Why Can’t Women be Catholic Priests?

Q. Why can’t women be Catholic Priestesses?

A. Jesus’ choice to be born male was not accidental or arbitrary. First of all, in the sacrificial system of Israel the Sin Offering and the Passover Lamb were always perfect MALES. Other offerings could be either male or female but not the Passover Lamb or the Sin Offering. Therefore, since, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ fulfills all the sacrifices, but most especially the Sin offering and the Passover lamb HE was incarnated as a MAN. And, of course, God chose this pattern of male sacrificial animals in the OT in foreknowledge of the sacrifice of His Son.

Also, the people of God, both Israel and the Church, have always been imaged in sacred scripture as a Bride with God as the Bridegroom (Is 62:5 and Rev. 21:9). In the Catholic faith the priest acts in persona Christi (in the person of Christ) as Jesus celebrates the sacraments for His bride, the Church, through the actions of the male priest. The Church, as bride, is in a spousal relationship with Christ the bridegroom. This beautiful image culminates in the wedding feast of the Lamb at the end of time. This typology of the spousal relationship is fittingly imaged by the male priest. Priestesses or womenpriests would project another typology altogether but it would not be Holy Matrimony.

Q. Aren’t women second-class citizens in the Catholic Church?

A. Absolutely not. The most revered status in the Catholic Church is open to both men and women. Contrary to popular opinion the Pope, although highly honored is exceeded in honor by the Saints and the Doctors of the Church. There are hundreds of female saints. And, out of 33 Doctors of the Church, three are women. Also, the most highly honored human person (excluding Jesus) in the history of the Church is a woman, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

You can read more about the Priesthood—->Priesthood of All Believers

Technorati Tags: Catholic,, priest,, priestesses,, womanpriest,, womenpriests

Where Does Jesus SAY All Priest Must Be Male?

First, all that pertains to faith in Christ is not contained in scripture. The Protestant dogma of sola scriptura is based on nothing in scripture and yet attempts to hold all other doctrine to this dogma that everything must be substantiated by scripture. “And if it is not in scripture then it must not be true.”

That is hypocrisy– Luther’s because he started it and Protestants usually don’t notice the hypocrisy of it all.

However, Scripture does tell us that all that Jesus did is NOT contained in the Gospels.

Jn 21:25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

At the last supper Jesus was alone with the twelve. He cleansed them by the washing of their feet. It was at this time that He ordained them to the priesthood (Sacrament of Holy Orders) and instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist. But this is not explicit in the words.

After His resurrection and before Pentecost, Jesus bestows the Holy Spirit upon the apostles privately and thereby institutes the Sacrament of Confession/Reconciliation. This is much more explicit in Scripture.

John 20: 21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Only the apostles were there. They were all men. These are all the sacraments that ONLY a priest may offer. Jesus never said only men could be priests, He demonstrated it. Words can be interpreted and twisted to mean various things but actions speak louder than words.

All the rules of liturgy, sacraments, faith etc. were worked out by those in authority in the Church in the early years and fine tuned through the centuries. This authority was given to Peter, the apostles and their successors by Christ when they were given the power to “bind and loose”; a rabbinic idiom meaning authority to rule.

Everything is simply NOT in Scripture. This can be proven by a few examples off the top of my head.

Jesus talks about “Moses’ seat” and yet this is nowhere to be found in the OT. And yet, Jesus mentions it without explanation b/c everyone knew what He meant by it b/c the concept of Moses’ seat was taught orally.

Matthew 23:2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.

Also in Jude 1:9 We find information that is NOT contained anywhere in the OT.

Jude 1:9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

These two examples could be multiplied. They indicate that a body of information /teaching existed outside of scripture that was authoritative, Jesus Himself makes use of it, and passed down from one generation to the next orally.

For this reason St. Paul says:

2 Thessalonians 2:15 So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.

And what is the foundation of all TRUTH? The Church

1 Timothy 3:15 if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth

Gender of God #3

Christ Lover: AND GOD NEVER TOLD CHRIST TO CALL HIM FATHER.

