Why aren't women allowed to be ordained ministers and priests in the Roman Catholic Church?

Question

While they are allowed to do so in the Orthodox Catholic churches? Why also are the priests not allowed to marry in the Roman Catholic Church but they are allowed to be married until they reach becoming a monk in the Orthodox Catholic churches? And also out of curiosity are there any women preachers such as priests, deacons, bishops,pastors, or ministers in any sect or denomination of Christianity? Thanks in advance. All questions are asked out of curiosity.

Answer 1

Peace be with you.

Eastern Rite Catholic Churches don't allow women to be priests. (Whether or not the heretical group which uses the name 'Catholic Orthodox' does or not doesn't matter.)

Oriental and Eastern Orthodox priests are often married. May Eastern Rite Roman Catholic priests are also. The official Roman Catholic teaching is that priestly celibacy is a pious practise not a requirement for all priests. That being said those in the West vow to it. Those in the East do not. I believe in some areas married Anglican priests who covert are reordained but permitted to remain married as Roman Catholic priests.

Many denominations which are not part of the Apostolic Faith permit women to be leaders.

The answer to your main question is this: Jesus Christ did not permit His Mother St. Mary to be a priest. Likewise, His Church has never allowed women to be priests. God gave men the role of spiritual leadership on earth so that women could care for their families in love and never have to worry about such difficult matters.

That's the short of it. I have heard the word priest in Greek is derived from the word for beard too but not sure about that not knowing Greek of course.

Pray for me please.

Answer 2

1) Male Ordination: The Church is the Bride of Christ. The Mass is the prefiguring of the Wedding Feast of the Lamb (Christ), and the priest is acting in the place of Christ. Can a woman play the part of a groom at a wedding? Of course not.

2) Priestly celibacy is not a doctrinal matter. It is a disciplinary matter; the lack of family encumbrance is seen as more conducive to church ministry (in accordance with I Cor 6, where Paul speaks of such matters). However, not all Catholic priests are celibate; married men are ordained in various Eastern catholic churches, in much the same matter as in the Orthodox Churches.

Answer 3

I think that others have already answered your first question about the Roman Catholic church. I have no knowledge of the Orthodox Catholic church, so I'll leave your next two questions to those who do.

But in response to your last question:
Since the early times of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in the mid-1600s, there have been women preachers. Neither liberal nor conservative Friends have clergy in the sense that other Christian churches do; we believe that we each have a direct relationship with God, and that God can and does speak to and through us all -- rich, poor, educated, illiterate, man, woman.... During our meetings, for example, anyone led by the Spirit may stand and speak what they are given to say by the Spirit, and that is our ministry. The women can and do provide ministry just as much as the men do.

Answer 4

To put it simply, women cannot “image” Christ.
The Church points to the fact that Jesus was both God and man. From all eternity, he was divine with a divine nature, intellect, and will. But he was also born of a human mother and took on a human nature as well. In his divinity, Jesus was God and pure spirit, but in his humanity, he was a man. His gender was more than accidental, because the Church is his bride. And because the priest acts in persona Christi (in the person of Christ) as an alter-Christus (another Christ), then the priest reflects Christ to the entire Church whenever he celebrates any of the sacraments. The maleness of Christ was part of who he was, and therefore, Jesus only called men to be his apostles even though his mother would've been a far better choice. But if a woman were to be ordained, she couldn't be espoused to the Church, because the Church is considered mother. A mother needs a father to complement the equation.

Answer 5

I cannot speak for the Roman Catholic Church. I can, however, speak from the Bible.

Jesus Christ is our ultimate example. A Christians sanctification through the Holy Spirit is to become evermore Christlike. From the beginning of man God has placed man in a position, whether in the family or in the church, to be the spiritual leader. Jesus was male. Jesus hand picked the Apostles who were all male. Let's look at 1 Tim. 3:4. Here Paul is giving qualifications for those in positions of spiritual leadership. He specifically speaks to only men. This notion is upheld in 1 Cor. 14:35, where Paul tells women to be silent in church, but ask your husband at home if you have spiritually related questions. God will hold men - not women - responsible for the spiritual leadership in their homes and churches.

