Dr. Lawrence J. Welch has a great article posted on the Catholic Exchange site. While he is writing in response to the attempted ordination of women by a self-identified woman Catholic Bishop, it is a terse and concise article on the Church's constant and unchangeable doctrine which teaches only males can be validly ordained. It is worth a read...
In the past, when I have been asked (I believe from a point of the questioner really desiring to understand the Church's teaching), I have listed several brief reasons:
1. Jesus Christ chose only men continue to be his apostles. Jesus 'violated' social norms in speaking with women, lepers, tax collectors, and others, so if He wished to, He would have been free to break any suggested norms.
2. There is a spousal nature of Christ to the Church. To continue His saving ministry to all generations, He established the priesthood. Male priests keep this spousal nature.
3. The priesthood is not a right or privilege. Rather, it is a duty to be configured to the person of Jesus Christ in such a way that it is whole and entire.
4. When a man is ordained, he is configured especially to represent Christ in the celebration of the sacraments. As Christ was male, a male priest more easily signifies this.
5. There are certain things that those men cannot do that women can, and vice versus. This is not a sexist statement but one of biology. Women can give birth in the natural order, for example. It is fully appropriate that a male priesthood is is the chosen instrument to bring about our being 'born again' which is of the supernatural order.
3 comments:
Fr. Todd,
Do you ever just wish that this conversation would quit?
Anyway, here's my contribution to the conversation, which ran on Catholic Exchange at the beginning of this year:
http://www.cincinnativocations.org/who_faqs.shtml
Keep up the great work, oh, and I ran into quite a few students from New Ulm at NCYC. I plugged vocations for you ;)
Oh, my goodness. I just read a blog post and commented on this very topic. The blogger is conflicted, has a friend who just became a female Episcopalian priestess.
And now she is wondering...
I answered, and then clicked on your blog. Went back, and posted your answer.
Here's her post, if you care to reach out and assist her in her understanding. She is one of my regular readers, is very intelligent, is struggling through grad school, too, but apparently in the company of protestants. May God unite them with us!
http://angelmegtm.blogspot.com/
Sorry, no permalink, but the post is titled "Something Spiritual and Puzzling" from November 8, 2007.
It's sad. Here is a copy of Archbishop Burke's statement about this topic.
http://www.archstl.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=181&Itemid=1
Dave
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