BFHU: How on Earth can you seriously assert that you KNOW everything God ever told Jesus?!

Christ Lover: A LITTLE BACK U WROTE:

. First of all, in the sacrificial system of Israel the Sin Offering and the Passover Lamb were always perfect MALES. Other offerings could be either male or female but not the Passover Lamb or the Sin Offering. Therefore, since, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ fulfills all the sacrifices, but most especially the Sin offering and the Passover lamb HE was incarnated as a MAN. And, of course, God chose this pattern of male sacrificial animals in the OT in foreknowledge of the sacrifice of His Son.

FIRSTLY PLEASE QUOTE THE SCRIPTURES WORD BY WORD WHERE IT IS MENTIONED THAT :

“God chose this pattern of male sacrificial animals in the OT in foreknowledge of the sacrifice of His Son.”

BFHU: There is none. But let’s just take a look at the Passover Lamb which prefigured Christ. Since the New Testament often refers to Christ as our Paschal (Passover) Lamb.

• Perfect
• Male
• Slain
• Eaten
• Blood spread on doorposts with branch of Hyssop
• No bones broken
• For the salvaton from death

Jesus Christ

• Perfect-Sinless
• Male
• Slain on the Cross
• Eaten in Communion
• Wine transubstantiated to His blood
• Sour wine offered to Christ on the cross on a branch of Hyssop
• No bones broken
• All for Salvation of Man from Eternal death/Hell

IF JESUS WAS IN A FEMALE BODY WOULD THE SACRIFICE BE LESS WORTHY BECAUSE THE SOUL OF JESUS WAS IN A FEMALE BODY THAN A MANS??

BFHU: No. God could have done it all differently. We simply submit in humility to His plan and the way He chose, by His sovreign will, to do all that He did.

WHERE DOES THE POWER AND QUALITIES OF A PERSON LIE?? THE SOUL OR THE BODY( WHICH DIES AND DECAYS IN THE GRAVE)?? I DO NOT SEE ANY DIFFERENCE IN THE MALE BODY WHICH MAKES IT MORE WORTHY OF SACRIFICE?? IF U SACRIFICE A WICKED SOUL BUT IN A MALE BODY WOULD GOD ACCEPT SUCH A SACRIFICE?? THE REASON WHY A MALE LAMB WAS SACRIFICED IS THAT A FEMALE LAMB MIGHT HAVE HAD LTTLE LAMBS TO CARE FOR.

BFHU: That is very interesting but where in Sacred Scripture does it say that this is the reason

JESUS was the LAMB OF GOD slain at Passover. Therefore, HE is the fullfillment of the Passover Feast. And just like the Passover Lamb had to be perfect and male and be killed, and eaten and its blood was lifegiving–so Jesus is all of these.

HE COMAPRED WITH THE PASSOVER SACRIFICE AS THE RESULT OF THE SACRIFICE WAS THE SAME BUT IN A MILLION TIMES GREATER WAY(FORGIVNESS OF SINS) !! HOW CAN U COMPARE WHAT APPLIES TO AN LOWLY ANIMAL TO THAT OF WHAT APPLIES TO JESUS..THE EVER LOVING BEAUTIFUL MASTER OF ALL TIMES AND SON OF GOD!!

BFHU: I am not making up that comparison. I am simply in all humility following the teaching of the apostles.

1. John 1:29
   The next day, John saw Jesus coming to him, and he saith: Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who taketh away the sin of the world.
   
2. John 1:36
   And beholding Jesus walking, he saith: Behold the Lamb of God.
3. Acts 8:32
   And the place of the scripture which he was reading was this: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb without voice before his shearer, so openeth he not his mouth.
4. 1 Peter 1:19
   But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb unspotted and undefiled
5. And in Revelation there are 17 more verses see them Here

U SAID :

This is merely your opinion supported by the zietgiest of our culture and nothing more. The God of the Universe, Creator of Heaven and Earth was not subject to the prejudices of people of any age. HE is all about TRUTH. And if it suited HIM to use primarily female typology and imagery He was able to do so in the service of Truth. The Passover Lamb of the OT was specifically to be male b/c God knew He would fulfill this by HIS SON in the NT era.

