Why Can't Women Become Priests?

[FCEGM]

. . .When God came to earth though its not like he was going to be both man and woman he obviously will come as one. But does this mean he is only one? When God created man and woman did he not create them in his own image? This is why i find it hard to accept just because Jesus was a male means only priests can be males. . . .

Michael, you might find this article regarding Our Lord and His being incarnated as a male helpful to your further question about the male-only priesthood:

bringyou.to/apologetics/a49.htm

Also, if you haven’t already done so, please read the article I earlier recommended:

bringyou.to/apologetics/a51.htm

You would also find the many excellent articles at that site helpful for any other questions you may have:

bringyou.to/apologetics/apolog.htm

 

[Mommyof02green]

Before i start i would just like to thank everyone who has responded and taken the time to assist my understanding on this subject, if you haven’t already noticed im still learning about the Church so your patience and mercy is appreciated. When God came to earth though its not like he was going to be both man and woman he obviously will come as one. But does this mean he is only one? When God created man and woman did he not create them in his own image? This is why i find it hard to accept just because Jesus was a male means only priests can be males. Another comment mentioned was The church is a lady which is the bride of christ and males who follow christ foot steps also wed the church so then what is the nun in the church? Is this some sort of lesbian relationship (no disrespect) does the nun wed the church to? So then what makes the church a lady that is the bride to the “male christ” a lady church which is run by men?

I watched a documentary on the History channel which was saying Mary Magdelene was a Disciple, not of the original twelve but a disciple which later went to lands and preached and converted thousands of people. If this was not accurate a simple polite comment would have been fine.** Or maybe this is accurate but disciple and priests are different??**
I hope you all can assist on answering all my new questions.

Again I thank you for you assistance on me building my relationship with our beautiful Church.

Thanks
Love
Michael Ivan Mendieta

Disciple and Priest are 2 different things.
Jesus had many disciples you can read John 6 to see that…

However, the 12 apostles were special. He taught the 12 things that he didn’t teach others. The 12 were our first priest.

 

[Mommyof02green]

Before i start i would just like to thank everyone who has responded and taken the time to assist my understanding on this subject, if you haven’t already noticed im still learning about the Church so your patience and mercy is appreciated. When God came to earth though its not like he was going to be both man and woman he obviously will come as one. **But does this mean he is only one? When God created man and woman did he not create them in his own image? **This is why i find it hard to accept just because Jesus was a male means only priests can be males. Another comment mentioned was The church is a lady which is the bride of christ and males who follow christ foot steps also wed the church so then what is the nun in the church? Is this some sort of lesbian relationship (no disrespect) does the nun wed the church to? So then what makes the church a lady that is the bride to the “male christ” a lady church which is run by men?

I watched a documentary on the History channel which was saying Mary Magdelene was a Disciple, not of the original twelve but a disciple which later went to lands and preached and converted thousands of people. If this was not accurate a simple polite comment would have been fine. Or maybe this is accurate but disciple and priests are different??

I hope you all can assist on answering all my new questions.

Again I thank you for you assistance on me building my relationship with our beautiful Church.

Thanks
Love
Michael Ivan Mendieta

The book: Church Our Signs Catechist Manual:

God is like a father and mother to us. God gives us life because God loves us. Jesus had a father and mother too. The Bible tells us that Mary was Jesus’ mother and God was his father. Jesus always called God his father and so when Jesus taught his followers to pray he taught them to call God their father too.

Today we still call God our father even though God is neither male nor female.

However, Jesus is FULLY GOD and FULLY Human. Jesus human nature is Male.

 

[Ghosty]

Look at it this way:

Mary, a woman, is the Queen of Heaven, highest of all simple creatures, above even the highest angels who have seen God face-to-face since their creation at the beginning of time. She has this through Grace, of course, but she remains only human by nature.

The male analog of Mary, the King of Heaven, ect, is Jesus Christ. God had to INCARNATE AS ONE OF US MEN in order to get us up to such a lofty height.

God only had to give Grace to a woman for her to so perfectly follow Him; He had to become one of us in order to get good out of us.

He’s throwing us men a bone with the whole priesthood thing. Think of it as a consolation prize

Peace and God bless!

 

[NotWorthy]

I’m not sure that the fact that none of the Twelve were women is of any more significance than the fact that none of their names began with the letter “O.”

