Ordination - an all male calling.

[Xeno.of.athens]

Catholics, as many know, do not ordain women as priests, deacons, or bishops. Here is a summary of why that is so.

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CARD. LUIS F. LADARIA, S.I. PREFECT OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH IN RESPONSE TO CERTAIN DOUBTS REGARDING THE DEFINITIVE CHARACTER OF THE DOCTRINE OF ORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS​ “Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me” (Jn 15:4). If the Church can offer life and salvation to the entire world, it is only because it is rooted in Jesus Christ, her Founder. This rootedness occurs in first place through the sacraments, with the Eucharist at the center. Instituted by Christ, they are the foundational pillars of the Church that continually give life to her as His Body and His Spouse. Intimately connected to the Eucharist is the Sacrament of Holy Orders, in which Christ becomes present to the Church as the source of her life and work. Priests are conformed «to Christ the Priest in such a way that they can act in the person of Christ the Head» (Presbyterorum ordinis, n. 2). Christ willed to confer this sacrament on the twelve apostles, all of whom were men, provided that, in turn, they communicated it to other men. The Church understands herself to be always bound to this decision of the Lord, which excludes that the ministerial priesthood may be validly conferred on women. John Paul II, in his Apostolic Letter, Ordinatio sacerdotalis, of May 22, 1994, taught, “Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church's divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Lk 22:32) I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful” (n. 4). The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in response to a doubt about the teaching of Ordinatio sacerdotalis, has reaffirmed that it concerns a truth belonging to the deposit of faith. In this light, a serious concern is seen arising in some countries regarding opinions that put into doubt the definitive nature of this doctrine. In order to maintain that it is not definitive, it is argued that it has not been defined ex cathedra and that an eventual decision by a future Pope or Council could overturn it. Spreading these doubts creates grave confusion among the faithful, not only with regard to the sacrament of Holy Orders as belonging to the divine constitution of the Church, but also with regards to the Ordinary Magisterium that can teach Catholic doctrine in an infallible manner. First, concerning the ministerial priesthood, the Church recognizes that the impossibility of ordaining women belongs to the “substance of the sacrament” of Orders (cf. DH 1728). The Church does not have the power to change this substance, because it is precisely from the sacraments, instituted by Christ, that the Church is made. It does not pertain only to a disciplinary element, but a doctrinal one, inasmuch as it pertains to the structure of the sacraments, which are the original place of encounter with Christ and of the transmission of the faith. Therefore, this should not be understood as a limit that would impede the Church from being more efficacious in her activity within the world. If the Church cannot intervene in this matter it is because it is at that point that the original love of God intervenes. It is He that is at work in the ordination of priests, in such a way that the Church always holds, in every situation of her history, the visible and efficacious presence of Jesus Christ “as the principal source of grace” (Pope Francis, Evangelii gaudium, n. 104). Aware that there cannot be a change to this tradition, in obedience to the Lord, the Church strives also to deepen its significance, so that the will of Jesus Christ, who is the Logos, is never deprived of meaning. The priest acts in the person of Christ, spouse of the Church, and his being a man is an indispensable element of this sacramental representation (cf. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Inter insigniores, n. 5). Certainly, the difference of roles between man and woman does not carry in itself any subordination, but a mutual enrichment. Recall that the most perfect image of the Church is Mary, the Mother of the Lord, who did not receive the apostolic ministry. It is thus evident that the masculine and the feminine, the original language that the Creator inscribed on the human body, were assumed in the work of our redemption. It is properly this fidelity to the plan of Christ for the ministerial priesthood that allows for the deepening and the promotion of the specific role of women in the Church, given that, “woman is not independent of man or man of woman in the Lord” (1 Cor 11:11). Moreover, this teaching throws light on the cultural struggle to understand the significance and the goodness of the difference between man and woman, and their complementary mission in society. Secondly, the doubts raised about the definitive nature of Ordinatio sacerdotalis also have grave consequences for the manner of understanding the Magisterium of the Church. It is important to reaffirm that infallibility does not only pertain to solemn pronouncements of a Council or of the Supreme Pontiff when he speaks ex cathedra, but also to the universal and ordinary teaching of bishops dispersed throughout the world, when they propose, in communion among themselves and with the Pope, the Catholic doctrine to be held definitively. John Paul II referred to this infallibility in Ordinatio sacerdotalis. In this manner he did not declare a new dogma, but, with the authority conferred upon him as the Successor of Peter, he formally confirmed and made explicit, so as to remove all doubt, that which the Ordinary and Universal Magisterium has long considered throughout history as belonging to the deposit of faith. This manner of declaration reflects a mode of ecclesial communion, since the Pope did not want to act alone, but as a witness listening to an uninterrupted and lived tradition. On the other hand, nobody denies that the Magisterium can express itself infallibly on truths that are necessarily connected with what has been formally revealed, since only in this manner is it able to exercise its function of devoutly safeguarding and faithfully expressing the deposit of the faith. Further proof of the commitment with which John Paul II examined the question is the prior consultation that he undertook in Rome with the Presidents of the Episcopal Conferences who were seriously interested in the problem. All of them declared, with complete conviction, through obedience of the Church to the Lord, that the Church does not have the faculty to confer on women priestly ordination. Pope Benedict XVI also reaffirmed this teaching, recalling in the Chrism Mass of April 5, 2012, that John Paul II “declared in an irrevocable manner” that the Church, with regard to the ordination of women, “has received no authority from the Lord”. Benedict XVI then asked, with regard to some who do not accept this doctrine: “But is disobedience really a way to do this? Do we sense here anything of that configuration to Christ which is the precondition for all true renewal, or do we merely sense a desperate push to do something to change the Church in accordance with one’s own preferences and ideas?”. Pope Francis also returned to the argument. In his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium, he reaffirmed that “the reservation of the priesthood to males, as a sign of Christ the Spouse who gives himself in the Eucharist” is not a question open to discussion, and he asked for an interpretation of this doctrine not as an expression of power, but of service, in a manner that better perceives the equal dignity between men and women in the one Body of Christ (n. 104). During the Press Conference of the return flight from the Apostolic trip to Sweden , on November 1, 2016, Pope Francis reaffirmed: “On the ordination of women in the Catholic Church, the last word was clearly given by Saint John Paul II, and this remains.” In these times, in which the Church is called to respond to many challenges of our culture, it is essential that she remains in Jesus, as the branches on the vine. This is why the Teacher invites us to make certain that his words remain in us: “If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love” (Jn 15:10). Only the fidelity to his words, that will not pass away, assures our rootedness in Christ and in his love. Only the welcoming of his wise design, which takes bodily form in the sacraments, replenishes the roots of the Church, so that she may bear the fruits of eternal life.​