YOU YOURSELF SAID THAT “Men still do have a great tendency NOT to follow women, so it looks like God knew what He was doing by identifying with the male gender spiritually and as an incarnate MAN.”

WOULD GOD BE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO SEND JESUS IN A FEMALE FORM AND TRY AND PREACH WHEN HUMANITY AT HIS TIME WAS STOOPED IN DARKNESS -A RESULT OF WHICH WAS SUBJUGATION OF WOMEN?? MAN WAS IN HIS TRUE ELEMENTS..BODILY POWER RULED..GOD WAS FORGOTTEN…SO WOMEN SUFFERED AS THEY COULD NOT PHYSICALLY FIGHT BACK!!

BFHU: That is the customary feminist theory but it is a mere chariacture of society. But leaving that aside you ideas leave out the power of God to do ANYTHING He choses to do. Are you saying that the power of God was limited by human prejudice? That God was impotent to overcome prejudice by His Grace working in the heart ?

GOD WANTED TO FIRST BRING MANKIND TOWARDS HIMSELF AND TRYING TO DO SO WITH A FEMALE BODY(OF JESUS) WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT AS THE MIND SET WAS LIKE THAT(THE MISSION OF JESUS WAS TO UPLIFT MANKIND AND NOT FIGHT FOR FEMALE RIGHTS AS HE KNEW THAT AS MANKING WOULD GO TOWARDS GOD EVENTUALLY IT WILL MAKE WOMEN EQUAL AS GOD HAD PLANNED.)..SO AFTER UPLIFTING MANKING THROUGH CHRIST ,GOD HAS NOW SET HIS SIGHTS ON MAKING HIS OTHER PART OF CREATION WHICH IS BY FAR MORE BEAUTIFUL IN NATURE (THE OTHERHALF BEING NO LESS BEAUTIFUL IN GODS EYES) .!! HE WILL MAKE WOMEN PRIESTS AND WILL BREAK THE VERY MALE IMPOSED BARRIER!! ..

BFHU: Where is this written? All of this could have been a part of His plan but He chose to do it differently. Humility and submission to our Lord is far more valuable than demanding our perceived rights.

Matthew 16:26
For what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul?

Women are far more beautiful than Men in God’s eyes? That my friend is Heresy.

GOD HAS JUSTICE IN HIS MIND….WHEN A GIRL FEELS SAD BECAUSE OF INEQUALITY IT IS NOT GOD BUT MAN WHO HAS MADE HER SO WITH HIS IMPOSED RULES…

BFHU:….or people filling her head with imagined slights and assertions of inequality. The feminist movement (NOW) had noble ideals at first but they got off track.

NOW- women are mere sex objects for men…in bed, in porn, in movies, in ads, even in marriage.

NOW women murder their children before they are even born.

NOW women have to work to make ends meet

NOW women live in poverty b/c of increased out of wedlock children

NOW women are divorced easily when men tire of them

NOW more women have grown up in fatherless homes etc.

SO THE FIRE OF GOD HAS SPARKED UP AND NOW THE CRIES OF A MILLION WOMEN WHO WANTS TO BE RECOGNISED AS GODS CREATION IN EQUAL TERMS HAS MADE HIM WAKE UP!

Matthew 16:26
For what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul?

LOOKAROUND YOU,,,WOMEN HAVE STARTED TO REGAIN HER STATUS AS EQUALS IN GODS CREATION!! HIS PLANS ARE WORKING AND CAN SOME LOWLY MEN STOP THE UNLIMITED POWER OF GO JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE INTERPRETED THE SCRIPTURES IN THEIR OWN WAY???

