Data published by John Hilary Martin, O.P.,'The
Ordination of Women and the Theologians in the Middle Ages', published in
Escritos del Vedat 16 (1986) 87-143, here p. 101; also in A History
of Women and Ordination, Volume 1, The Ordination of Women in Medieval
Context, ed. by Bernard Cooke and Gary Macy, the Scarecrow Press, London 2002,
pp. 31-160, here pp. 83-84, 138.
Information on the author
The dates of William of Rothwell are uncertain. A Dominican lector, he
wrote probably at Oxford sometime in the late 1250's. He composed a study on
the principles of nature as well as a Super Sententias or
summary-commentary on the Sentences wich is heavily dependent on the Commentary
of Peter of Tarentaise.
Latin Text
"Utrum sexum mulier
impediat susceptionem ordinis. Respondeo: sic, quia sexus connumeratur
inter essentialia ordinis. Mulieribus enim non competit docere, nec debent
viris in domino instituto praeferri". Commentaria de Petri
Lombardi Sententiis, National Library, Harley Ms. 3211, fol. 28
ra.
"Does the female gender block the reception of [holy] order? I
respond 'yes', because [the right] gender is numbered among the essential
requirements of orders. Indeed, it is not suitable for women to teach nor
ought they to be preferred to men according to what the Lord instituted."
British National Library, Harley Ms. 3211, fol. 28 ra.
