Why Does Catholicism Still Deny Women To Be Ordained?

Answer 1

Absolutely. With every sacrament, there is a particular matter associated with it. Baptsim - it's the water. Eucharist - it's the wheat. Marriage - it's man and woman. You can't change anyone of those and still have the valid intended sacrament. The same with the priesthood. It has nothing to do with what's better. (One could argue that rye is better than wheat, milk better than water, etc.). It is what Christ chose and the Church respects that.

Answer 2

Because it is the clearly stated will of God that He intends a male priesthood for His Church. If selecting 12 men out of 12 to be His first priests, in spite of the availability of many holy women, doesn't make that statement, what possibly could? It is an article of the faith that the Church does not have the authority to ordain women. As such it CANNOT be changed.

Answer 3

The Catholic Church is built upon the Foundation of the Apostles that Jesus selected.

If Jesus did not ordain Mary Magdalene, or His own Mother to be ordained, the Catholic Church can never to do either. It simply does not matter what popular culture thinks about it, the Pope nor the Bishops can change what Jesus did.

Answer 4

Because Jesus never ordained women to his ministry.

The 12 Apostles were men in case you haven't noticed.

Answer 5

The Catholic Church does not have the choice of ordaining women as it is Christ that made the priesthood among men only.

In Christ
Fr. Joseph

Answer 6

Why should they change?
Just because it is politically correct, or trendy now?

If they feel they've been doing it right for nearly 2000 years, it would be stupid to change.

Religion shouldn't be subject to fashion or pop culture.
I would stay away from a church that bends to the will of whatever is popular at the moment.

And, to moosemose........your massive copy-n-paste is really annoying. Please don't answer any questions that I ask.

Answer 7

As a Traditional Anglican, I can give you several reasons. Just for satarters:

Jesus Christ chose twelve apostles - all men. Furthermore, at the Last Supper, only men were present. Although it was not customary for women to play any major role in society, Jesus Christ was revolutionary in many ways and did not hesitate to break the conventions of his time. Therefore, had He thought it right to do so, He would have included women amongst the Apostles; indeed he had many women followers and friends from whom to choose. Yet Jesus Christ purposely did not choose any woman as an Apostle. Who are we to alter what He did and the example He gave?

The Apostles and early Church, following Jesus Christ's instructions and example, appointed only men as bishops, priests and deacons. Had the Apostles thought it right they could have conferred this ministry on women, of whom there were many in the Apostolic Church, but they purposely did not do so. Since then, for nearly 2000 years, the Church has continued to appoint only men to the Apostolic Ministry.

Saint Paul had the authority of an Apostle, to direct the development of the Church, and he explicitly said that women must not usurp authority over men. He also said that women should not teach or speak in church. (1 Timothy 2,12, and 1 Cor. 14,34). The ordination of women contravenes these rulings.

In the beginning God created man first, and then woman to be a helpmeet for him (Gen. 2,18). St. Paul says (Eph. 5,22-25) "Wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord, for the husband is head of the wife", and "husbands love your wives, even as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it". St. Peter states similarly. It is also a fact that men and women are physically, psychologically, emotionally and functionally very different. Men and women are complementary to each other, but not equal or the same. It is these God-given differences which Jesus Christ, the Bible and the Church have always clearly and rightly recognised - and not least with regard to ordination.

Scripture and tradition are the guide. In neither is there any authority or warrant for the appointment of women bishops, priests or deacons. We cannot ignore what is indicated in the Bible or the wisdom of nearly 2000 years.


The appointment of a woman bishop, priest or deacon cannot therefore be valid, and at any point at which it may occur a break is inevitably caused in the Apostolic succession, on which the historic and authentic ministry of the Church is founded. It follows that the sacraments that such a woman professed to administer would themselves also not be valid.

The ordained priesthood fulfils a 3-fold function: to bless, to absolve, and to offer the Eucharist. This priesthood the Catholic Church (of which the Church of England claims to be a part) has always confined to men, after the example of Christ in choosing his apostles and presiding over the Last Supper. The Eucharist is a sacramental function, and it is important that each part of its symbolism carries the conviction of authenticity. The priest at the Altar stands as the effectual symbol of the God/Man Jesus Christ. This, and the whole nature of the Eucharist raises the most fundamental objections to the ordination of women priests.

As long as the Church of England says the Creed and believes itself to be part of the One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, it cannot make such a radical change without the consent of the whole Church - including Roman Catholic and Orthodox. The C. of E. has no right to take such unilateral action, especially in the light of the objections from these other branches of the Church and from so many members of the C. of E. itself.

The creation of women 'deacons' and 'priests' seriously jeopardises relations with the other churches (Roman Catholic, Orthodox, etc.) as the Pope and others have already stated.

Answer 8

Because the buybull was written by men that decided what would considered for the texts and they left out the role women played to meet their own self-serving needs.

Answer 9

Jesus never ordained women.

Answer 10

because they follow a 2000 year old book!