BFHU: And are you not interpreting scriptures in your own way? This is why we need the Church that Jesus founded and promised to be with until the end of time and that the Gates of Hell would not overcome Her. I trust my soul to Christ in the teachings of the  Catholic Church; 2000 years old and still young and beautiful. I do not trust anyone else or any teaching that simply  mirrors the present culture. That is so boring. I trust the COUNTERCULTURAL Catholic Church to be THE repository of the Ever Ancient and Ever New Christian Faith. Sorry. No offense.

PLEASE MENTION ONCE WHERE IN THE SCRIPTURES HAS JESUS GIVEN A DIRECT ORDER BARRING WOMEN FROM PRIEST HOOD??

BFHU: This is explicit in His practice. “He who has eyes, let him see and ears, let him hear.“

BUT I AM SURE TO SEE U PRODUCE SUCH AN ORDER FROM THE MALE PRIESTS!! BUT HAS GOD SPOKEN OR MAN SPOKEN??

BFHU: Both. God rules His Church through Peter in the office of the Bishop of Rome. God gave Peter and the apostles the authority to rule His Church. The phrase “to bind and loose” was a Hebrew idiom meaning the authority to rule.

1. Matthew 16:19 Peter the first Pope
   “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”
   
2. Matthew 18:18 The Apostles
   “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.

LASTLY: U SAID

Its just that everyone has their place, man has his place, woman has her place, children have their place. The sooner society accepts that , the less complicated things will be.

WHO HAS GIVEN THE PLACES?? MAN HAS GIVEN TO WOMEN. NOT GOD!!

BFHU: What scripture do you base this on?

GOD MADE ALL EQUAL…man MADE HIS CREATION BAD BY HIS IDEAS!!! SOULS haVE no sex!! SO WHY LET THE OUTER BODY DECIDE WHO GETS WHAT WHEN TRUE QUALITY IS WITHIN…”THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU”….

BFHU: I beg you to step out of our decadent paganized culture and breathe deeply of the fragrance of the Kingdom of God. Our culture is so shallow, so self-serving, so full of pride, so angry and discontent. But the Kingdom of God is Joy, Peace, Goodness, contentment. Come and follow Jesus.

Gender of God #2

Christ Lover: DID YOU EVER HEAR OF WOMEN SAINTS IN THE CHURCH WHO DID MIRACLES???

BFHU: Yes, of course, but not by their own power but the power of God through them.

Christ Lover: WERE THE MIRACLES NOT EXPRESSION OF GOD WITHIN THE WOMEN??

BFHU: Yes, the power of God worked through them.

Christ Lover: JESUS SAID “THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU” AND DID NOT THE KINGDOM DISPLAY ITS POWER THROUGH THE WOMEN SAINTS??

BFHU: Absolutely, God’s power was manifested through them.

Christ Lover: HOW MUCH ABOVE A MALE PRIEST IS A WOMEN SAINT??

BFHU: All God’s children are loved by God. Exceptional holiness is recognized by the Church. And people of heroic virtue are canonized as Saints for the purpose giving good example of the Christian life. How much above a male priest a female saint would be, would depend upon the holiness of the priest. Sanctity has NOTHING to do with gender. A canonized female saint would be “higher” than any priest, bishop or pope of lesser sanctity.

Christ Lover: DID THE WOMEN SAINTS BECAME LESSER THAN THE MALE PRIESTS BECAUSE OF THEIR SEX??

BFHU: Again no. Who told you this? You have misunderstood.

Christ Lover: GOD HAS NO SEX AND WE ARE ALL CHILDREN OF GOD. THEN ARE YOU ACCUSING GOD OF DISCRIMINATE AGAINST HIS OWN CREATION IE.WOMEN??

BFHU: No you are mistaken. You are being influenced by our culture and not the ancient, unchanging Christian Faith.

According to this way of thinking one would have to concede that God discriminated against men since they cannot bear children? The sexes are different and fulfill different roles. But they are EQUAL in Dignity in the sight of God.

Did God discriminate against unattractive people, low IQ people, unathletic people, people who can’t sing,

unartistic people, etc? Where is it written that everyone MUST be EQUAL in EVERYTHING???!!! According to the “everyone should have an equal right to EVERYTHING” mentality God has failed us all in many ways or….

