables.

Perhaps the Water Cooler? Liturgy and Sacraments? Vocations?

I guess there are individual forums which might enable particular highlighted discussion on different aspects of the ultimate question, as has been witnessed in how it’s addressing was responded to here in Apologetics.

Perhaps the Water Cooler would allow for the widest spectrum of insight as it tends to attract and invite all persons of varying perspectives/interests and is kind of wide open in topic potporri. Still, the question and discussion’s intent must be made clear from the outset to eliminate some of the types of response focus which were here had and foster an honest dialogue about the core interest/concern at hand. A question which, on it’s own terms, is quite legitimate, interesting, and worthy of seriously being taken up, even by (nay, especially by) faithful Catholics.

You may be right. Perhaps where this really belong is in a forum for heresies.

 

[Riley259]

Would they be?

Is there anything that might deter a woman from the priesthood if she were attracted to other types of celebate religious life?

Just curious.

It’s not possible for women to be Catholic priests so it’s probably meaningless to debate this particular “what if…?”.

 

[chicago]

… if she were attracted to other types of celebate religious life?

Let me take up this aspect of the question as distinct.

Seeing as how a vocation is unique in particular charism and call, she might not necessarily want to be a priest. Similarly, every male who is called to a celibate religious life feels drawn to priestly ministry. If her sensibility were particularly to more motherly aspects of religious life, the mere community itself, or some apostolate which did not fit in with the kind of ministerial service which a priest is expected to engage in, she might well not have any urge towards ordination at all.

Of course, celibacy itself as an concern for women who might be interested in priestly ministry would present it’s own challenges. It typically isn’t something taken up as a topic, for instance, by those who like to promote the concept of female priests or women who insist that it is their call. Usually, such types are also arguing for optional celibacy, afterall. So where that would leave them if it were still a requirement for priestly ministry, who knows.

 

[Hellisreal]

Ordinatio Sacerdotalis

 

[aboverubies]

Would they be?

Is there anything that might deter a woman from the priesthood if she were attracted to other types of celebate religious life?

Just curious.

O.K. so assuming this is bizarro world and the Church has approved women priests…and I am discerning my vocation to the religious life (I’m not btw - just hypothetically)…would anything deter me from the priestess-hood (wow - doesn’t that word look bizarre!) My answer would have to be yes, a couple of deterrants immediately spring to mind.

Firstly, I tend to take on other people’s worries and anxieties as if they were my own. Even with people I’ve never met - for example on CAF. I worry about how “so and so” is coping and I feel anxious about their situation. Sometimes I even need to take a step back and avoid the “I need advice” threads because I feel overwhelmed by the world’s troubles. This would be a hindrance in ministering to the needs of a large parish…the weight of all their problems would crush me I think.

Also I admit to being somewhat of a basketcase. I am putty in the hands of movie makers and cry on cue…even t.v. ads books, plays, songs etc. I can’t even get through the 6 O’Clock news without tearing up. Seriously - that is one of the reasons why we pulled the plug on our telly - I just couldn’t handle all that hatred and violence and crime being pumped into my mind. I am even worse these days because I am not at all de-sensitised to it. So obviously I would really struggle in the confessional…I’m just not made to hear the sins of the world.

And are these deterrants applicable to all women? Possibly not. However I think that the fairer sex as a whole are more emotionally sensitive and I believe this could prove to be a real hindrance in carrying out the duties of a priest…erm…priest-ess.

And so it’s back to the land of the living…good-bye bizarro world!

 

[aboverubies]

It’s not possible for women to be Catholic priests so it’s probably meaningless to debate this particular “what if…?”.

May I politely disagree with all those who have said that there is no value in this discussion? In my own short musings on the topic, I have come to understand that I lack some of the necessary qualities for priesthood simply due to my femininity. I have never questioned the Church’s wisdom in this issue and now due to this discussion I have only deepened my understanding as to why women are not called by God to the priesthood. If we can’t freely question and debate the issues of our faith how can we ever truly understand it, embrace it, and share it?

 

[Hellisreal]

May I politely disagree with all those who have said that there is no value in this discussion? In my own short musings on the topic, I have come to understand that **I lack some of the necessary qualities **for priesthood simply due to my femininity. I have never questioned the Church’s wisdom in this issue and now due to this discussion I have only deepened my understanding as to why women are not called by God to the priesthood. If we can’t freely question and debate the issues of our faith how can we ever truly understand it, embrace it, and share it?

We can freely question and debate any topic.

