Women Priests

Q: I have a hard time, as a girl, understanding the pope’s logic on why women can’t be ordained. Sure, Jesus’ disciples were male, but wasn’t that just what the time period dictated?

A: It is more than just the “pope’s logic,” it’s a doctrine of the Catholic Church. I think it’s pretty obvious that God chose males to be the leaders from the beginning of time since most of the prophets were male. The twelve apostles were male and sat with Jesus at the Last Supper where the priesthood was first instituted. They then went out and followed Jesus’ example when they chose their successors. We are bound, as Catholics, to follow Jesus’ example too. (CCC, 1577)

Jesus did some radical things for his time. If He wanted both men and women to be priests then He would not have hesitated to set that example for all human kind. Our Blessed Mother points to Jesus and says, “Do whatever He (Jesus) tells you.” (Jn. 2:5)

It has been Catholic Tradition that men should be priests and those teachings have been divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit. Sometimes faith just requires us to trust the Church’s authority.

Ashley