Is there actually a good explanation for why women cannot be ordained as priests?

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I myself do not think that women should become priests. I would also feel very uncomfortable with the idea of having a female parish priest. I think the Church should never allow women to become priests. However, having said that, if I was to defend the Church’s stance on the ordination of women, I wouldn’t know what to say.

So, why can’t women be ordained as priests in the Church?

Please answer directly, and not all round about.
 
I believe this would be better suited to the Apologetics or Sacraments folders than the Non-Catholic forum if you are looking for Catholic teaching on the matter.

I suggest you read JPII’s Apostolic Letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis on this topic.
 
You’re right, I should have posted this in one of the other sub-forums. Oh well, the moderators can move it if they see fit. Thanks for the link
 
yes it can be stated in one sentence: Jesus did not ordain women as priests, therefor the Church has no authority to do so.
 
  1. How do we know Jesus didnt just pick men because at that time, women would not have been taken seriously at the time?
  2. Regarding the Apostolic Letter, how come Pope John Paul II said that the Church doesn’t have the “authority” to allow women to be ordained?
 
puzzleannie said:
yes it can be stated in one sentence: Jesus did not ordain women as priests, therefor the Church has no authority to do so.
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That is too convenient an explanation. By this reasoning, only Jews should be allowed to become priests.
 
MH84 said:
  1. How do we know Jesus didnt just pick men because at that time, women would not have been taken seriously at the time?
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Well, history for one. There were MANY religions that had women priestesses, especially Rome.

And, Jesus’s own actions for another. Jesus had women disciples and Jesus repeatedly broke the cultural and social barriers of his time.
MH84 said:
  1. Regarding the Apostolic Letter, how come Pope John Paul II said that the Church doesn’t have the “authority” to allow women to be ordained?
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Christ instituted the Sacraments. The Church cannot change the character of the Sacraments. Just as the Church cannot change the matter of the Eucharist to be anything other than bread and wine, the Church cannot change the matter required for the Sacrament of Holy Orders to anything other than a man.

At the root of your problem is a lack of understanding of Sacramental theology. Sacraments DO what they SIGNIFY.
 
MH84 said:
That is too convenient an explanation. By this reasoning, only Jews should be allowed to become priests.
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You need to study up on Sacraments. Each sacrament has form and matter. Each Sacrament does what it signifies.
 
  1. Jesus appointing only male apostles, not necessarily proof in itself but an indication
  2. Universal Catholic Church practice for 2000 years despite some other religions allowing women priests
  3. Rome has spoken, the case is closed
 
JMBNH said:
  1. Jesus appointing only male apostles, not necessarily proof in itself but an indication
  2. Universal Catholic Church practice for 2000 years despite some other religions allowing women priests
  3. Rome has spoken, the case is closed
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These are not explanations, except maybe the third one. But this would not be useful for a non-Catholic anyway.
 
MH84 said:
I myself do not think that women should become priests. I would also feel very uncomfortable with the idea of having a female parish priest. I think the Church should never allow women to become priests. However, having said that, if I was to defend the Church’s stance on the ordination of women, I wouldn’t know what to say.

So, why can’t women be ordained as priests in the Church?

Please answer directly, and not all round about.
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Women bear children and motherhood. Men do not.

Men bear fatherhood. Women do not.

The priest is a father, not a mother.
 
The relationship of Christ and the Church is one of male to female in a marriage. Therefore, the faithful as a body have a feminine aspect to their relationship with Christ–but at certain times priests and bishops represent the person of Christ in the sacraments and governance of the Church (as He is both Head and chief priest) and their function in those roles, especially in offering the Eucharist, has a distinctly male quality in relationship to the Church’s (including the local church’s specifically) feminine quality.

Also, if you can get a hold of St. Hildegard of Bingen’s “Scivias” she has a good section on this topic which she explains in a very mystical way.
 
CalmDownWisWins said:
Women bear children and motherhood. Men do not.

Men bear fatherhood. Women do not.

The priest is a father, not a mother.
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Isnt the reason we call priests “Father”, becasue they are male. If there were women priests we wouldn’t be calling them “Father”.

If someone asked you why is the priesthood embodied by “fathers” instead of “mothers”, what would you say?

Finally, what does the fact that women bear children have anything to do with the topic?
 
MH84 said:
  1. How do we know Jesus didnt just pick men because at that time, women would not have been taken seriously at the time?
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Because we have no basis to assert Jesus was too hesitant to pick women, given his affinity for associating with women against the grain (i.e. the woman at the well, the prostitutes…). In fact, He picked a bunch of fishermen and sinners and tax collectors in a demonstration of the lowly becoming the great. We therefore have every reason to believe His choice of males was deliberate.

Others have also given good answers and links. 🙂
 
Genesis315 said:
The relationship of Christ and the Church is one of male to female in a marriage. Therefore, the faithful as a body have a feminine aspect to their relationship with Christ–but at certain times priests and bishops represent the person of Christ in the sacraments and governance of the Church (as He is both Head and chief priest) and their function in those roles, especially in offering the Eucharist, has a distinctly male quality in relationship to the Church’s (including the local church’s specifically) feminine quality.

Also, if you can get a hold of St. Hildegard of Bingen’s “Scivias” she has a good section on this topic which she explains in a very mystical way.
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This is quite a good explanation. However, why do the Sacraments have a “male” quality? Don’t they instead have a divine quality?
 
MarcoPolo said:
Because we have no basis to assert Jesus was too hesitant to pick women, given his affinity for associating with women against the grain (i.e. the woman at the well, the prostitutes…). In fact, He picked a bunch of fishermen and sinners and tax collectors in a demonstration of the lowly becoming the great. We therefore have every reason to believe His choice of males was deliberate.
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Could you re-phrase what you mean here? I don’t quite understand your message.
 
MH84 said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by CalmDownWisWins
Women bear children and motherhood. Men do not.

Men bear fatherhood. Women do not.

The priest is a father, not a mother.

Isnt the reason we call priests “Father”, becasue they are male. If there were women priests we wouldn’t be calling them “Father”.
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Jesus did not call God “Mother”. If we were to call priests “mother”, would we be refering to God?
If someone asked you why is the priesthood embodied by “fathers” instead of “mothers”, what would you say?
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Show me revealed truth which would give me reason to think of God as “mother”?
Finally, what does the fact that women bear children have anything to do with the topic?
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We are the children of God. We are born of women, but we are created by God, who is nowhere “our Mother”.

“Motherhood” is the “balance” vocation to the priesthood. Just as men cannot be mothers, women cannot be priests, because priests are fathers, which women can’t be.
 
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