Rome's Main Documents

Rome’s Main Documents

on the ordination of women

Dates	Document Name	Description
1975	Report of the Pontifical Biblical Commission	This report by international Catholic Scripture scholars concluded that the ordination of women could NOT be excluded on the basis of Scripture.
1975 - 1976	Correspondence between Donald Coggan, Archbishop of Canterbury and Pope Paul VI	The Archbishop of Canterbury informs the Pope of Anglican studies regarding women priests.
15 October 1976	Inter Insigniores	Declaration by the Congregation for Doctrine giving reasons why women cannot be ordained.
27 January 1977	Commentary on Inter Insigniores	Official commentary by the Congregation on its text.
1983	The new Code of Church Law	The exclusion of women from ordination again entered into law.
1984 - 1986	Correspondence between Robert Runcie, Archbishop of Canterbury, Pope John-Paul II and Cardinal Jan Willebrands of the Secretariat for Christian Unity	The Archbishop of Canterbury informs Rome of the reasons why the Anglican Communion imtends to ordain women as priests
30 September 1988	Mulieris Dignitatem	Encyclical by John Paul II on ‘the Dignity and Vocation of Women’
13 March 1989	Profession of Faith & Oath of Fidelity	Oath imposed on theologians and parish priests. See also Ad Tuendam Fidem, below
24 May 1990	Donum Veritatis	Instruction by the Congregation for Doctrine on the Ecclesial Vocation of the Theologian
11 October 1992	The Catechism of the Catholic Church	Says women cannot be ordained priests in § 1577.
22 May 1994	Ordinatio Sacerdotalis	Apostolic Letter by Pope John-Paul II on reserving priestly ordination to men alone.
28 October 1995	Responsum ad Dubium	Response by the Congregation for Doctrine concerning the binding nature of Ordinatio Sacerdotalis.
28 October 1995	Letter by Cardinal Ratzinger	Commentary on the Congregation for Doctrine's Responsum .
29 June 1995	Letter to Women	Papal Letter to prepare the Beijing Conference.
28 May 1998	Ad Tuendam Fidem	‘Motu Proprio’ of John Paul II tightening norms for theologians in the Code of Church Law.
29 June 1998	Commentary on Ad Tuendam Fidem by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith	Contains the judgment that those who hold women can be ordained priests, are ‘ no longer be in full communion with the Catholic Church’.
23 March 2000	Letter to priests	Holy Thursday letter of Pope John Paul II to priests.
27 July 2001	Regarding Female Altar Servers	Letter of the Congregation for Divine Worship on the Bishop’s authority to allow women to serve at the altar.
10 July 2002	Monitum by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith	Warning ‘regarding the attempted ordination of some Catholic women.
2002	The secret examination of new Bishops	Contents of document with questions submitted to candidates to Episcopal office.
21 December 2002	Decree ‘On the attempted priestly ordination’ by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith	Affirmation of excommunication of the women who ‘attempted to receive ordination’.
31 May 2004	The Collaboration of Men and Women by the Congregation for the Doctine of the Faith	Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Collaboration of Men and Women in the Church and in the World

Relevant Texts from recent Church Councils

Papal Documents on Homosexuality

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