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The Non-ordination of Women:
Tradition or Simply an Historical Fact?
Fr Eric Doyle OFM
13th July 1938 –
25th August 1984
Eric Doyle was a theologian, appointed by the
Holy See to represent the Catholic Church at crucial meetings of the Anglican/
Roman Catholic International Consultation during the time when the Vatican had
not yet taken its final stand against the ordination of women.
He expressed his scholarly opinion in favour of the ordination of
women in the year 1975 when the question confronted Rome suddenly with some
urgency.
Rejecting all advice of various international bodies of scholars, Pope
Paul VI and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, inexplicably
decided against admitting women to the ordained ministries.
Introductory texts on Eric Doyle:
- Biography of Eric Doyle
- ‘What is the Lasting Significance of Eric
Doyle's Contribution to the Debate on the Ordination of Women in the
1970s?’ by Brenda Abbott
Eric Doyle’s work in the
context of Church politics
The following table puts the documentation we provide on our website
within their ecclesiastical context.
1971
During the Bishops’ Synod in Rome, Cardinal
Flahiff and the Canadian Bishops Conference ask for a study on women’s
ministries.
Eric Doyle publishes ‘God
and the Feminine’, The Clergy ReviewVol. 56 November 1971.
1973 - 1974
3 May
1973.
The Vatican appoints a Special Commission on the
Function of Women in Society and in the Church (FWSC).
1974.
During meetings of the FWSC a group of
women members protests about lack of freedom of expression and of open
consultation. ‘Our views are being systematically suppressed.’
Read the story of Rie Vendrik, one of the
participants..
1975
Early in
1975.
The Pontifical
Biblical Commission reports that there are no scriptural objections to
ordaining women to the priesthood.
The Vatican suppresses the Report,
but its contents are leaked and become known.
9 July 1975.
Donald Coggan,
Archbishop of Canterbury writes to Pope Paul VI, indicating the
intention of the Anglican Church to ordain women.
10-14 November
1975.
A Working Group on the Ordination of
Women set up by ARCIC (the Anglican/Roman Catholic International
Consultation) meets in Assisi.
The two Roman Catholic theologians appointed
by the Vatican, Frs. Hervé Legrand and Eric Doyle, both express support
for the ordination of women.
The report is suppressed by the Vatican, but
published by ARCIC.
Read the paper Eric Doyle submitted
at the meeting: ‘The Ordination of Women. The State
of the Question in the Roman Catholic Church’.
30 November
1975.
Pope Paul VI writes
to Donald Coggan, Archbishop of Canterbury, distancing himself from the
ordination of women.
1976
10 February
1976.
Donald Coggan,
Archbishop of Canterbury writes again to Pope Paul VI, assuring him of
ecumenical bonds in spite of the discussion on women priests.
23 March
1976.
Pope Paul VI writes
to Donald Coggan, Archbishop of Canterbury, reciprocating his best
wishes..
August
1976.
The FWSC reports its findings to the Pope. Critical
views are ignored in the report, moreover the whole report is never
published.
15 October 1976.
The
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issues
Inter Insigniores in which admission of
women to the ordained ministries is ruled out.
1977 - 1984
Eric Doyle continued his work as a member of ARCIC. In that capacity he
attended the important meeting in Versailles of 1978.
Catholic scholars rejected the opinions expressed in Inter
Insigniores. See especially:
- Leonard Swidler & Arlene Swidler (eds.), Women Priests: A Catholic Commentary on the
Vatican Declaration, 1977.
- John Wijngaards, Did Christ Rule
Out Women Priests?, 1977
- Carroll Stuhlmueller (ed.), Women and Priesthood: Future Directions,
1978.
- Hervé Legrand, Traditio
perpetuo servata? The Non-ordination of Women: Tradition or Simply an
Historical Fact?, Worship 65 (November, 1991): 482-508.
Eric Doyle too disagreed with Inter Insigniores. He continued to
support the ordination of women, the reasons for which he explained in these
articles:
- ‘The Question of Women Priests and the
argument in Persona Christi’, The Irish Theological
Quarterly, 50 (1983 - 84) pp. 212-221.
- ‘The Ordination of Women in the Roman
Catholic Church’, in Feminine in the Church, edited by Monica
Furlong, London 1984.
Eric Doyle died soon after these publications, on the 25th of August
1984.
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