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​

 

[Strong in Him]

“On the ordination of women in the Catholic Church, the last word was clearly given by Saint John Paul II, and this remains.”

Some people prefer the last word to be given by God.
And as he has been, and is, clearly calling women to be ordained, clearly he does not have a problem with it. It's his calling, his church, his kingdom, his Gospel and his Spirit who gives gifts to us, Ephesians 4:11, after all. The Lord of the harvest is allowed to call the workers he chooses.

Having female clergy does not prevent us from remaining in the vine, nor from living out our faith.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

And as he has been, and is, clearly calling women to be ordained

Who says that it is God who makes these calls?

 

[concretecamper]

Some people prefer the last word to be given by God.
And as he has been, and is, clearly calling women to be ordained, clearly he does not have a problem with it. It's his calling, his church, his kingdom, his Gospel and his Spirit who gives gifts to us, Ephesians 4:11, after all. The Lord of the harvest is allowed to call the workers he chooses.

Having female clergy does not prevent us from remaining in the vine, nor from living out our faith.

I don't see a problem with Protestant denominations performing what they call and ordination in accordance with their man made rules. Is it God who calls women to be ordained? I seriously question whether it is God doing the calling.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

To allay any fears that the Catholic Church has not been clear on this matter saint John Paul II's letter on the subject is included below.

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APOSTOLIC LETTER
ORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS
OF JOHN PAUL II
TO THE BISHOPS
OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
ON RESERVING PRIESTLY ORDINATION
TO MEN ALONE​

Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate,

1. Priestly ordination, which hands on the office entrusted by Christ to his Apostles of teaching, sanctifying and governing the faithful, has in the Catholic Church from the beginning always been reserved to men alone. This tradition has also been faithfully maintained by the Oriental Churches.

