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’ 
		
		
		  30 December 1988
		  Christifidelis
			 Laici, The Vocation and the Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and
			 the World
		  Post-Synodal Apostalic Exhortation of His Holiness John
			 Paul II. Says women cannot be ordained priests in §. 49 and 51
		 
		 
		  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 
		 
		 
		  30 May 2008 
		   Regarding the
			 crime of attempting sacred ordination of a woman

			 
by the Congregation
		  for the Doctine of the Faith 
		  General Decree to impose automatic excommunication on
			 those who ordain women and women who receive ordination. 
		 
   
	 
 
	  
		 
		  Relevant Texts from recent
			 Church Councils 
		  Papal Documents on Homosexuality 
		 
    
	   
     
   
   

   
     
        
      
        
                  
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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’
30 December 1988	Christifidelis Laici, The Vocation and the Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and the World	Post-Synodal Apostalic Exhortation of His Holiness John Paul II. Says women cannot be ordained priests in §. 49 and 51
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
30 May 2008	Regarding the crime of attempting sacred ordination of a woman by the Congregation for the Doctine of the Faith	General Decree to impose automatic excommunication on those who ordain women and women who receive ordination.