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aball1035
Guest
Why did God not want the Church to have women priests? Why is it exclusive only to men?
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JReducation
Guest
We’ll have to wait to get to heaven to ask him. That’s one of those things right up there with why is God three persons?
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
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Bob4BVM
Guest
Cuz the Church says so.
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Tietjen
Guest
Why did God create women with the ability to give birth and not men? We all have roles to play and ultimately it’s a question that only God can answer.
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praxising
Guest
There used to be women priests, just like there used to be married priests. (I’d have to go find the reference but I remember one of the Popes having to write these letters to some dioceses that wouldn’t give up their women priests - I think it was around the 1600s or so). There are married priests now who were married when they joined the Church - iirc they used to be Episcopalian.
I doubt God cares about the gender of a priest, or the marital status of one.
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Tietjen
Guest
Respectfully, there has never been a woman priest (or priestess) in the Catholic Church. Perhaps you are thinking of the Church of England. While it is true that there have been (and are today) married priests within the Church, it is considered the exception and not the rule. St. Peter was married.
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MarkThompson
Guest
It’s the other way around – the Church says so, presumably, because that’s what God wants.
No, there have never been female priests. There may have been cases in which women claimed to be priests, but this just makes them impostors. I’ve never heard of any such case from the 1600s, but if so, it’s no wonder the Pope took action.
No doubt your extensive theological training and lifetime of deep religious study, plus your ability to pronounce infallibly on matters of faith and morals, makes this judgment a reliable one. Oh wait, my bad, that’s the Catholic Church I was thinking of.
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frindro
Guest
I highly doubt the accuracy of your claim. Unless you can name the Pope, year, and document I would not trust this at all. If such a letter was written, though, then I doubt it was about a change in practice, but rather a few dissident diocese introducing their own practice, not a practice of the whole Church.
As to the original question, the explanation that I heard from a priest was that Jesus only chose male apostles. This is found in CCC 1577, which also explains that all of those whom the apostles chose for Holy Orders were also male.
For more on this issue, check out philosopher Peter Kreeft’s lecture.
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choy
Guest
remember that Celibacy is a required discipline, but not necessarily a dogma or doctrine within Holy Orders. Eastern Churches and the Orthodox have married priests. in fact, there were married Popes other than Peter. the discipline came later, married men were priests and bishops in the early Church
as for women priests, Jesus chose men to lead the Church. he has reasons. women have a role in the Church. being a priest is not about being on a high perch and having power, as some people would argue. its about serving, and Jesus chose men to fulfill this role. i’m pretty sure everyone in the Church would agree to female priests if Jesus made a provision for it. but Jesus didn’t.
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JReducation
Guest
I would discard that book, if it is a book or magazine article. There has never been a female priest in any of the 22 Catholic Churches or the 21 Orthodox Churches. In other words, none of the Churches that have Apostolic succession have ever had female priests.
Look at it this way, if there had ever been female priests in the Roman Church, do you really imagine that the Eastern Catholics would remain in full communion with the Church of Rome? They are the most traditional Catholics in the world. Much more traditional than we are in the West. Do you think that the Orthodox would even consider reunification with the Catholic Church? Why do you think tha tthey call themselves Orthodox? They would be the first to denounce the Church of Rome for such an apostacy.
As to whether or not God cares, he certainly does. This is one of several points on which every single Patriarch of the East and West have agreed is revealed truth and infallible. Do you know that among the Patriarchs who are the highest ranking authorities in all of the Churches: Catholic and Orthodox, there has never been a dissenting vote on this question. They all refer back to the Apostles and their teachings on this matter.
This point came up in Paul’s age. This is where Paul made that famous statement that is often taken out of context “Women should remain quiet.” He was not talking about women not having an opinion. He was answering a question by the Gentiles. The Gentiles were used to having female priestesses in the pagan temples. When they converted they raised this question. Pauls gave that answer. He was speaking about women preaching the Gospel.
