Womens Ordination

In our politically charged world, the debate over the restriction of ordination to men alone often focuses on the political rather than the theological. The Washington Post has made that very clear. Moreover, how some people receive the Church's teaching also seems to focus on a political framework rather than a theological. Concerning the political sphere, we must remember that because of our theological foundation, the Church has condemned discrimination based on sex: "Forms of social or cultural discrimination in basic personal rights on the grounds of sex, race, color, social conditions, language or religion must be curbed and eradicated as incompatible with God's design" (Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes, #29).

However, to understand the Church's position for reserving the Sacrament of Holy Orders and thereby the ordination of deacons, priests, and bishops to men only (cf. Code of Canon Law, #1024), we must turn to our theological foundation. Here we remember that by definition a sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace. First, Christ instituted the Sacrament of Holy Orders. According to His plan, He called 12 men as His apostles. Nowhere in the gospel do we find evidence of Jesus giving "orders" to women to baptize, to anoint the sick, to confect the Holy Eucharist, or to forgive sins as He did to the apostles. (The same applies when the apostles chose the first deacons in Acts of the Apostles.) Actually, our Lords choice was radical because in the ancient world, all religions had priestesses except one, Judaism.

Some might respond, "But in Jewish society at that time, women were not considered equal to men. Women were seen in a second class way, and that is why Jesus only chose men as apostles." To some extent, this statement is true. However, Jesus was not constricted by such social custom. Even His adversaries stated, "Teacher, we know you are a truthful man and teach God's way sincerely. You court no one's favor and do not act out of human respect" (Matthew 22:16). While Jewish law allowed men to divorce their wives but not vice versa, Jesus spoke of marriage as a covenant between a man and a woman as two equals made in God's image and likeness (Matthew 319:3ff). He spoke with the Samaritan woman, a public sinner, whom "good" rabbis would have avoided (John 4:4ff). He acknowledged the presence of Mary Magdalene and forgave her sins although she was considered "untouchable" by other religious leaders (Luke 7:36ff). Many women did follow our Lord during His public ministry, and witnessed His crucifixion and burial. On Easter, women were the first to discover the empty tomb, and Mary Magdalene was the first to see the risen Lord. Moreover, Jesus clearly honored His blessed Mother, Mary, for whom He even performed the first miracle at the wedding feast at Cana even though His time had not come.

In our politically charged world, the debate over the restriction of ordination to men alone often focuses on the political rather than the theological. The Washington Post has made that very clear.

When considering these points, one must admit that our Lord emancipated women from the constraints imposed by Jewish society. Therefore, Jesus did not omit calling women as apostles because of some social or political convention; rather, the reason must lie within the nature of the human person which not only recognizes the equality between man and women, but also their diversity. Pope John Paul II in his apostolic letter Mulieris Dignitatem stated, "In calling only men as his apostles, Christ acted in a completely free and sovereign manner. In doing so, He exercised the same freedom with which, in all His behavior, He emphasized the dignity and the vocation of women, without conforming to the prevailing customs and to the traditions sanctioned by the legislation of the time" (#26).

Moreover, there is no indication in the history of the Church of women being called to Holy Orders. For instance, although women, including our Blessed Mother, were with the apostles in the "upper room" after the ascension (Acts 1:14), St. Peter addressed the "brothers," concerning the selection of a replacement for Judas, and the Eleven apostles chose Matthias, one of two men nominated (Acts 1:15ff). If we examine the Didache (the first manual of doctrine, morality, and spirituality of the Church written about AD 80 and attributed to the apostles) or to survey the writings of the Church Fathers, such as St. Clement (d. 101) and St. Ignatius of Antioch (d. 110) to name just two, we find clear testimony that men were chosen as bishops, priests, and deacons.

I remember Archbishop Fulton Sheen once said, "If our Lord would have ordained women, He would have definitely ordained His own Blessed Mother, free of sin, but He did not." Therefore, the Church remains faithful to the type of ordained ministry willed by Christ and maintained by the apostles. The Catechism asserts, "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" (#1577).

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 of slavery and the water which flowed from the heart of Christ on the cross. These signs also unite a person to the everlasting, eternal ministry 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. For instance, at Mass, the priest acts in persona Christi "the priest enacts the image of Christ, in whose person and by whose power he pronounces the words of consecration" (St. Thomas Aquinas, "Summa Theologiae III," 83, 1, 3). The Catechism of the Catholic Church beautifully states, "The ordained minister is, as it were, an icon of Christ the priest" (No. 1142). 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 Eucharist. Pope John Paul II 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 a relationship willed by God both in the mystery of creation and in the mystery of Redemption. 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 a fuller discussion of this point, please confer the Declaration on the Admission of Women to the Ministerial Priesthood (Inter Insigniores) (1976) and Pope John Paul II's "Mulieris Dignitatem," No. 26.)

Everyone shares in the mission of Christ according to His plan and design, and by His grace help build-up the kingdom of God. As counseled by Vatican II's Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, may we faithfully, humbly and respectfully submit to the teachings of our Church as guided by the Holy Spirit.

Pope Paul VI asserted 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 the 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 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 right to call someone to receive orders. 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.

Nevertheless, as stated in the question, once again the faithful are scandalized by the defiance of the nine women who attempted ordination. A similar action took place in Germany in 2002, and those seven women were formally excommunicated. Keep in mind that the attempted ordination in both of these cases is totally invalid; they may pretend to be priests, but they are not priests. While their action is scandalous, it is also cowardly. If they are so dissatisfied with the teachings of the Catholic Church, why not join another church or start their own church? Perhaps they realize by leaving the Catholic Church they would not receive the publicity they crave. Actually, their actions reveal their understanding of priesthood as opposed to Christs, who came to serve, not be served. What organization would want to ordain, employ or admit someone who has no respect for authority or the organizations rules?

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 famous women in our American Church: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (a wife, mother and religious), Blessed Katherine Drexel, St. Frances Cabrini and Blessed Kateri Tekawitha. Our country in America has a beautiful legacy of women religious who have served in schools, parishes, 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 linked to the ministerial priesthood, remain absolutely necessary and irreplaceable" (No. 3).

I remember how our late 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 a "right" but a call from Christ through the Church as He has established it. The distinction is not based on superiority, but on a difference in the levels of function and service. Everyone shares in the mission of Christ according to His plan and design, and by His grace help build-up the kingdom of God. As counseled by Vatican II's Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, may we faithfully, humbly and respectfully submit to the teachings of our Church as guided by the Holy Spirit.