Has the Church never
ordained women?
| “From the earliest centuries on, until our own
time, the constant practice of the Church has been not to ordain women
to the priesthood.” Inter Insigniores § 6-8, 23 |
Congregation for
Doctrine |
“Yes, women did perform some ministries in the Early Church, but
such ministries of women had no relation to the sacramental
priesthood.” Commentary on Inter Insigniores § 57, 71-77. |
|
Apart from
some
exceptions, women have not been ordained priests. OK! Women were judged to
be: |
 Study the facts,
please! |
|
 |
In spite of cultural prejudice, the faithful remained aware
throughout the centuries that men and women are equal in Christ. They knew, in
their heart of hearts, that women could be priests. We call this
latent
tradition. Some examples of this latent tradition are: * the extremely strong devotion to Mary as priest; * the devotion to Mary Magdalen who was seen as a woman minister. ‘Le sacerdoce de la Vierge’ (close up), early 15th century, school of Amiens, France. |
|
| Last not least, for nine
centuries the Church has actually admitted women to Holy Orders when she
ordained them to be deacons. The rite of ordination, with the imposition of the right hand and invocation of the Holy Spirit, was the same for women and for men. Women too received a full sacramental diaconate. Therefore, tradition cannot be used as a valid reason to exclude women from the priestly ministry. |
  |
| You are in a
simplified, pictorial mode. To switch to academic mode, click here! |
 A full documentation on all the ancient Women Deacon Texts is now available in print! |
 |
|
|
|---|