The real question is:

Why did you wait this long to find out what the Church had to say before putting the cart before the horse?

 

[aboverubies]

We can freely question and debate any topic.

The real question is:

Why did you wait this long to find out what the Church had to say before putting the cart before the horse?

Hello Hellisreal. Sorry if I was unclear in my post - I meant to convey that I have never questioned the Church’s reasons for a male priesthood and have always understood and agreed with it.

I have never questioned the Church’s wisdom in this issue and now due to this discussion I have only deepened my understanding as to why women are not called by God to the priesthood.

I was simply musing that this thread has deepened and *re-affirmed *my understanding of this Church teaching…as a convert this is something I am continually in need of. It has also opened up some new aspects of the topic that I hadn’t considered before - I’ve got so much to learn as a late-comer to the faith. God bless CAF! Sorry for any misunderstanding. God bless.

 

[scylla]

If women could be priests then God would have identified and incarnated as a woman. We probably would have a topless woman on the cross and the Church would be identified as a male entity, the groom of Christ.

This is a useful thread as it illustrates how evil is the thought of having women priests as it misrepresents the incarnation and the Gospel. If we misrepresent the incarnation we deny Jesus which is why supporting women priests is so sinful, and heretical.

Yet thinking about the possibility does illustrate it’s incompatibility with the Christian faith.

In Christ
Scylla

 

[Hellisreal]

I offer you peace and am sorry if you thought I was harsh.

I am thankful for you to be so willing to give up so much for the Lord!

Hello Hellisreal. Sorry if I was unclear in my post - I meant to convey that I have never questioned the Church’s reasons for a male priesthood and have always understood and agreed with it.

I was simply musing that this thread has deepened and *re-affirmed *my understanding of this Church teaching…as a convert this is something I am continually in need of. It has also opened up some new aspects of the topic that I hadn’t considered before - I’ve got so much to learn as a late-comer to the faith. God bless CAF! Sorry for any misunderstanding. God bless.

 

[aboverubies]

I offer you peace and am sorry if you thought I was harsh.

I am thankful for you to be so willing to give up so much for the Lord!

No worries Hellisreal!

 

[John_Higgins]

Among the testimonies from the process of her beatification there is a long and detailed statement by her sister, Céline Martin, whose name in religion was Sister Genevieve of St. Teresa. She gave her testimony from 14 to 28 September 1910 before a diocesan tribunal, set up by the bishop of Bayeux and Lisieux. Sister Genevieve bore witness under oath that:

In 1897, but before she was really ill, Sister Thérèse told me she expected to die that year. Here is the reason she gave me for this in June. When she realised that she had pulmonary tuberculosis, she said: ‘You see, God is going to take me at an age when I would not have had the time to become a priest … If I could have been a priest, I would have been ordained at these June ordinations. So, what did God do? So that I would not be disappointed, he let me be sick: in that way I couldn’t have been there, and I would die before I could exercise my ministry.’ The sacrifice of not being able to be a priest was something she always felt deeply. During her illness, whenever we were cutting her hair she would ask for a tonsure, and then joyfully feel it with her hand. But her regret did not find its expression merely in such trifles; it was caused by a real love of God, and inspired high hopes in her. The thought that St Barbara had brought communion to St Stanislas Kostka thrilled her. ‘Why must I be a virgin, and not an angel or a priest?’ she said. ‘Oh! what wonders we shall see in heaven! I have a feeling that those who desired to be priests on earth will be able to share in the honour of the priesthood in heaven.’

from: St. Thérèse of Lisieux by those who knew her: Testimonies from the Process of Beatification, ed. and trans. by C. O’Mahony, OCD (Dublin, 1975) pp155-6

If a Doctor of the Church could think that, there could certainly be merit in discussing it here.

John

 

[scylla]

There is merit in discussing it and even seeing the beauty in something that you cannot have, as St Thérèse did. It is a beautiful thing, even a man can see the beauty and wonder how marvelous it would be to be a mother. There is nothing wrong with seeing the goodness of something and even thinking it would have been nice to be able to do that or be that.

It is entirely another thing to state that it should be, and desire to misrepresent the truth of nature for oneself. This is what Call to Action and those other heretical groups do, they distort the Gospel and repudiate the incarnation for their own perverse version of belief.

In Christ
Scylla

 

[aboverubies]

It is a beautiful thing, even a man can see the beauty and wonder how marvelous it would be to be a mother. There is nothing wrong with seeing the goodness of something and even thinking it would have been nice to be able to do that or be that.

Good point!