> From: Kellie Woodruff 960123.01
> Date: 23 Jan 96
>
> Question: I have such a hard time, as a female, trying to
> understand the Pope's and so many others' logic on why
> women cannot be ordained -- yes, Jesus was God's Son and
> therefore a male, and Jesus' disciples were male, but that
> was what the time period dictated -- Jesus could not have
> six male and six female disciples because He would have had
> to spend too much of His time trying to convince the people
> of the time that those women were "okay" to be listened to,
> and He would not have been able to teach as the Son of God
> about the Father in heaven. Please explain, or direct me in
> the direction of an explanation. Thank you so much.
Dear Kellie,
The religious assent which Catholics owe to the teachings of the
Magisterium is due to the propositions themselves, not to the
arguments adduced to support them. "A pope's teaching is
preserved from error not by an advanced degree in rhetoric (or
logic) but by the Holy Spirit" (G.V. Bradley in "Fellowship of
Catholic Scholars Newsletter", vol.19, no.1, Dec. 1995, page 1.)
Your own "logic" please allow me to say, makes me even more
uncomfortable than the Pope's teaching, and this for three
reasons:
1) I do not see nor do I admit that a woman (I won't use the
word "female" to describe a human being -- I leave that word for
puppy dogs and electrical outlets, et al.) should have a harder
time following logic than a man does. Surely intelligence knows
no gender gap.
2) I do not demand "a priori" that a religion revealed by God
should fit into the categories of human logic. Our religion is a
mystery, God's wisdom, not a wisdom of this world (cf 1st
Corinthians 2:6-7). No Christian doctrine violates logic, but
none can be either proved or disproved by logic. Our religion is
mystery.
3) It is unhistorical and simply false to say that in Jesus' day
priestesses would have been unacceptable to people at large. Our
Lord never hesitated to violate cultural taboos (John 5:1-18).
He spoke to women in public (John 4:4-42; 8:3-11). The first
witnesses of his Resurrection were women (passim).
Furthermore, the lands around the Mediterranean teemed with
religions with priestesses. The famed Vestal Virgins of Rome
were priestesses. There was a priestess functioning at Delphi.
The Sybil was a priestess and the many temple prostitutes were
priestesses.
In any case, the question is now moot and beyond discussion. But
if anyone needs consolation about this Catholic doctrine, let it
be this: the purpose of all apostleship and ministry -- including
the papal ministry -- is "to bring about the obedience of faith
for the sake of His Name" (Romans 1:5). The Pope has done this,
and it is enough.
Sincerely in Christ,
Father Mateo
- Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit -
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