Women's Ordination - Part 2

While the Church bases its teaching concerning the restriction of ordination to men alone heavily on the consistent tradition handed down since the time of the apostles, the answer also rests on the understanding of a sacrament.

The Church must be faithful to the sign value or the substance of the sacrament. Pope Pius XII, echoing the teachings of the Council of Trent, stated, "The Church has no power over the substance of the sacraments, that is to say, over what Christ the Lord, as the sources of Revelation bear witness, determined should be maintained in the sacramental sign" (Sacramentum Ordinis, No. 5). These sacramental signs are symbolic of actions and things, such as water in baptism symbolizes life and cleansing, and reminds us of the parting the waters to bring life at Genesis, the flood waters which destroyed evil in Noah's time, the parting of the Red Sea to bring the people out slavery, and the water which flowed from the heart of Christ Himself. For example, the Mass is not just a ritual meal or a pious remembrance of the Last Supper; the Mass participates in and makes present the everlasting, eternal sacrifice of our Lord on the cross and His resurrection.

In the same way, through Holy Orders, a priest is called to represent Christ Himself, to be an "alter Christus." For instance, at Mass, the priest act in "persona Christi" "the priest enacts the image of Christ, in whole person and by whose power he pronounces the words of consecration" (St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, III, 83, 1, 3). In this sense, an intrinsic part of the sacramental sign of Holy Orders is the manhood of Christ.

Using St. Paul's analogy on Christ's relationship to the Church as the groom with His bride, Pope John Paul II (as did Pope Paul VI) reflected that our Lord's sacrifice on the cross with the offering of His body and blood "gives definitive prominence to the spousal meaning of God's love" (Mulieris Dignitatem, No. 26). Christ is the bridegroom who has offered Himself completely as Redeemer to His bride, the Church, which He has created. The Holy Eucharist continues to make present the redemptive act of our Lord, and continues to nourish the Church. Thereupon, Christ, the bridegroom, is united with His bride, the Church, through the Holy Eucharist. The Holy Father concluded, "Since Christ, in instituting the Eucharist linked it in such an explicit way to the priestly service of the Apostles, it is legitimate to conclude that He thereby wished to express the relationship between man and woman, between what is `feminine' and what is `masculine.' It is the Eucharist above all the expresses the redemptive act of Christ, the Bridegroom, toward the Church, the Bride. This is clear and unambiguous when the sacramental ministry of the Eucharist, in which the priest acts "in persona Christi," is performed by man" (No. 26). (For fuller discussion of this point, please confer the Declaration on the Admission of Women to the Ministerial Priesthood "Inter Insignores" (1976) and Pope John Paul II's "Mulieris Dignitatem" (No. 26)).

Pope Paul VI echoed these points when he wrote to Archbishop Coggan, Archbishop of Canterbury and spiritual leader of the Anglican Church, concerning the ordination of women to the priesthood (Nov. 30, 1975), "The Catholic Church holds that it is not admissible to ordain women to priesthood, for very fundamental reasons. These reasons include: the example recorded in the Sacred Scriptures of Christ choosing His apostles only from among men; the constant practice of the Church, which has imitated Christ in choosing only men; and her living teaching authority which has consistently held that the exclusion of women from the priesthood is in accordance with God's plan for His Church."

The Catechism also addressed someone's "right" to be a priest: "No one has a right to receive the sacramental 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 right to call someone to receive order. Like every grace this sacrament can be received only as an unmerited gift" (No. 1578).

Despite the consistent teaching of the Church concerning this matter, Pope john Paul II deemed it necessary to reiterate it once again in his apostolic letter "Ordinatio Sacerdotalis" (May 22, 1994): "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, 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" (No. 4). The Holy Father's answer is clear and definitive.

The restriction of Holy Orders to men alone does not denigrate the role of women in the Church. Think of some of the great female saints like St. Clare, St. Teresa of Avila and St. Catherine of Sienna whose spiritual writings and example are still honored today. Think of remarkable work of Mother Teresa or Mother Angelica and how many lives they touch. Think of famous women in our American Church: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (a wife, mother and religious), Blessed Katherine Drexel, St. Frances Cabrini, Blessed Kateri Tekawitha. Our country in America has beautiful legacy of women religious who have served in schools, hospitals and orphanages. Each parish benefits greatly from the services of lay women who offer their time and talent in numerous capacities. Pope John Paul II emphasized in his apostolic letter, "The presence and the role of women in the life and the mission of the Church, although not liked to the ministerial priesthood, remain absolutely necessary and irreplaceable" (No. 3).

I remember how our Holy Father addressed this question when he visited Philadelphia in 1979, while I was still in the seminary. He reminded us that Christ calls each of us to share in His mission. Some people are called to be priests, some religious brothers and sisters, some as spouses, some as parents, some as single laity. A vocation is not based on superiority, but on difference in the levels of function and service. Everyone shares in the mission of Christ according to His plan and design, and His grace help build-up the Kingdom of God. As counseled by Vatican II's Dogmatic Constitution of the Church, may we faithfully, humbly and respectfully submit to the teachings of our Church as guided by the Holy Spirit.

Note: Part 1 of this answer can be found here.