This seems to be a vexing question today in our society because of the belief in equal rights for everybody about just about everything. For many today to deny a woman the “right” to become a priest implies that the Catholic Church is discriminatory and unjust. But all this misses the point. Men and women do have equal personal dignity, but that does not mean they have the same mission in God’s plan of salvation.
What does it mean to be an ordained priest? It means that there is a calling from God, a vocation, which has been responded to by the individual, confirmed by the bishop, and received as a gift from God. There is no “right” to priesthood by anyone! The priest is an extension of the bishop in service to the people. Bishops are successors to the Apostles who were men specifically chosen by Jesus. He did not choose them because of their holiness; the Blessed Virgin Mary was far worthier on that account. Nor did he choose men because he was afraid of society; Jesus spoke with women, taught women, ministered to women, healed women, and befriended women in a patriarchal culture. He even sent Mary Magdalene to tell the Apostles of his Resurrection!
The Church follows in Jesus’ footsteps. Priests function in the person of Christ. Priesthood has a sacramental nature and thus it signifies what it represents. Men have a natural, iconic resemblance to Jesus. Jesus is the Bridegroom of the Church and a priest as a man can most truly reflect that. This has been the constant Tradition of the Church and it will remain, as confirmed by Pope John Paul II, as infallible doctrine. Read more about the priesthood in the Catechism, paragraphs 1536-1600.
Know your faith. Live your faith. Teach your faith.
Hi Mr. Mueting!
ReplyDeleteI am curious how you would answer this question:
Men are afforded the opprotunity to fulfill their vocation as priest, bishop, cardinal, etc because of the historical representation of the male in Jesus’ original apostles. This Tradition also has a direct connection to the infrastructure of today’s and yesterday’s Church. Positions that hold the power of influence, change, and value are held primarily by men because of their roles/vocations of priest, Bishop, cardinal, etc.
If Jesus and the original founders of the Church valued women such as Mary our mother and Mary Magdalene equally or in some cases more so than their male counterparts (as you stated above) why are there no roles of significance afforded to women in the Church’s infrastructure. We can all agree that holiness and spiritual aptitude is a value only God can measure and that sex, background, or history cannot influence one’s worth. That said, wouldn’t it be advantageous of the Church to provide roles based on intellect, merit, and spiritual fortitude regardless of sex, background, or history? If Jesus valued his apostles and his female followers equally and in some regard unequally, shouldn’t the Church follow his example?
Isn’t it possible or more likely that the infrastructure of the Church provides men the opportunity to fullfill vocations that have more (for lack of a better word) “say” because it is reflective of the time and place the Church began. Jesus, being beyond time and taboo, held the sexes equal in his mind and it is only the result of the men who built the Church who have missed this point?
Do you have any ideas or thoughts on this perspective?
Hope all is well!