Many Catholics believe that women can and should be ordained to the priesthood. Would you explain the Church's teaching on the ordination of women?
Thanks,
Deacon Kunze
Deacon Kunze,
As you well know the topic of women's ordination is one of the hot-button issues in the Catholic Church today. The main argument given in favor of women's ordination is one of equality. If we are all equal in the sight of God and one in Jesus Christ then there is no reason why women can't be ordained. Admittedly, there are many faithful Catholics who otherwise agree with the Church who hold this view. However, there are other persons in the Church who feel the need for great change in the Church revolving around sexuality and what are commonly referred to as "women's issues" such as abortion and artificial contraception. This camp sees the issue of women's ordination not simply as an equality issue but also a power issue. If women could become priests, they could become bishops and even Pope and then would have the power to change the teachings of the Church to be more sensitive to these women's issues. However, to see the issue of women's ordination as one of equality and to see the priesthood as about power (though it can be abused to such ends) is to misunderstand both the issue of equality as well as the meaning of the priesthood.
Christians of all stripes will recognize that men and women are created equal in the sight of God. Yet in discerning equality we must recognize that there is a distinction to be made between equal and same. Many influenced by the modern secular understanding of equality will argue that all differences outside of the physical are conditioned by culture and that outside of the physical differences men and women are exactly the same and should, therefore, be treated the same. While a Christian anthropology understands that men and women are created in the image of God and are equal in his sight they also understand that this does not mean that men and women are the same but are rather complimentary. Instead of trying to explain away or ignore the physical differences between men and women a Christian anthropology embraces them.
For example, in the physical realm women can conceive life and give birth yet no one doubts that men are any less in the sight of God or are discriminated by God for not being able to have children. Being a physical mother, or a father for that matter, is not about power (though it too can be abused to such ends) but is rather about nurturing life according to their own particular fashion. Likewise, being a father in the spiritual realm is not about power nor does it mean that men are any more important then women but rather it is a spiritual dimension of a physical reality rooted in God's creation and revelation. We all have different roles in life and in the Church but we are all equal in the sight of God and must be faithful and will be judged according to the responsibilities of the roles that we have been given.
Still, the question remains why does the Church only ordain men. Didn't Jesus have close female followers such as Martha and her sister Mary, Mary Magdalene and of course his own mother which the Church reveres so highly. This is true but despite this fact he did not call women in the same way or entrust them with the same roles that he did the apostles. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 1577 tells us:
"Only a baptized man (vir) validly receives sacred ordination." The Lord Jesus chose men (viri) to form the college of the twelve apostles, and the apostles did the same when they chose collaborators to succeed them in their ministry. 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.
In recent decades, before the Catechism was written affirming the Church's constant practice on male-only ordination, some questioned the Tradition and urged the Church to re-examine the issue. The Church did examine the issue and came to the conclusion based upon the constant Tradition of the Church as rooted in the reasoning presented above that the Church did not have the power to ordain women since the Church is entrusted with passing on the constant teaching and practice of the Church as entrusted to her by Christ. Men can be physical fathers according to creation, they are spiritual fathers according to revelation.
In regards to seeing the priesthood in terms of power it is important to understand that the priesthood is a gift given to the Church. This gift, the priesthood of Jesus Christ, is not about power but is about service, the service made to us by Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross. All who are called to the priesthood are called to be faithful to that reality. At their ordination priests promise to be faithful to their bishop and their successors (the representative of Christ as chosen by Christ) and to faithfully pass on the fullness of truth entrusted to the Church by Jesus Christ himself. This is not something that one does for himself but for the Glory of God and the salvation of souls. This cannot be done if one sees the priesthood in terms of power.
Indeed, the priesthood is not about what I want and what can I achieve but what God wants. Along those same lines one cannot decide for themselves that they are to be a priest but must be called and faithfully respond to that call. The Church is ultimately responsibly for determining who is called to the priesthood. However, it is also important to point out that while the Church has determined that the call to priesthood does not apply to women as a whole the call also does not apply to most men. CCC1578 states:
No one has the right to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders. Indeed, no one claims this office for himself; he is called to it by God. Anyone who thinks he recognizes the signs of God's call to the ordained ministry must humbly submit his desire to the authority of the Church, who has the responsibility and the right to call someone to receive orders. Like every grace this sacrament can be received only as an unmerited gift.
This reflects my own personal experience as well. While I felt called to the priesthood at a young age and would have said that I wanted to be a priest I was in reality responding to a call. Indeed, I fought that calling for many years. I applied to the diocese and attended the seminary to discern, with the help of the Church, if that call was real. Initially, I answered the call and, ultimately, I became a priest not because I wanted to, though I am happy that I did and I do see it as a gift, but because I felt I had no choice. I became a priest because God wanted me.
As far as the specific issue of any further discussion of the subject of women's ordination some have accused the Church of "shutting down" dialogue on this issue and want it continued. On the contrary, the Church was open to examining the issue, came to a conclusion and reaffirmed its position. Dialogue cannot go on forever. It seems that the expressed desire by some for continued dialogue on the issue it not so much rooted in an a sincere attempt to come to a clearer understanding about the Church's teaching and embrace it as part of the deposit of faith but rather the belief and hope that if we "dialogue" about it enough women's ordination will becomes a reality.
Fr. Pisut