…perhaps these are all a part of his creativity and yet imbuing all with EQUAL DIGNITY and all EQUALLY loved by HIM.

God is God and if He so chooses to have only a male priesthood then don’t you think He should have that right, being God the Father Almighty?

Christ Lover: EVERY WOMEN HAS THE RIGHT TO BE A PRIESTESS AND ALSO A POPE!!

BFHU: Why? And what scripture do you have to support this assertion? No where in the people of God are there or have there ever been priestesses. Priestesses have ALWAYS been pagan.

Christ Lover: JESUS HIMSELF HAD A GROUP OF CLOSE WOMEN FOLLOWERS!!

BFHU: Yes. But He did not make them Priests in His Church. His own mother would have been a perfect candidate for ordination. God has other roles for his precious women of faith. They can be Saints and Doctors of the Church. Our Lady the Blessed Virgin Mary if fully human and the most Holy and highly honored human being in all of Christiandom…above all priests, bishops, Doctors of the Church, Popes, and Saints…and yet….SHE IS A WOMAN!!!!

Christ Lover: YOU QOUTED:

BFHU: I don’t follow that argument. There is no reason why God could not have been portrayed as female if HE had so desired. There were lots of female godesses in the ancient world and there still are.

Christ Lover: ARE YOU SAYING THAT GOD IS A MAN??

BFHU: NO.

Christ Lover: HOW CAN U CALL A BEING MAN OR WOMAN WITHOUT A BODY??

BFHU: God is Spirit and has no Gender.

Christ Lover: OR ARE YOU SAYING THAT GOD HAS A BODY NOW A DAYS OR THAT JESUS AND GOD ARE NOT TWO BUT THE SAME PERSON??

BFHU: God the Father and God the Holy Spirit do not have bodies, they are spirits. Jesus the Son DOES HAVE a BODY. He is the Eternal God/Man. Two Natures-Divine and Human. They are three Persons but ONE GOD. Amen. In the NAME of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Gender of God

Christ Lover: i read your answers to previous blogs and i think i must point out that ur knowledge on GOD is based on blind faith instead of reality!!

you are disgracing an all powerful master like jesus by blaming him for things that he will never dreams to do!! i want you to explain what you say!! i am quoting u and telling u the facts!! use scriptures to answer my questions!! i want direct quotes rather than your feelings!! (HERE “YOU” ARE THOES PEOPLE WHOME I DISAGREE WITH) here goes:

BFHU: I pray that it is merely your opinion that I have disgraced my precious LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. I await the evidence that I have blamed Him for something He has not done.

Christ Lover:i want you to explain what you say!! i am quoting u and telling u the facts!! use scriptures to answer my questions!!

BFHU: I will be glad to quote scripture whenever I can since you seem to be a sola Scriptura Protestant and that would be the most helpful to you. However, I just want to let you know that Sacred Scripture does not command or even teach that all TRUTH about our Faith is to be found in Scripture alone. That, my dear friend is merely a Protestant tradition started a short 500 years ago by Martin Luther.

Christ Lover: i want direct quotes rather than your feelings!! (HERE “YOU” ARE THOES PEOPLE WHOME I DISAGREE WITH) here goes:

BFHU: Certainly. I was not aware that I wrote about my feelings. I really am not inclined to relying of feelings. So please point specific examples of this out to me so I can clarify.

Christ Lover: On may 27th u had said ( Why Can’t Women be Catholic Priests?: )

“There is a lot more evidence that HE has chosen to be identified with the male gender.

BFHU: Oops! the above quote is not in Why Can’t Women be Catholic Priests?: even though that is where your comment is posted. I will see if I can find it on May 27th….hmmmm….no….There is nothing about this topic posted on May 27 on my blog or on this post Why Can’t Women be Catholic Priests? II either. Let me keep searching…..OK I found the post. It was from Sept 10 There Should be Priestesess

Christ Lover: We can only know the mind of God through His Spirit.”

