Pope Francis on women priests: “That cannot be done.”
For Immediate Release
September 28, 2015
Contact:
Erin Saiz Hanna 401.588.0457
Kate McElwee 607.725.1364
On the papal plane from Philadelphia to Rome, Pope Francis was asked:
“Will we one day see women priests in the Catholic church as some groups in the U.S. ask, and some other Christian churches have?”
“On women priests, that cannot be done. Pope St. John Paul II after long, long intense discussions, long reflection said so clearly. Not because women don’t have the capacity. Look, in the Church women are more important than men, because the church is a woman. It is “la” church, not “il” church. The Church is the bride of Jesus Christ. And the Madonna is more important than popes and bishops and priests. I must admit we are a bit late in an elaboration of the theology of women. We have to move ahead with that theology. Yes, that’s true.” – Pope Francis
The Women’s Ordination Conference (WOC) refuses to accept the “more important” but unequal status of women in the Roman Catholic Church. This prejudicial recognition of vocations is an injustice that has no other name but sexism.
Pope Francis has finally acknowledged that women are excluded from the priesthood, “not because they do not have the capacity” but because of an outdated, patriarchal metaphor of the Church as “bride” and Christ and priest as “bridegroom.” In the 21st century, this antiquated concept has been refuted time and time again as a flimsy rationale to discriminate against women in the Church.
While the hierarchy of the church is late on their own theology of women, the fact is that there is a wealth of deeply moral and inclusive theology of women, by women, and for women that has been published over the last four decades by feminist and liberation theologians that prove otherwise.
Pope John Paul II ignored the findings of his own Pontifical Commission of 1976 which found no biblical or theological barrier for women’s ordination. In all four gospels, Mary Magdalene was the primary witness to the central event of Christianity-Christ’s resurrection. The Scriptures also mention eight women who led small house churches, including Phoebe, Priscilla, and Prisca. Despite the widespread call for women’s equality in the Catholic Church, Pope John Paul II further tried to silence the issue by officially banning discussion in 1994.
WOC is inspired by Pope Francis’ call to “dialogue fearlessly.” However, to lead by example he must begin with the many women who are called to the priesthood and to listen to the pain caused by the rejection of their gifts by the Catholic Church. Until women are entrusted to answer their own call to the priesthood and participate as fully human in Church decision-making capacities, the Catholic Church is legitimizing sexism.
The Shriver Report revealed earlier this month that 88% of Catholics in the U.S. support the ordination of women. Around the globe, the majority of Catholics would like to see women have equal standing in ordained ministry: in France (83 percent), Spain (78 percent), Argentina (60 percent), and Italy (59 percent), and Brazil (54 percent), according to a 2014 Univision poll. Furthermore, currently more than 200 women have been ordained or are in the process of ordination through the movement, Roman Catholic Women Priests.
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