Here's a link to those who would challenge your argument ..... WOMEN PRIEST
Posted on 06/28/2002 12:15:40 PM PDT by Looking for Diogenes
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Nine women are to be ordained as Roman Catholic priests in a secret ceremony in Austria this weekend which could lead to their excommunication from the church.
The women, who are from Austria, Germany and the United States, are to gather in an undisclosed location on Saturday for the ordination, which Church authorities have insisted will not be valid.
But the group, who include several pioneer theologians, argue that the Roman Catholic Church's refusal to ordain women has no basis in the scriptures.
"Both the doctrine of the ban on women priests and the law that is based on it therefore reflect a heresy," wrote theologians Ida Raming and Iris Mueller, both of whom are due to be ordained.
"The women who will take part in the 'illicit' ordination understand their action as a clear sign of protest - a protest against doctrine and Church law which discriminates against women."
Media reports say the ceremony may be carried out by Argentine Bishop Romulo Braschi, or a former Benedictine monk called Ferdinand Regelsberger, who was himself ordained by Bishop Braschi.
Expulsion
Austrian church authorities say that if the women go ahead with the ordinations it will represent "a fundamental break with the Roman Catholic Church".
"Only men can be ordained," said Maximillian Aichern, the bishop of Linz. "The simulated ordination of a woman is not only invalid, but is also blatantly contradicts the rules of the Church."
The Bishop of St Poelten, Kurt Krenn, warned that they could be excommunicated.
Even some reform groups which would like to see women as priests are wary of the ordinations, as they would prefer to campaign for the admission of female ministers through legal channels rather than sanctioning illicit ordinations.
The Roman Church has always refused to ordain women because Jesus Christ selected only men as his apostles.
Misbehaviour
The debate over women priests comes at a time when the Roman Catholic Church is facing a series of allegations over the sexual misconduct of male priests.
Some observers argue that the ordination of females could help the church overcome its current image problem.
In Austria, the Church is also facing a crisis over the lack of men wanting to become priests.
Last year, barely more than 20 priests were ordained, compared to an average of 75 per year during the 1970s, according to Church statistics.
"Only men can be ordained," said Maximillian Aichern, the bishop of Linz. "The simulated ordination of a woman is not only invalid, but is also blatantly contradicts the rules of the Church."
The Bishop of St Poelten, Kurt Krenn, warned that they could be excommunicated
Now let's see. Paul said to the Corinthians, " women should keep silent in the churches, for they are not allowed to speak, but should be subordinate, as even the law says. But if they want to learn anything, they should ask their husbands at home. For it is improper for a woman to speak in the church.[1 Cor 14:34-35] How can a woman who is restricted in such a way, preach or minister to a congregation? Christ did not name any women among the twelve. But most importantly, a priest is "alter Christus" and women just don't have the right plumbing.
Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate,
1. Priestly ordination, which hands on the office entrusted by Christ to his Apostles of teaching, sanctifying and governing the faithful, has in the Catholic Church from the beginning always been reserved to men alone. This tradition has also been faithfully maintained by the Oriental Churches.
When the question of the ordination of women arose in the Anglican Communion, Pope Paul VI, out of fidelity to his office of safeguarding the Apostolic Tradition, and also with a view to removing a new obstacle placed in the way of Christian unity, reminded Anglicans of the position of the Catholic Church: "She 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."(1)
But since the question had also become the subject of debate among theologians and in certain Catholic circles, Paul VI directed the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to set forth and expound the teaching of the Church on this matter. This was done through the Declaration Inter Insigniores, which the Supreme Pontiff approved and ordered to be published.(2)
2. The Declaration recalls and explains the fundamental reasons for this teaching, reasons expounded by Paul VI, and concludes that the Church "does not consider herself authorized to admit women to priestly ordination."(3) To these fundamental reasons the document adds other theological reasons which illustrate the appropriateness of the divine provision, and it also shows clearly that Christ's way of acting did not proceed from sociological or cultural motives peculiar to his time. As Paul VI later explained: "The real reason is that, in giving the Church her fundamental constitution, her theological anthropology-thereafter always followed by the Church's Tradition- Christ established things in this way."(4)
In the Apostolic Letter Mulieris Dignitatem, I myself wrote in this regard: "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."(5)
In fact the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles attest that this call was made in accordance with God's eternal plan; Christ chose those whom he willed (cf. Mk 3:13-14; Jn 6:70), and he did so in union with the Father, "through the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:2), after having spent the night in prayer (cf. Lk 6:12). Therefore, in granting admission to the ministerial priesthood,(6) the Church has always acknowledged as a perennial norm her Lord's way of acting in choosing the twelve men whom he made the foundation of his Church (cf. Rv 21:14). These men did not in fact receive only a function which could thereafter be exercised by any member of the Church; rather they were specifically and intimately associated in the mission of the Incarnate Word himself (cf. Mt 10:1, 7-8; 28:16-20; Mk 3:13-16; 16:14-15). The Apostles did the same when they chose fellow workers(7) who would succeed them in their ministry.(8) Also included in this choice were those who, throughout the time of the Church, would carry on the Apostles' mission of representing Christ the Lord and Redeemer.(9)
3. Furthermore, the fact that the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and Mother of the Church, received neither the mission proper to the Apostles nor the ministerial priesthood clearly shows that the non-admission of women to priestly ordination cannot mean that women are of lesser dignity, nor can it be construed as discrimination against them. Rather, it is to be seen as the faithful observance of a plan to be ascribed to the wisdom of the Lord of the universe.