When the question of the ordination of women arose in the Anglican Communion, Pope Paul VI, out of fidelity to his office of safeguarding the Apostolic Tradition, and also with a view to removing a new obstacle placed in the way of Christian unity, reminded Anglicans of the position of the Catholic Church: "She holds that it is not admissible to ordain women to the priesthood, for very fundamental reasons. These reasons include: the example recorded in the Sacred Scriptures of Christ choosing his Apostles only from among men; the constant practice of the Church, which has imitated Christ in choosing only men; and her living teaching authority which has consistently held that the exclusion of women from the priesthood is in accordance with God's plan for his Church."(1)

But since the question had also become the subject of debate among theologians and in certain Catholic circles, Paul VI directed the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to set forth and expound the teaching of the Church on this matter. This was done through the Declaration Inter Insigniores, which the Supreme Pontiff approved and ordered to be published.(2)

2. The Declaration recalls and explains the fundamental reasons for this teaching, reasons expounded by Paul VI, and concludes that the Church "does not consider herself authorized to admit women to priestly ordination."(3) To these fundamental reasons the document adds other theological reasons which illustrate the appropriateness of the divine provision, and it also shows clearly that Christ's way of acting did not proceed from sociological or cultural motives peculiar to his time. As Paul VI later explained: "The real reason is that, in giving the Church her fundamental constitution, her theological anthropology-thereafter always followed by the Church's Tradition- Christ established things in this way."(4)

In the Apostolic Letter Mulieris Dignitatem, I myself wrote in this regard: "In calling only men as his Apostles, Christ acted in a completely free and sovereign manner. In doing so, he exercised the same freedom with which, in all his behavior, he emphasized the dignity and the vocation of women, without conforming to the prevailing customs and to the traditions sanctioned by the legislation of the time."(5)

In fact the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles attest that this call was made in accordance with God's eternal plan; Christ chose those whom he willed (cf. Mk 3:13-14; Jn 6:70), and he did so in union with the Father, "through the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:2), after having spent the night in prayer (cf. Lk 6:12). Therefore, in granting admission to the ministerial priesthood,(6) the Church has always acknowledged as a perennial norm her Lord's way of acting in choosing the twelve men whom he made the foundation of his Church (cf. Rv 21:14). These men did not in fact receive only a function which could thereafter be exercised by any member of the Church; rather they were specifically and intimately associated in the mission of the Incarnate Word himself (cf. Mt 10:1, 7-8; 28:16-20; Mk 3:13-16; 16:14-15). The Apostles did the same when they chose fellow workers(7) who would succeed them in their ministry.(8) Also included in this choice were those who, throughout the time of the Church, would carry on the Apostles' mission of representing Christ the Lord and Redeemer.(9)

3. Furthermore, the fact that the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and Mother of the Church, received neither the mission proper to the Apostles nor the ministerial priesthood clearly shows that the non-admission of women to priestly ordination cannot mean that women are of lesser dignity, nor can it be construed as discrimination against them. Rather, it is to be seen as the faithful observance of a plan to be ascribed to the wisdom of the Lord of the universe.

The presence and the role of women in the life and mission of the Church, although not linked to the ministerial priesthood, remain absolutely necessary and irreplaceable. As the Declaration Inter Insigniores points out, "the Church desires that Christian women should become fully aware of the greatness of their mission: today their role is of capital importance both for the renewal and humanization of society and for the rediscovery by believers of the true face of the Church."(10)

The New Testament and the whole history of the Church give ample evidence of the presence in the Church of women, true disciples, witnesses to Christ in the family and in society, as well as in total consecration to the service of God and of the Gospel. "By defending the dignity of women and their vocation, the Church has shown honor and gratitude for those women who-faithful to the Gospel-have shared in every age in the apostolic mission of the whole People of God. They are the holy martyrs, virgins and mothers of families, who bravely bore witness to their faith and passed on the Church's faith and tradition by bringing up their children in the spirit of the Gospel."(11)

Moreover, it is to the holiness of the faithful that the hierarchical structure of the Church is totally ordered. For this reason, the Declaration Inter Insigniores recalls: "the only better gift, which can and must be desired, is love (cf. 1 Cor 12 and 13). The greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven are not the ministers but the saints."(12)

4. Although the teaching that priestly ordination is to be reserved to men alone has been preserved by the constant and universal Tradition of the Church and firmly taught by the Magisterium in its more recent documents, at the present time in some places it is nonetheless considered still open to debate, or the Church's judgment that women are not to be admitted to ordination is considered to have a merely disciplinary force.

Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church's divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Lk 22:32) I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful.

Invoking an abundance of divine assistance upon you, venerable brothers, and upon all the faithful, I impart my apostolic blessing.

From the Vatican, on May 22, the Solemnity of Pentecost, in the year 1994, the sixteenth of my Pontificate.

---

NOTES

1. Paul VI, Response to the Letter of His Grace the Most Reverend Dr. F.D. Coggan, Archbishop of Canterbury, concerning the Ordination of Women to the Priesthood (November 30, 1975); AAS 68 (1976), 599.
2. Cf. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Declaration Inter Insigniores on the question of the Admission of Women to the Ministerial Priesthood (October 15, 1976): AAS 69 (1977), 98-116.
3. Ibid., 100.
4. Paul VI, Address on the Role of Women in the Plan of Salvation (January 30, 1977): Insegnamenti, XV (1977), 111. Cf. Also John Paul II Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles laici (December 30, 1988), n. 51: AAS 81 (1989), 393-521; Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1577.
5. Apsotolic Letter Mulieris Dignnitatem (August 15, 1988), n. 26: AAS 80 (1988), 1715.
6. Cf. Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, n. 28 Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis, n. 2b.
7. Cf. 1 Tm 3:1-13; 2 Tm 1:6; Ti 1:5-9.
8. Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1577.
9. Cf. Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium, nn. 20,21.
10. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Declaration Inter Insigniores, n. 6: AAS 69 (1977), 115-116.
11. Apostolic Letter Mulieris Dignitatem, n. 27: AAS 80 (1988), 1719.
12. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Declaration Inter Insigniores n. 6: AAS 69 (1977), 115.

 

[Strong in Him]

Who says that it is God who makes these calls?

The women who are being called, the panel of clergy and laity who are assessing and praying with them to test that call and those who are training them.

 

[Strong in Him]

I don't see a problem with Protestant denominations performing what they call and ordination in accordance with their man made rules. Is it God who calls women to be ordained? I seriously question whether it is God doing the calling.

You can doubt whatever you like; doesn't change the facts.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

The women who are being called, the panel of clergy and laity who are assessing and praying with them to test that call and those who are training them.

One could see that as possibly self-serving wishful thinking rather than a vocation from God.

But regardless of the mechanisms in place and the people involved in a denomination that is willing to ordain women to the priesthood such ordination is not seen as licit in the Catholic Church, nor, as far as I am aware, in any of the ancient churches.

 

[Strong in Him]

One could see that as possibly self-serving wishful thinking rather than a vocation from God.

"Self serving wishful thinking"??
You think women giving up well paid jobs in teaching, social work, law, etc etc to be ordained are doing so to try to get kudos from other people?
Maybe you've never known any woman say they believe God is calling them to do something? Maybe you've never heard, or seen, their frustration at trying to respond to such a call and still stay in the church that they love - only to conclude that the only way to obey such a call is to go elsewhere.
Don't you think that if God didn't want women to be ordained and he heard them giving testimonies about how "God has called me", he'd do something to correct them/put a stop to the ordination? Or don't you believe that he can "lead us in paths of righteousness, for his name's sake"? Psalm 23:3.

But regardless of the mechanisms in place and the people involved in a denomination that is willing to ordain women to the priesthood such ordination is not seen as licit in the Catholic Church, nor, as far as I am aware, in any of the ancient churches.

Maybe it isn't in the Catholic church, no.
But this thread is not in the "One bread, One body" forum. Nor is the title of the thread "Why Catholics won't ordain women" or "Why Catholics say female ordination is wrong". I thought, maybe, you were inviting a reasonable discussion of the subject, rather than just quoting a Catholic document which, you seem to think, ends discussion.