Edwin

This explains why the Disciple Orenthal always felt left out, though.

 

[Mickey]

This explains why the Disciple Orenthal always felt left out, though.

smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_11_6.gif

 

[NotWorthy]

Correct me if I’m wrong but Jesus did many things that were against the tied of culture!!! If He wanted women to be priest then He would of had some women among the 12. Culture would not of stopped Him. Remember Jesus is God. God is always the same, never changing.

You are correct!

To accuse Moses of bending to the hardness of Israel’s hearts and allowing them to have many wives and divorces, and then turn around and do the same thing regarding women priest would have made Jesus somewhat of a hypocrite, wouldn’t it?

 

[ComradeAndrei]

Jesus had many female disciples as well. “Disciples” is a broader category than the Twelve. Why weren’t women included in the Twelve? I would say that this was for pragmatic and cultural reasons. That does indicate that issues of women’s equality were not as important for Jesus as modern feminists think they should have been, but I don’t think it necessarily reflects some perennial theological truth.I’m not sure that the fact that none of the Twelve were women is of any more significance than the fact that none of their names began with the letter “O.”

The idea that Jesus did things only out of respect for “pragmatic” or “cultural” reasons smacks of Modernism.

Pope St. Pius X condemned the idea that “Christ did not always have the consciousness of His Messianic dignity.” Christ knew full well what He was doing when He instituted the priesthood-He didn’t just choose men to placate the Jews but left the option open. Jesus didn’t really care what the Jews thought-He came to teach the Truth whether that was “acceptable in the cultural environment of the time” or not.

Not synonymous. Complementary. The point is that men have some counterpart to every female role in the Church, but the reverse is not the case.

So?

And historically this clearly and obviously was because of a belief in male superiority–not at the level of human nature, which was the same for all, but on a biological and psychological level. Men were seen as more fully representative of the common human nature.

In essence, we should defy Holy Tradition and the infallible teaching on a male-only Priesthood because it offends the sensibilities of modern man? Modernism again rears its ugly head.

You can label this “radical feminism” if you like (though that makes me suspect that you’ve never actually encountered radical feminism–my views are horrifyingly conservative to even my moderately feminist friends). But that doesn’t advance the discussion at all.

I wouldn’t say your views are “radical feminism” because I have experienced much more “radical feminism” than that. However, I do think that feminism (in any degree) is one of many heads of the hydra of Modernism.

Should women get treated fairly in the workplace? Sure. Should women just get to do everything that is properly designated to men in our Holy Church because cultural sensibilities might otherwise be offended? No, a hundred times, no!

Furthermore, there is no open discussion on the issue. Rome has spoken, the cause is finished. There will never be priestessess in the Catholic Church.

 

[mikew262]

Ever see a male nun?

Yes, they are called Brothers.

 

[Kendy]

Monks are synonymous with nuns? That’s news to me!

Nuns are like brothers, not ordained but consecrated.

 

[mikew262]

Monks are synonymous with nuns? That’s news to me!

I believe he mean’t monks and brothers are the male equvilents to nuns.

 

[TheGarg]

Not again. Beating a dead horse time.

Ordinatio Sacerdotalis explicitly prohibits the ordination of females into the priesthood. And, despite what others will say, it has been infallibly defined. Here is a section from Women and the Priesthood (This Rock: November 2003) on the subject:

BREEEEE EEEE EEE EEEE

 

[lrs]

Look at it this way:

Mary, a woman, is the Queen of Heaven, highest of all simple creatures, above even the highest angels who have seen God face-to-face since their creation at the beginning of time. She has this through Grace, of course, but she remains only human by nature.

The male analog of Mary, the King of Heaven, ect, is Jesus Christ. God had to INCARNATE AS ONE OF US MEN in order to get us up to such a lofty height.

God only had to give Grace to a woman for her to so perfectly follow Him; He had to become one of us in order to get good out of us.

He’s throwing us men a bone with the whole priesthood thing. Think of it as a consolation prize

Peace and God bless!

Very good philosophy!!

