The Catholic Church & Female Priests

In contemporary secular society, sexism has been eliminated in public institutions like employment and education. Gender discrimination is still alive and well inside the Roman Catholic Church, however, where female ordination is still forbidden. As Heanue (p. 1) asserts, ôWomen in business and politics have the good fortune to work in fields that arenÆt governed by the inscriptions of a religious tome, but for women who aspire to higher roles within the Christian Church, both history and authority are against them.ö This analysis will discuss the Roman Catholic Church and female ordination, including a presentation of arguments both for and against female ordination.

In May 1994, Pope John Paul II declared, ôThe Church has no power to ordain women,ö (Wood, p. 1). During the Second Vatican Council, many Catholics and feminists maintain that womenÆs ordination was supported at least in spirit. However, despite many positive statements about equality and the role of female gifts in the church, Tortolani (p. 1) maintains that ôno change, explicit or implicit, was made to this effect.ö The Church continues to use both historical and scriptural arguments against the ordination of women priests. The male-only clergy is historically supported by historical events of the Church, as well as ôthe apostolic teachings, a Sacred Tradition which has never acknowledge a valid female ordination, the æmalenessÆ of Christ, and sc

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s this passage that makes many believe that the Roman Catholic Church should permit women to represent Christ through the priesthood as much as men. At ReligiousTolerance.org, B. A. Robinson (p. 1) suggests that Christian denominations like Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and many Protestant denominations like the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are guilty of gender discrimination in their unwillingness to ordain female priests. However, Robinson (p. 1) also maintains that as secular society continues to undermine gender discrimination in addition to the feminist movementÆs close observation of Church policy, these denominations (in light of scandals, declining numbers of priests, etc.) may be forced to moderate their views, ôAs gender discrimination becomes as abhorrent to the public as racism, these denominations may well be under increased pressure to conform to the non-sexist secular standard. Faith groups will be expected to evaluate candidates for ordination on the basis of the candidatesÆ knowledge, sense of calling from God, personality, commitment, ability, etc. û but not on the basis of gender.ö Females who hope to be ordained have also gone about ordination outside of the ChurchÆs jurisdiction. Mi
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