Catholic Women’s Ordination Conference lays out the case for women priests

For Immediate Release: April 12, 2005

Contact: Aisha Taylor 703 352-1006; 202 422-2235 cell

Catholic Women’s Ordination Conference lays
out the case for women priests

WASHINGTON, DC — At this pivotal time in the Catholic Church, the Women’s Ordination Conference (WOC), a feminist voice for women in the church, provides the theological, biblical, and historical reasons for ordaining women.

“First and foremost, God calls women to be priests. Women and men are equally created in the image of God; therefore, the church should embrace the gifts of women in all levels of ministry,” stated Joy Barnes, WOC’s Executive Director, “This is not simply an issue of women’s rights, this is fundamentally about fulfilling Jesus’ gospel message.”

“There is no biblical or theological reason to keep women from the priesthood,” continued Barnes. The Vatican states women cannot be priests because in the gospels Jesus chose only male apostles. However, in 1976 the Vatican’s own Pontifical Biblical Commission concluded that there is no scriptural reason to prohibit women’s ordination.

“Our 2,000 year-old Catholic tradition contains numerous examples of women priests,” stated Barnes. “There are both biblical references and compelling archeological evidence that indicate women were leaders of churches — even bishops — in early Christianity. In addition, women were legitimately ordained in the underground Catholic Church of communist Czechoslovakia as recently as 1970.”

A Second Vatican Council document, Gaudium et Spes (#29), calls for an end to all discrimination, and a July 2004 Vatican document promotes women’s leadership in all realms of society.

“There is a painful inconsistency between what the church teaches and how the church acts regarding women,” said Aisha Taylor, Coordinator of WOC’s Young Feminist Network.  “Pope John Paul II spoke at length about women’s dignity, yet the church — by banning women’s ordination — systematically denies women participation in its governance.”

“WOC calls for a Pope who will usher in a renewed priestly ministry, which includes women and transforms the structures of the church to be inclusive, participatory and spiritually affirming for all God’s people,” Taylor concluded.

Founded in 1975, WOC promotes the voices of Catholic women excluded from official church structures. WOC can arrange interviews with women called to priesthood, ordained Catholic women, feminist theologians, and church historians to speak about the issue of women priests. For more resources on women’s ordination, the legacy of Pope John Paul II, and selecting a new pope, visit www.womensordination.org.