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. As the Declaration Inter Insigniores points out, "the Church desires that Christian women should become fully aware of the greatness of their mission: today their role is of capital importance both for the renewal and humanization of society and for the rediscovery by believers of the true face of the Church."(10)
The New Testament and the whole history of the Church give ample evidence of the presence in the Church of women, true disciples, witnesses to Christ in the family and in society, as well as in total consecration to the service of God and of the Gospel. "By defending the dignity of women and their vocation, the Church has shown honor and gratitude for those women who-faithful to the Gospel-have shared in every age in the apostolic mission of the whole People of God. They are the holy martyrs, virgins and mothers of families, who bravely bore witness to their faith and passed on the Church's faith and tradition by bringing up their children in the spirit of the Gospel."(11)
Moreover, it is to the holiness of the faithful that the hierarchical structure of the Church is totally ordered. For this reason, the Declaration Inter Insigniores recalls: "the only better gift, which can and must be desired, is love (cf. 1 Cor 12 and 13). The greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven are not the ministers but the saints."(12)
4. Although the teaching that priestly ordination is to be reserved to men alone has been preserved by the constant and universal Tradition of the Church and firmly taught by the Magisterium in its more recent documents, at the present time in some places it is nonetheless considered still open to debate, or the Church's judgment that women are not to be admitted to ordination is considered to have a merely disciplinary force.
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 (cf. Lk 22:32) 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.
Invoking an abundance of divine assistance upon you, venerable brothers, and upon all the faithful, I impart my apostolic blessing.
From the Vatican, on May 22, the Solemnity of Pentecost, in the year 1994, the sixteenth of my Pontificate.
NOTES
1. Paul VI, Response to the Letter of His Grace the Most Reverend Dr. F.D. Coggan, Archbishop of Canterbury, concerning the Ordination of Women to the Priesthood (November 30, 1975); AAS 68 (1976), 599.
2. Cf. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Declaration Inter Insigniores on the question of the Admission of Women to the Ministerial Priesthood (October 15, 1976): AAS 69 (1977), 98-116.
3. Ibid., 100.
4. Paul VI, Address on the Role of Women in the Plan of Salvation (January 30, 1977): Insegnamenti, XV (1977), 111. Cf. Also John Paul II Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles laici (December 30, 1988), n. 51: AAS 81 (1989), 393-521; Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1577.
5. Apsotolic Letter Mulieris Dignnitatem (August 15, 1988), n. 26: AAS 80 (1988), 1715.
6. Cf. Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, n. 28 Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis, n. 2b.
7. Cf. 1 Tm 3:1-13; 2 Tm 1:6; Ti 1:5-9.
8. Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1577.
9. Cf. Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium, nn. 20,21.
10. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Declaration Inter Insigniores, n. 6: AAS 69 (1977), 115-116.
11. Apostolic Letter Mulieris Dignitatem, n. 27: AAS 80 (1988), 1719.
12. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Declaration Inter Insigniores n. 6: AAS 69 (1977), 115.
'Twould be great if all the Bishops would take this opportunity to point out the sacredness of the Sacrament of Matrimony, comparing it to Christ and His Bride, the Church!
Here's a link to those who would challenge your argument ..... WOMEN PRIEST
...and homosexual priesthood!
You're welcome! ;^)
I have had problems about the ordination of women. It is fine with me to only have men if only it didn't imply that women were inferior. There is no way around the implication.
The other problem I have is that Paul was a little harsh towards women. Now we don't cover our heads any more, so things can be changed.
The biggest problem I have that is if we take that literally about asking our husbands (in seeking the truth), many of us don't have husbands. Many of us have husbands who, if we asked them, would give the wrong answer.
Women need to exercise their own free will and seek out the truth as best they can. Sometimes you have to ask somebody else's husband :-). Sometimes you have to find a priest who is faithful or you will be led completely astray.
(smirk)There's a couple of nuns I knew that were more masculine that some priests I know. Maybe that's why they think they can be priests. :^)
Why must Mary be considered a Priest?
In tradition many reasons are given why Mary can rightly be called a priest. Here we enumerate just a number of them.
All of what you said is true and good. All this scripture quote illustrates is that in Apostolic times it would have been impossible for a woman to be a priest therefore implicitely stating the obvious. It has nothing to do with inferior or superior.
LOL! Actually, I have no problem any more with women's ordination! After reviewing the gay-subculture and feminist agenda in the priesthood I must admit: we've been ordaining women for at least the last forty years! Who am I to say no! ;^)
The Old Oligarch On The Ordination Of Women
The essay starts about a quarter-way down the page. Do a word search for "ordination."
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