BFHU: Of course this is correct. But how does one know concretely that one actually HAS the SPIRIT of God when thinking and coming to conclusions as opposed to just his own individual ideas that turn can and do turn out to be CONTRARY to the SPIRIT of GOD?

This became very clear to me as a Protestant b/c all 40,000 Protestant denominations are absolutely convinced that their denomination has the Spirit and mind of Christ better than any of the other 39,000 denominations. These are good and sincere people but they can’t all have the totally accurate , infallible Spirit of God because they are not unified and God is not a God of confusion.

Christ Lover: do YOU know the spirit or god’s plans?? IF NOT HOW CAN YOU SO SURELY SAY THAT HE HAS CHOSEN TO IDENTIFY WITH MALE GENDER???

BFHU: Because God has chosen to be identified as a

FATHER not mother, (Matthew 6:9, Mark 14:36; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6

1. John 6:27
2. 1 Corinthians 8:6
3. 1 Corinthians 15:24
4. Galatians 1:1
5. Ephesians 5:20
6. Ephesians 6:23
7. Philippians 2:11
8. Colossians 1:3
9. Colossians 3:17
10. 1 Thessalonians 1:1
11. 2 Thessalonians 1:2
12. 1 Timothy 1:2
13. 2 Timothy 1:2
14. Titus 1:4
15. 1 Peter 1:2
16. 2 Peter 1:17
17. 2 John 1:3
18. Jude 1:1

BRIDEGROOM not bride, ( (Song of Solomon 4:7-16)(Ezekiel 16:8-14) Mt. 9:15) many others–> HERE

KING not Queen,

King Eternal (1 Tim. 1:17)
King of Israel (John 1:49)
King of the Jews (Mt. 27:11)
King of kings (1 Tim 6:15; Rev. 19:16)
King of the Ages (Rev. 15:3)

Great High Priest (Heb. 4:14) not high priestess

Last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45) not last Eve.

Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5) not a lioness of the Tribe of Judah

Man from Heaven (1 Cor. 15:48) not woman of Heaven

Only Begotten Son of God (John 1:18; 1 John 4:9) not Only Begotten Daughter of God

Son not Daughter

Son of David (Lk. 18:39)
Son of God (John 1:49; Heb. 4:14)
Son of Man (Mt. 8:20)
Son of the Most High God (Lk. 1:32)

Our Husband (2 Cor. 11:2 )not Our Wife

You can see many other titles for Christ HERE it would be interesting to find out if the nouns/pronouns are male or female in gender. I would guess they are either neutral or male. But I really don’t know.

LET ME BE VERY CLEAR

GOD IS SPIRIT. HE HAS NO ACTUAL GENDER. HE IS GENDERLESS. MY POINT IS THAT HE HAS CHOSEN TO BE IDENTIFIES WITH MALENESS IN MANY, MANY MORE INSTANCES THAN FEMALENESS. THEREFORE, THE PRIESTHOOD OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS MALE.

There Should be Priestesses in the Catholic Church

Q. God the Father indeed does not possess a gender, but how can you possibly argue that God has chosen to be identified with maleness? You cannot know the mind of God.

A. There is a lot more evidence that HE has chosen to be identified with the male gender.

Q. Although Jesus referred to God as his “Father,” this does not indicate that God has chosen to be identified as male. It simply is how Jesus explained his human incarnation as God to his Apostles and disciples of the era.

A. I don’t follow that argument. There is no reason why God could not have been portrayed as female if HE had so desired. There were lots of female godesses in the ancient world and there still are.

He also could have claimed no gender but HE did choose to be identified with maleness. And we are disrespectful not to accept this in all docility.

Q. Also, a Passover sacrifice has nothing to do with the functions of being a priest. It is a religious rite.

A. You are correct. My explanation lacked clarity. JESUS was the LAMB OF GOD slain at Passover. Therefore, HE is the fullfillment of the Passover Feast. And just like the Passover Lamb had to be perfect and male and be killed, and eaten and its blood was lifegiving–so Jesus is all of these.