Women can teach the Gospel, but preaching is reserved for males only. In the Gospels we see many women among the disciples of Jesus, but none of them were selected to be Apostles. Some people say that Jesus was acting according to his culture. That would not fly, because Jesus would never commit an injustice to satisfy cultural expectations.
Finally, Pope John Paul II has already stated that from now to eternity this question may never be brought up again. We can discuss it, but none of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches will ever give it a hearing. This they all agree on. The position of all the patriarchs is that is an act of apostacy. The discussion at the level of authority is closed forever by an Apostolic decree by John Paul. No pope can reverse an Apostolic decreee of a previous pope. When a pope makes an Apostolic decree he is calling on his authority as an Apostle. One Apostle cannot trump another. John Paul did this deliberately to bind all future popes. There are two ways that a pope binds all future popes. If it is a matter of dogma he makes an Ex Catherdra decree. If it is a matter of morals or discipline he makes an Apostolic Decree. They are equally binding on all future generations, because they carry the weight of infallibility.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
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puzzleannie
Guest
the psalms remind us God’s ways our not our ways, and are as high above our pathetic human understand as the stars are high above the earth. There can be no women priests because Christ did not choose women as priests, including the women disciples who had demonstrably stronger faith and holier lives. there were never women priests in the Catholic Church. Those who claim this simply lie, and lie through abuse and deliberate misuse of historic sources, a crime against history as well as a crime against truth.
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BVM_1221
Guest
From the Catholic Catechism, via the USCCB,
1577
"Only a baptized man (vir) validly receives sacred ordination."66 The Lord Jesus chose men (ver) to form the college of the twelve apostles, and the apostles did the same when they chose collaborators to succeed them in their ministry.67 The college of bishops, with whom the priests are united in the priesthood, makes the college of the twelve an ever-present and ever-active reality until Christ’s return. The Church recognizes herself to be bound by this choice made by the Lord himself. For this reason the ordination of women is not possible.68
Note that this is only in the ROMAN Catholic Churches. There are independent Catholic Churches that ordain women. And of course many Protestant denominations do ordain women. Maybe not as “Priests”, but certainly as Ministers, recognized by law. You should especially note the ordination of women priests in the Episcopal Church:yup:
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Seatuck
Guest
There have never been validly ordained women priests.
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Seatuck
Guest
[edited]
It’s infallible teaching according to the ordinary and universal magesterium.
vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_22051994_ordinatio-sacerdotalis_en.html
ourladyswarriors.org/teach/ordisace2.htm
ewtn.com/library/ISSUES/ORDIN.TXT
It’s infallible teaching according to the ordinary and universal magesterium.
vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_22051994_ordinatio-sacerdotalis_en.html
ourladyswarriors.org/teach/ordisace2.htm
ewtn.com/library/ISSUES/ORDIN.TXT
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PacoG
Guest
There is a sticky that prohibits postings that “Challenge Church teaching.” This one should be deleted.
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CDNowak
Guest
Second that recommendation, including the portion on Sexual Symbolism available as text (the entire audio is available) and the inspiring work, CSLewis’s “Priestesses in the Church?” written when Anglicans were still fighting the practice.
However, as Br. JR states, we can only speculate here based on God’s actions and self-revelation.
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praxising
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Pretty sure there have been. Come to think of it, I believe also a female Bishop. I have a busy afternoon, but I’ll try and find the reference tonight.
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Newbie2
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Good luck finding it. 
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praxising
Guest
I don’t know what this means. Jesus didn’t “make a provision” for priests at all, afaik. Whatever is going on in this century, women served in what would today be considered priestly roles in ancient times. I don’t care one way or the other if women become priests now, I just think it has to be okay to accept the history of how what we have came to be.
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frindro
Guest
Alright folks, another claim you should just dismiss. If such a person existed, they were not a bishop of a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church. I do not expect any evidence to support your claim.
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