Lis

 

[iserve]

Before Jesus changed it up, the priesthood was liminted to MEN who were decendants of ONLY the Levite tribe. Anyone outside of this tribe was not to be considered for the priesthod for thousands of years! I do not remember ever seeing anyone in Scripture complaining about this situation, is was what it was. The priesthod today is no different, and it is a function within the Church, but not necessarily the only one nor the one MOST esteemed by God. In fact, Jesus was not even a “priest” in the context of Judaism, yet who would deny His priesthood today?
Someone else said it earlier, the road to holiness is not through ordination, but a life led walking in God’s light, loving His Church and recieving Communion given to us through our priests in order to maintain the strength to do so. Those who would like to have something they can’t have (witness Adam and Eve) in order to make themselves like God, are missing the whole point of our existence.

\\\\

 

[Al_Masetti]

The gender issue in the Catholic Church is interesting.

We all know there is this “push-pull” that involves “political correctness” and such.

What I find interesting is that some folks want so much to fuzz the masculinity of Jesus of Nazareth, that they wiped out the Feast of the Circumcision.

 

[LilyM]

Look at it this way:

Mary, a woman, is the Queen of Heaven, highest of all simple creatures, above even the highest angels who have seen God face-to-face since their creation at the beginning of time. She has this through Grace, of course, but she remains only human by nature.

The male analog of Mary, the King of Heaven, ect, is Jesus Christ. God had to INCARNATE AS ONE OF US MEN in order to get us up to such a lofty height.

God only had to give Grace to a woman for her to so perfectly follow Him; He had to become one of us in order to get good out of us.

He’s throwing us men a bone with the whole priesthood thing. Think of it as a consolation prize

Peace and God bless!

Love it Ghosty

 

[Contarini]

iserve;1581532The priesthod today is no different:

The Epistle to the Hebrews says different.

All this talk about how the priesthood isn’t that special isn’t in keeping with Catholic tradition. It’s amazing how much you guys are willing to jettison in order to keep this one sacred cow of the male-only priesthood.

Edwin

 

[jmcrae]

So what role in the Church do women have that men cannot fill? (Don’t tell me “to be mothers.” That’s not a specifically church-related role–and of course it has a male counterpart.)

To be visible lay persons, I think. When the priest wants to make the point that a particular function in the Church is a lay function, he assigns a woman to that job.

The function of the laity is to proclaim the Word of God to the unbelieving world, so as visible lay people, we are special missionaries - as, in fact Mary Magdalene was.

I’m amazed at how uninformed people on this “apologetics” web site are, but yes, Mary Magdalene was an important missionary in France, and she founded one of the very first missionary sister orders. She was not a priest, though.

 

[DonProfondo]

There is even women that are consider to be a “doctor of the church”.

St. Catherine of Siena, St. Teresa of Avila, and St. Therese of Lisieux are not “considered” to be Doctors of the Church… they ARE Doctors of the Church.

 

[kleary]

Before i start i would just like to thank everyone who has responded and taken the time to assist my understanding on this subject, if you haven’t already noticed im still learning about the Church so your patience and mercy is appreciated. When God came to earth though its not like he was going to be both man and woman he obviously will come as one. But does this mean he is only one? When God created man and woman did he not create them in his own image? This is why i find it hard to accept just because Jesus was a male means only priests can be males. Another comment mentioned was The church is a lady which is the bride of christ and males who follow christ foot steps also wed the church so then what is the nun in the church? Is this some sort of lesbian relationship (no disrespect) does the nun wed the church to? So then what makes the church a lady that is the bride to the “male christ” a lady church which is run by men?

I watched a documentary on the History channel which was saying Mary Magdelene was a Disciple, not of the original twelve but a disciple which later went to lands and preached and converted thousands of people. If this was not accurate a simple polite comment would have been fine. Or maybe this is accurate but disciple and priests are different??

I hope you all can assist on answering all my new questions.

Again I thank you for you assistance on me building my relationship with our beautiful Church.

Thanks
Love
Michael Ivan Mendieta

If Jesus Christ is a male person then a priest also must be a male person. This is due to the Sacrifice of the Mass that every priest offers to God for the sins of the living and the dead.

Now if you fail to understand what the Holy Mass is and what the priest’s role in the Holy Mass is then it is very easy to have such questions concerning women priests.

If you change the doctrine of the Mass from the re presentation of the Sacrifice of Calvary to just a memorial meal then of course you can have women priests no problem, since no Sacrifice is offered to God.

This seems logical to me enough to vehemently defend the Church’s teaching on an all male priesthood, for if there ever was a female “priestess” it would invalidate the Holy Sacrifice.

Ken