Why are there only male priests? are women not allowed?

Question

just curious cause I recently started learning about Catholicism... I'm new be nice please

Answer 1

It was NOT anything to do with adam and eve's original sin. BOTH sinned and BOTH were punished.

It actually has to do with something SIMILAR to what has already been said... the priest does not act "in the place of" or "like" Christ during the mass. Catholics believe that the priest, during the celebration of the Eucharist, acts "in persona Christae" (in the person of Christ). That is to say, for the act of breaking the bread in the repetition of the last supper, the spirit of Christ acts through the body of the priest. They are one and the same for that period. So to say a woman could be a priest is akin to calling a woman a man... Simply put, there is no way for a woman to be a man all in the same time, and so there is no power of ordination for a woman (for the record, nuns are not specifically ordained). (EDIT IN: as pastor billy says, this is the same thing as saying a man cannot be a mother... but in reverse)

There is also the historical aspect that all the apostles who were appointed by Christ were male.

This should not be mistaken though, women have their own entirely seperate chain of authority, as nuns generally only answer to priests in certain regards as ALL the congregation is required to submit.

Answer 2

Pastor Billy says: why can't men be mothers? because it's not in God's plan. When God took on flesh and became man he was not uni-sexual. The priest stands in the place of Christ the doctrine is called in persona Christi.

For the record we cannot compare the ministerial priesthood of Catholicism with the pastor-hood of Protestantism the two are not identical. Although all of the duties reflected by the elders and preachers of Protestantism can be found in Catholicism the reverse is not true for Protestantism. Much of Protestantism lacks ancient liturgy and sacramental theology. Therefore women can function within Catholicism in many ways very similar to their counterparts in Protestantism but the holy order of priesthood is restricted to men because Jesus Christ made it so.

Answer 3

The Priesthood is supposed to represent Christ, or a type of Christ. Since Christ is a man, then a female priest would not work. Anyway, the culture of the Bible was patriarchal, not matriarchal so women were not the common leaders. You can see in the Bible there were women leaders who only lead where their men were unable or unwilling to lead...although they still deferred to their husbands.
Christ actually did away with a human priesthood when He became our high priest of the Melchizedech order. So to have the priests like the Catholics or the Mormons goes somewhat outside of what the Bible teaches.

Answer 4

Well when Christ was here and had a chance to pick Apostles
he picked only men...so now we do as he did...

there are a couple of verses that suggest women can have
a role in helping the apostles but not leadership.

what that role entails in hard to define...we do know that they may
have carried letters and such betwix the churchs for the apostles.

catholics have nuns...and they do alot of administrative help
and medical help and such...

my church actually has women preachers but they are always in subjection to the men preachers and the chief of our preachers
are alway the men...church elders/bishops/decons are always
men...if there is a meeting going on and there is a man and woman preacher there the man leads...

Answer 5

Yes, only men can be priests. Basically, because this is the way Christ chose to have it.

Here is Pope John Paul II's apostolic letter explaining why and making the decision final.

Answer 6

No. Women are not Ordained as Priests...

Because the Priests are spiritual descendants of the Apostles, and none of the 12 were women. Please note, that women can be ordained as Nuns, which is a very important responsibility as well. I would suggest that you speak to a Nun about this matter, and she will straighten you out. Godbless.

P.S. Don't listen to Gwen.

Answer 7

Women are impure creatures responsible for the fall of men. The proof of that impurity is the menstrual blood and the pain of childbirth.

Women must remain in the shadow of their husband or father, have many children and stay within the home...

(These arguments were reaffirmed by Pope John Paul II when the question was debated by the Bishop's Council in the early 1990's)

... Yeah, that pretty much summarize why I gave up on religion...

Answer 8

Good question. I am a Catholic and I love my faith, but I also know there are some women out there who would make awesome priests.

Answer 9

There have been many reasons cited as to why women are not allowed to become priests, but the bottom line is that women just can't keep secrets.

Answer 10

It was Eve that was deceived by satan and not Adam. So God no longer entrusts women with His Word.

1Ti 2:14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.