What are the theological arguments for and against women’s ordination in the Catholic Church?

HomeschoolDad said:
These are nice thoughts, but they're awfully generic, and have little to do with the question of women's ordination.

Once again, a reminder, AI-generated content is discouraged on this forum. Repeated instances could result in deletion of one's account and all such con
HomeschoolDad said:
These are nice thoughts, but they're awfully generic, and have little to do with the question of women's ordination.

Once again, a reminder, AI-generated content is discouraged on this forum. Repeated instances could result in deletion of one's account and all such content.
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That content is not generated by AI. it truly reflects my thoughts.
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BartholomewB said:
Since you ask for our thoughts on the issue, here are mine, just two of them:

Despite the great weight of theological arguments against it, I suspect it is by no means impossible that the Catholic Church might decide, at some future date, to start ordaining women on a trial basis. If that happens, the most likely motivation would be that there are no longer enough men getting ordained to keep the numbers up.

All the same, and whatever justification they might bring forward, I’m pretty sure it would be disastrous for the Church. Most Catholics would simply stop attending Mass and going to confession. They might still expect their priests, even women priests, to provide what have now become essentially social functions, namely weddings and funerals, but no more than that.
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Saint john Paul II declared that the Church has no authority to "ordain" women. That is, in effect, transgenderism, a mortal sin. Women cannot be fathers. Men cannot be mothers, wives or women religious.

The evil one inveigles his way into the Church.

For all who desire a woman to be their spiritual father, become EPISCOPALIAN!
 
po18guy said:
Saint john Paul II declared that the Church has no authority to "ordain" women. That is, in effect, transgenderism, a mortal sin. Women cannot be fathers. Men cannot be mothers, wives or women religious.

The evil one inveigles his way into the Church.

For all who desire a woman to be their spiritual father, become EPISCOPALIAN!
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I hope you are speaking rhetorically. I could never recommend that anybody do anything other than remain within, or come into, the Catholic Church. It is not the will of God that any single person be outside His one true Church --- He may stand back and allow it (because of free will, which, like conscience, if badly used or formed, can be as Luther said of reason, Frau Jezebel), but He never positively wills it, nor is He pleased by it.

For the person who wrongly imagines that women can be priests, they must change their thinking to conform to the traditional teachings of the Church. In our age of rampant error, not all truth is self-evident to everyone.
 
I say, let them go. Since male ordination is a "a hard teaching" and they cannot bear it, is it not better that they leave than remain and violate their conscience. We know what they are leaving, but I almost suspect that they do not. Those who are pre-destined to the Kingdom will accept humility and return.
 
HomeschoolDad said:
Doesn't matter. The Church does not change her teachings to suit society or the times. Rather, society needs to change to come into conformity with the Church's traditional teachings, and the times need to reflect that faithfulness.

The Church is "in the world but not of it".
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Yes it does. The church has changed radically on issues of racism over the years, and hopefully sexism is next.
 
MattTheCricketBat said:
Yes it does. The church has changed radically on issues of racism over the years, and hopefully sexism is next.
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It is not "sexist" to reiterate the traditional, continuous teaching of the Church that the priesthood is reserved to male Catholics. The racism parallel is apples and oranges.
 
HomeschoolDad said:
It is not "sexist" to reiterate the traditional, continuous teaching of the Church that the priesthood is reserved to male Catholics. The racism parallel is apples and oranges.
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It's discriminatory and arbitrary just like racism, I think most Christians are figuring that out. Catholics will adapt eventually also.
 
MattTheCricketBat said:
It's discriminatory and arbitrary just like racism, I think most Christians are figuring that out. Catholics will adapt eventually also.
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Tell that to Pope John Paul II or even Francis.

Your stance exemplifies the great division that goes on amongst Catholics. Some take their inspiration from the world and the times, and imagine that the Church will eventually "come around" and tack its bow to the world, such that in some future "Age of Aquarius" (or whatever one chooses to call it), the consensus of the world, and the teachings of the Church, will be as one. Others uphold tradition, which is sometimes counter-cultural, and sometimes not counter-cultural.
 
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MattTheCricketBat said:
Yes it does. The church has changed radically on issues of racism over the years, and hopefully sexism is next.
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It appears that you are judging Christ to be sexist. We are to emulate Him, and not the world. The Church is "holy" - which means set apart from the world and its cultures. What, should we worship at the altar of inclusion and admit atheists too?
Please ponder your position on this. Before Christ at Adoration if possible.
 
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po18guy said:
It appears that you are judging Christ to be sexist. We are to emulate Him, and not the world. The Church is "holy" - which means set apart from the world and its cultures. What, should we worship at the altar of inclusion and admit atheists too?
Please ponder your position on this. Before Christ at Adoration if possible.
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Christ was anything but sexist, he involved women at every level of service. Women were the first witnesses to his resurrection, there were women apostles, he chose to enter the world through the holy virgin Mary. It's the traditions we must question, not Christ.
 
MattTheCricketBat said:
Christ was anything but sexist, he involved women at every level of service. Women were the first witnesses to his resurrection, there were women apostles, he chose to enter the world through the holy virgin Mary. It's the traditions we must question, not Christ.
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Of course he wasn't "sexist", whatever that means.

But who were these "women apostles", and do we have any evidence that they did, indeed, offer the Eucharistic sacrifice?
 
MattTheCricketBat said:
Christ was anything but sexist, he involved women at every level of service. Women were the first witnesses to his resurrection, there were women apostles, he chose to enter the world through the holy virgin Mary. It's the traditions we must question, not Christ.
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So you say. Christ trained and ordained men. What tradition overturns this?
 
From Pope John Paul II -
Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church's divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Lk 22:32), I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful.
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The matter is settled.
 
vz71 said:
From Pope John Paul II -


The matter is settled.
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Amen! These change agents have no idea what their "changes" will lead to. Look at the Anglicans! Falling apart before our eyes. Male and female God created them. Male did Jesus ordain them.
These people have a problem with Christ. Far better that they become Buddhist or Hindu than to destroy the Church Christ founded.
 
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