Q. And of course Jesus was a man in that period due to a patriarchal society (hence why the Passover sacrifice was a male)!

A. This is merely your opinion supported by the zietgiest of our culture and nothing more. The God of the Universe, Creator of Heaven and Earth was not subject to the prejudices of people of any age. HE is all about TRUTH. And if it suited HIM to use primarily female typology and imagery He was able to do so in the service of Truth. The Passover Lamb of the OT was specifically to be male b/c God knew He would fulfill this by HIS SON in the NT era.

Q. A man was considered to have power in said society, and therefore, a male lamb would have been the highest quality of sacrifice because its human counterpart was thought to above women.

A. Actually, yes and no. A perfect male would have made a great stud for improving the flock. But, all you need is one good male b/c the females produce the lambs and that is where the increase in your flock comes. I don’t think society had anything to do with it.

Q. Like Theresa pointed out, how many at that time would have listened to a woman calling herself the Savior?

A. I fail to see why that would matter. Jesus was not exactly popular. His miracles could just as easily been done by a woman and would have gained her just as much credibility. You seem unable to see God as anything more than an extra powerful person.

Why Can’t Women be Ordained to the Priesthood???

Q. Why won’t the Catholic Church ordain women to the priesthood?

A. Because she cannot.

Q. Why not?

A. For the simple reason that the seven sacraments were given to us by Jesus. The Church did not invent them and, therefore, she cannot change them. Valid sacraments must use the same WORDS and ACTIONS used by Jesus. We follow the pattern He gave us. We don’t make up sacraments as we go.

For instance, for a baptism to be valid the WORDS used must be: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”. The
ACTION must be immersion or pouring with water. The Church cannot authorize baptism “in the name of Jesus”—wrong WORDS. Nor can the Church baptize with milk, wine, grape juice etc.-wrong ACTION. A person must be baptized with water AND in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit or the baptism is invalid.

So, also, the valid sacrament of Holy Orders requires the WORDS of ordination and the ACTION of a validly ordained bishop laying on of hands and anointing a baptized male, with oil. Maleness is as essential to priestly ordination as wheat bread and grape wine is to the valid consecration of the Eucharist. Men ordained to the priesthood are changed pemanently-“You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

Corn bread and grape juice will not transubstantiate into the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. And a female ordination, simply, will not “take”.

You can read more about women and the Catholic Priesthood Here

Technorati Tags: Catholic,, priest,, priestesses,, womanpriest,, womenpriests

Priestesses

Q. Women wish to be priestesses for the exact same reason men wish to become priests: they want to serve their God in a special way.

A. Serving God in a special way is a noble goal. But this is turned into rebellion against the Church HE founded when women demand ordination against the constant teaching of the Church, Her ministers, and Her popes.

Q. Although the religious life is an alternative, it does not allow them to participate in the rite of transubstantiation, as priests do; preside over the sacraments (and reach out to others during the sacrament of Confession), as priests do; and speak on the word of God in the homily, as priests do.

A. This is true.But women can partake of the Body of Christ in communion. That is a very great grace. Women can go to confession and receive forgiveness of sin and grace to avoid sin. That is a very great grace too. And women can teach the faith at schools, sacramental preparation classes, RCIA, or become a Catholic speaker. Rather than bemoan what they cannot do, women should get busy and do the things that are open to them. God will bless women as they serve Him in obedience and humility.

1 Samuel 15:23
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.

Q. They also would like to help their fellow Christians with guidance and instruction in the faith, and become closer to God.

A. This can be done without being a priest. I hope more women will do this because our priests are overworked and could use help in this area.

Q. This is a completely lesser aside, but many women do not feel comfortable discussing certain issues with priests. It would be easier for them to speak with a priestess on these subjects.

A. We have many excellent women counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists who are also Catholic. No doubt the Church needs more, so this are is wide open to women.

