Why do one's estrogen levels preclude one from becoming a Pope?

Answer 1

We're emotional and incapable of making decisions . . . don't you know?!

Answer 2

Check out this website where I got the following information. (It's even written by a woman, I think...Joanne Bogle?)

The priesthood is not a badge of good-conduct (although, like eleven out of the first twelve, millions of Christ’s priests down the centuries have led heroic and noble lives). Rather, just as bread and wine are the essential “matter” of the Eucharist, so are men the “matter” of the priesthood.

Yet the times have often favored a female priesthood and never more so than when Christ ordained His first priests, nearly 2,000 years ago. Virtually all the pagan religions of His day had priestesses, and it would have been entirely normal and natural for Him to choose women for this task. He had, moreover, a number of excellent potential candidates, from His own Mother, who accompanied Him at His first miracle and stood with Him as He suffered on the cross, to Mary Magdalene or the women of Bethany. Instead, He chose only men, and He remained immovable on this, continuing right to the end to exhort and train them all, leaving thus a Church which turned out to be safely founded on a rock. From those twelve men a direct line of apostolic succession has given the Catholic Church the bishops and priests it has today.

In the Church’s latest statement on this matter, Pope John Paul II, using his full authority as the successor of Peter, states categorically that the Church cannot — not will not, but cannot — ordain women, now or in the future. The Catechism of the Catholic Church sets it out clearly, quoting the decree Inter insigniores:

Only a baptized man (vir) receives sacred ordination. The Lord Jesus chose men (viri) 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.

Answer 3

Why do one's estrogen levels preclude one from becoming your spouse? If you understood Catholicism, you would know that the relationship between the Church and her priests is nuptial.

Answer 4

it's all a bit secret, secret. there ARE reasons. But you'd have to brick us in before we can talk. Hint, tho' ...... got nothing to do with the pope sitting on a birthing chair all these centuries. And definitely nothing to do with all the stone willies they knocked off statues and covered with plaster figleaves and stowed all the offending phallus and eunuchs nipple "down there" in the catacombs.

Answer 5

Do they? Men's estrogen levels are pretty high these days, what with the meat supply filled with hormones and antibiotics.

Answer 6

Scripture itself dictates the gender of the Church's leadership.

(But then, the scriptures also dictate that the Bishop of Rome [the Pope] is to be the husband of one wife.)

So, since they pick and choose which scriptures to adhere to, I guess I don't have a good answer for you.

Answer 7

They killed the last woman pope quite a few years ago, now they must check under garments to make sure they don't get another

Answer 8

Because Paul was a misogynist jerk and everyone who followed after him was too afraid to say so. The Catholic church and Christianity in general have a long history of demeaning and oppressing women.

Answer 9

Because it's a mans world in which they cannot stand the thought of a woman being in control of anything more than the housework, cooking and rearing of children, especially in christian based religions, i.e. any religion which refers to the bible.

Answer 10

They do? Then does that mean that post-menopausal women can become pope?

Answer 11

There first needs to be a female Cardinal. Then she can work her way up.