Jesus Christ established the principle of complete equality between men and women.

He left the implementation of the principle to the later Church.

Though he appointed twelve men to be the first apostles, he did not thereby exclude women from having a full part in all the ministries of the Church.

In fact, there were women among his close disciples, among whom Mary Magdalene enjoyed a special place.

From Paul's letters we get an idea of the church order that began to be adopted in many christian communities.

In the early Church, apostles and bishops entrusted various tasks to women. Women deacons ministered from at least 54 AD when Paul's Letter to the Romans was written.

Jesus Christ and women
28 - 30 AD

Jesus did not tackle male dominance directly.
But he established a new priesthood that includes a radical openness to women.

Women were present at the Last Supper

Jesus Christ:

• chose twelve apostles
• adapted to male dominance as a social fact of his time
• was truly human
• grew in wisdom
• did not know everything
• left decisions to the later Church
• was open to women
• established a radically new priesthood through baptism in which women had equal part.

On the Last Supper:

• ‘Meals of the Community’, by Suzanne Tunc, from Des Femmes aussi Suivant Jésus, Paris 1998, pp 69-77
• ‘Bible, liturgy concur: women were there’, by Marjorie Reiley Maguire in 'National Catholic Reporter', June 5, 1998
• Do This in Memory of Me by Irene McCormack in 'Compass Theology Review' 25 (1991) no 4, pp. 33-35
• The Women (and Mary?) at Luke's Supper by Tony Cassidy CSSR Talk given to the Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Canterbury, 29th October 2007

General:

• "What did Jesus Really Say About 'Women Priests?' " by Michael Hewitt-Gleeson

On appointing only men among the twelve apostles:

‘The Scriptural Argument in Ordinatio Sacerdotalis’, R. Bieringer, Bijdragen 62 (2001) pp. 129 - 142;

“The twelve apostles were men - -”, I. Raming, Orientierung 56 (1992) pp. 143-146.

‘Did Christ conform to social myth?’, J. Wijngaards, DCROWP 1986, pp. 36-46.

‘The Ministry of Women according to the New Testament’, E. M. Tetlow, WMNT 1980, ch. 3.

‘The Role of Women According to Jesus and the Early Church’, R. J. Karris, WPFD 1978, pp. 47-57.

‘The Biblical Evidence’, Ch. Evans, YWP 1978, pp. 16-29.

‘The Twelve’, E. Schüssler Fiorenza, WP 1977, pp. 114-121.

‘Did Jesus Exclude Women from Priesthood?’, S. M. Schneiders, WP 1977, pp.227-233.

‘Pro and Con: The Ordination of Women in the New Testament’, R. H. Fuller, TNTO 1976, pp. 1-11.

‘Christ, Revelation, and the Ordination of Women’, A. A. Vogel, TNTO 1976, pp. 42-51.

‘The Authority of Scripture’, P. Lakeland, CWBP 1975, pp. 31-46.

‘Women and Ministry’, E. Carroll, Theological Studies 36 (1975) pp. 660 - 687.

‘Holy Scripture’, H. van der Meer, WPCC 1973, pp. 10-45.

Paul endorsed the fundamental equality in Christ of women and men.
Women took part in the Church's apostolate.
Paul asked women to wear a veil in the assembly to forestall cultural clashes.

Women in the Early Apostolic Church
30 - 80 AD

Readings:

• Would Paul not raise his eyebrows? by John Wijngaards in 'Did Christ Rule out Women Priests?
• "St. Paul’s Attitude Toward Women" by John L. McKenzie in 'Women Priests: A Catholic Commentary on the Vatican Declaration'

On Specific Pauline texts:

• “Transitory Character” . . . Only in “Disciplinary Cases of Minor Importance”? by Juliana Casey in 'Women Priests: A Catholic Commentary on the Vatican Declaration'
• "Women in the Pauline Assembly: To Prophesy, But Not To Speak?" by Robert J. Karris in 'Women Priests: A Catholic Commentary on the Vatican Declaration'
• "The Divine Plan of Creation: 1Cor 11:7 and Gen 2:18-24" by Thomas L. Thompson in 'Women Priests: A Catholic Commentary on the Vatican Declaration'
• "Is Silence Golden?
  Paul and Women's Speech in Corinth" by Caroline Vander Stichele in 'Louvain Studies', vol.20 (1995) pp.241-253
• Paul and Sexual Identity: 1 Corinthians 11.2-16 by Timothy Radcliffe in 'After Eve'
• Mutuality and Interdependence of Man and Woman: An Exegetical Study of 1 Cor 11, 11-12, by K.J. Mercy, Bible Bhashyam, 2000, vol.XXVI, pp.196-204