Why can women not be Catholic priests?

Answer 1

Catholic opinion

1. This is not a decision of men, but of God. God decided that women bring men into the world. Jesus sent men to evangelize. There were women with Jesus as well. The Gospel mentions a few of them: firstly, Mary, the mother of Jesus; Mary Magdalene, His disciple and one of the first witnesses to the resurrection; Mary and Martha, the sisters who offered him hospitality in Bethany. They received of Jesus their own ministry. Mary is the most perfect creature, she brought forth Jesus and gave Him His human nature. Our salvation is born from her, yet she was not ordained. Women have other ministries in the Church, but not the priesthood, because of the will of God. This is why the Pope cannot change the Tradition. It's not his affair, but God's.

2. The tradition that men are priests goes back to the apostles of Jesus. Peter was Jesus' rock, or second in command, and went on to become the leader of the early Christian church. Women play what could be called ancillary roles as nuns and sisters, as did the women who followed Jesus. These traditional views are often seen as bigoted and are openly debated by those seeking leniency in tradition's interpretation and application.

These days, Tradition is still upheld; the Catholic Church's is notorious for resistance to change.

3. The Church has always followed the practice of Christ Himself, who ordained only men to be bishops, priests, and deacons. In 1994, Pope John Paul II reaffirmed this 2000 year old tradition, declaring himself without authority to change it, while reaffirming that "The presence and the role of women in the life and mission of the Church, although not linked to the ministerial priesthood, remain absolutely necessary and irreplaceable." This issue is part of the much larger and holistic subject of the role of sexuality in human experience as understood by the Catholic Church, which has always understood both men and women to be made in the image of God. For more information, see The Theology of the Body and Ordinatio Sacerdotalis. Answer

It all also goes back to Jesus Christ himself implementing the pristhood at the Last Supper. While in the upper room, Jesus was only surrounded by his 12 disciples which were all men. Although he had many other followers, including his Mother Mary, he was surrounded by only men at the Last Supper where he instituted the Eucharist which is the true Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the example he left to show us and the Catholic Church still holds this rule.

4. because of the choices God made. In the time the Catholic Church was established virtually all pegan religions had "preistesses." The people whom ordain prestesses do so with out the authority or the Church, and have hence been threatened with excommunication. At the time the universal church was established it was unheard of to see the amount of involvement that was given to women as nuns. So it is less a problem with tradition and more with the will of god.

Answer 2

"Only a baptized man validly receives sacred ordination." The Lord Jesus chose men 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.

Another viewpoint

Although many Roman Catholics are against the ordination of women, most non-Catholics (and many Catholics too!) regard this decision as wrong and unscriptural. Critics maintain that the real reason is mysoginy within the Church which deprived women of many rights - including ordination. This is still seen today in other religions, notably Islam, where women are treated, in some countries, as little more than possessions.

Catholics seldon quote scripture to back up their claims as Catholic doctrine often has no basis in scripture not history, but is invented by the Church itself. Women's ordination is a case in point. Despite Christ having 12 male apostles, he also had many female followers including Mary, Martha, Mary Magdalene, Salome and others. Also, there were many church leaders who were women - Lydia (as described in Acts) being one. In addition to this, there are frescos in the Roman catacombs that show the earliest Christians in a communion service (a 'mass') with the president of the mass actually being a woman (Google "Fractio Panis"). Therefore, in the early Church, women played a full role in ministry, only to be removed later on when Christianity became established and men took power. More to the point, in his letter to the Galatians Paul makes the equality among all Christians absolutely clear. He states categorically that "there is neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female, slave nor free, for we are all one in Christ Jesus". In other words, the Christian should regard all people born equal, including men and women, with equal rights and opportunities, which includes ordination. Sadly, the Roman Catholics will simply not accept this.

Answer 3

Roman Catholic AnswerThat is a question you would have to ask the Almighty, as it is revealed, and not a decision of men. In other words, that is how Our Blessed Lord constructed His Church. It probably has a lot to do with the Fatherhood of God, and that fact that the Church, as such, is His Bride. The theology behind all of it is beyond me, but it has been revealed this way by God, and the Church has followed Our Blessed Lord in this, as well as in everything else, and it is not something that can change.

Answer 4

It is not that they may not, it is that they cannot. The Pope is Bishop of Rome, thus a Pope must be a Bishop. Only men may be ordained as priests and Bishops.