Q. Women who desire to become priestesses do not want to exalt themselves or to turn away from the church; rather they want to become servants in it. It is the church that denies them, when all they wish is to assist it.

A. A true servant’s heart wishes to serve and obey Christ’s Church in all obscurity. And this can be done by anyone, at any age, regardless of sickness or disability. A good servant does not tell Jesus or His ministers how to run His Church.

Q. Furthermore, every Christian should go for the gold and try to be named a saint!

A. Amen, Sister.

Q. Men, however, have been priests (and involved in the religious life as well) and named as saints. The two ideas- of being a priest and becoming a saint -are completely separate from one another.

A. That is true. But not even all men can be priests. It not a right. The call to the priesthood is a gift from God. Not all are called. Men cannot be pregnant. Their gender excludes them. Is this unfair? Should they be pursuing equality in this area? It is a very special experience to have a baby growing inside of your body. Don’t you think there are some men who might like this experience? Each gender has gifts that the opposite gender does not share. Any woman who feels badly that she cannot be a priest should try to be at peace and pray for be contentment. Otherwise she may fall into the sin of envy. (10th commandment, Ex 20)

Mark 7:21 Jesus said, “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. 23 All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.

Q. Most Christians, including women, do strive to become saints. Nonetheless, some feel called to the priesthood as well.

A. I would submit that any women who “feels” she is called to the priesthood is not hearing the voice of Our Lord but rather of Our Enemy.

New Vatican Condemnation of Ordination of Priestesses

May 29, 2008

Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
General Decree

Regarding the offense of attempted holy ordination of a woman
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in order to safeguard the nature and validity of the sacrament of holy orders, and in virtue of the special faculty conferred upon the congregation by the supreme authority of the church (see canon 30, Code of Canon Law), in the Ordinary Session of December 19, 2007, has decreed:
In keeping with the disposition of canon 1378 of the Code of Canon Law, both the person who attempts to confer holy orders upon a woman, and the woman who attempts to receive holy orders, incur the excommunication latae sententiae, reserved to the Apostolic See.
If the one who attempts to confer holy orders upon a woman or the woman who attempts to receive holy orders is subject to the Code of the Canons of the Eastern Churches, in keeping with canon 1443 of that code, that person will be punished with major excommunication, the remission of which is reserved to the Apostolic See (see canon 1423, Code of the Canons of the Eastern Churches).
The present decree takes effect immediately from the moment of its publication inn L’Osservatore Romano.

William Cardinal Levada
Prefect
Angelo Amato, s.d.b.
Titular Archbishop of Sila
Secretary

Priesthood of all believers

Q. What does the “priesthood of all believers” mean?
A. All of God’s people, both Old and New, are members of a priesthood.
In Exodus 19:6“…and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation,” refers to the Israelites of the Old Testament. In the New Testament, I Peter 2:9 (“But you are … a royal priesthood, a holy nation”)refers to Christians. So, in both covenants God considers the faithful, members of a priesthood. The function of a priest is to offer sacrifices to God. The ‘priesthood of all believers’ offer their own individual and personal spiritual sacrifices to God (I Peter 2:5)

Q. Then, why do we have priests if everyone is a part of the priesthood?
A. In both covenants God also, ordained a ministerial priesthood, separate from the ordinary faithful, who offered sacrifice to God for the people. In the Old Testament: Exodus 28:1 “Have Aaron your brother brought… along with his sons …so they may serve me as priest. Lev 21:1,10 “Then the LORD said to Moses,”The priest who is the highest among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil has been poured and who has been consecrated to wear the garments....” In the New Testament: Acts 14:23 “And when they had ordained them presbyters in every church…” (Greek “presbuteros= English-“priest”) The priests in the Old Covenant offered the daily animal sacrifices on the altar, in the Temple in Jerusalem. And Catholic priests, today, offer daily the eternal sacrifice of Christ on our altars all around the world.

You can read more about the the Catholic Priesthood …Here For an explanation of how the OT Priesthood of all Believers and the ministerial priesthood was retained in the NT Church click HERE

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