Neither Paul nor I am saying in any way that women are somehow inferior in some way to men. Rather, God gave roles to both men and women. It seems that secular society seems bent on mixing these roles up. I will say that when the roles that God gives each gender in a family are gladly completed, you will generally have a picture perfect family, filled with peace and joy. Unfortunately, perhaps the biggest obstacle to this is that men fail to be the spiritual leaders in their homes as well as churches.

Many folks will try to claim that times are different now, and customs have changed. Or, they might say that God is love and would love anyone to be ordained in the Church. Unfortunetely, these folks try to fit the Bible into what they think is right. They tend to uphold modern ideas of what is right between the sexes in the face of what the Bible says. As a result, they rationalize their differences with the Bible away, rather than submit to the lordship of Christ.

Answer 6

Wow, that's quite a bit...but I'll try.

In the Latin rite of the Catholic Church, women cannot be priests or deacons. This is because Jesus chose only men to be his disciples and priests. This was his example and this is what we follow. This in no way demeans women though.

As St. Paul said, we are all part of the body of Christ. Each having a different role but of equal importance. Women have important roles in the religious education of their children, as examples in their families, support for their husbands, roles in education in the church, nuns, etc and so on. http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/1997/9710fea2.asp

The example Christ set was that men were to be priests. We follow his example.

Priests cannot be married...again because Christ was not married. They are married to God. They are to follow his example and they do. Additionally, they are fully and completely dedicated to the Church and a life of service to God and his people. This requires complete devotion of time and commitment. Having a wife and family would cause a priest to be torn at times between family and God

. http://www.swansontec.com/ochaste.htm

Answer 7

The Bible says that forbidding people to get married is a doctrine of demons:

1 Timothy 4 (NIV)

Instructions to Timothy

1The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,

This is not the only area where the RCC ignores God's Word.

There are women preachers in most Protestant church groups, but not all.

Some church groups feel that the most important passage in the Bible which addresses this topic is this one:

Galatians 3:28 (NIV)

28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Other church groups feel that the most important passage is this one:

1 Timothy 2:

9 I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, 10 but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

11 A woman should learn in quietness and full submission.

12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 15 But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

Context indicates that this last passage is about who should be an Elder or Pastor or Teacher in a local church, whereas the passage is Galatians is not.

Therefore this is not something I would break fellowship over.

Pastor Art

Answer 8

Some churches have a more reasonable interpretation than others of Paul's guidelines.

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To Sentinel: Your attempt at a comparison makes no sense. The reason men don't have babies is that there is a definite biological difference. If men had a uterus and ovaries, etc., they could have babies as well.

Men and women being ordained - there is nothing on the physical level to prevent women from being able to be ordained or to be leaders in the church. They wouldn't have to grow any new organs or have hormonal changes.

This is a rule that Paul made, based on his own bias, which is rooted in the patriarchal society of the time.

Answer 9

Here's the scoop. The Catholic Church was created by the Apostle Paul. Paul did not like women. Up until then, women were considered equal to men in Christianity. But Paul was used to the Jewish all men's club, so he modeled the church on that principle. Women were relegated back to slave/property status. Thus they are not allowed to preach. And, priests can't marry because they would be contaminated by women (and sex). In many Protestant churches there are women pastors, ministers, whatever you wish to call them. Some sects don't even have ministers - men or women just get up and speak from the heart.

Right now the ordaining of women is causing some controversy in churches that have been more restrictive. Also the ordaining of gay or lesbian clergy is doing the same, though usually allow women already - it's like the next step. Obviously tradition is hard for some to let go of, but newer generations and beliefs are fighting for more equality in religions.

Personally, I look forward to the day Christianity goes back to its all-inclusive and all-equal roots as Jesus preached.

Answer 10

Its another boys club ? As a matter of FACT us catholics had a women pope. Imagine that ! She was good enough for the guys to choose her as Pope but once Joan start showing she was with child she was disrobed.

I think they should over turn marriage for Priest, for they are only human. The only man I know that doesn't want a women for a mate is that of a gay person. I am not knocking gays but is this what the church wants ? That or turning Priest into child molesters?
You have rewritten everything else How about this law???