Women had many roles in the NT. Mary Magdalen was the first witness to the resurrection and the first to proclaim the risen Christ. Phoebe was a deacon, others were deaconesses, Priscilla taught and the woman at the well was one of the first to learn that Jesus was the Messiah. The Apostles had to correct all kinds of false teaching in the early church - women preaching the Gospel was not one of them.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

"Self serving wishful thinking"??
You think women giving up well paid jobs in teaching, social work, law, etc etc to be ordained are doing so to try to get kudos from other people?
Maybe you've never known any woman say they believe God is calling them to do something? Maybe you've never heard, or seen, their frustration at trying to respond to such a call and still stay in the church that they love - only to conclude that the only way to obey such a call is to go elsewhere.
Don't you think that if God didn't want women to be ordained and he heard them giving testimonies about how "God has called me", he'd do something to correct them/put a stop to the ordination? Or don't you believe that he can "lead us in paths of righteousness, for his name's sake"? Psalm 23:3.

Maybe it isn't in the Catholic church, no.
But this thread is not in the "One bread, One body" forum. Nor is the title of the thread "Why Catholics won't ordain women" or "Why Catholics say female ordination is wrong". I thought, maybe, you were inviting a reasonable discussion of the subject, rather than just quoting a Catholic document which, you seem to think, ends discussion.

Women had many roles in the NT. Mary Magdalen was the first witness to the resurrection and the first to proclaim the risen Christ. Phoebe was a deacon, others were deaconesses, Priscilla taught and the woman at the well was one of the first to learn that Jesus was the Messiah. The Apostles had to correct all kinds of false teaching in the early church - women preaching the Gospel was not one of them.

The original post quotes from a current document produced by the curia in Rome and that document quotes from saint John Paul II's letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis which defines the Catholic Church's inability to ordain women. And my last post refers to the ancient churches also ordaining men but not women to the priesthood nor to the office of bishop.

 

[Strong in Him]

The original post quotes from a current document produced by the curia in Rome and that document quotes from saint John Paul II's letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis which defines the Catholic Church's inability to ordain women. And my last post refers to the ancient churches also ordaining men but not women to the priesthood nor to the office of bishop.

I know.
But the title of the thread is "Ordination - an all male calling". And as it is in the General Theology section of the forum, you should expect more of a general discussion about the subject and why people might believe it is not an all male calling.
Otherwise, you should have titled it "Why the Catholic church believes that ordination is an all male calling, and why that settles the matter."

Sorry, but there is no reason why those of us who do not go to a Catholic church should accept a Catholic document.
And like I said, whatever the ancient churches did/did not practice we do not see such division in the NT. Jesus CHOSE a woman to be the first witness to his resurrection. He didn't run it past the Apostles first to see if they approved of such a thing; he did it, and had the authority to do so. The Apostles seemed to have no issues with women teaching, or preaching the Gospel, or being deacons or deaconesses.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

Sorry, but there is no reason why those of us who do not go to a Catholic church should accept a Catholic document.

Not even if it is true?

Surely truth is reason enough for acceptance.

 

[Strong in Him]

Not even if it is true?

In this case, that's a matter of opinion/interpretation.
There are plenty of clergy and theologians who ordain women.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

In this case, that's a matter of opinion/interpretation.

Isn't truth a little higher on the credibility scale than opinion?

 

[Strong in Him]

Isn't truth a little higher on the credibility scale than opinion?

The truth is that Jesus, who IS Truth, valued, spoke to and taught women, allowed them to follow him, proclaim his word and chose one of them to be the first witness to the resurrection.
I'm quite sure you would have rather that had been Peter, but it wasn't. A woman was the first to proclaim the risen Christ.

As Christ valued women, who were among the lowest of the low, in this way; if his Apostles allowed women to teach and use their gifts, had female co-workers, deacons etc; why can't his church do likewise?
Love one another as Christ loved you. What does that look like when people are saying to women "no, you can't do that, can't test what you believe to be God's calling to you or serve him in that way. What's more, God would not call women to serve him in his church and proclaim his Gospel - it must be their feelings/wishes/subconscious desires for equality calling."

Whenever this subject is debated, both sides believe they have the truth and others are wrong.
What makes your truth better than my truth?

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

The truth is that Jesus, who IS Truth, valued, spoke to and taught women, allowed them to follow him, proclaim his word and chose one of them to be the first witness to the resurrection.

Amen, Jesus did that. Jesus also chose 12 apostles, all men. The apostles chose men to lead churches, saint Paul gave a set of qualifications for a man to be a bishop. Is that not significant?

I'm quite sure you would have rather that had been Peter, but it wasn't. A woman was the first to proclaim the risen Christ.

I am more than content that it was women who were first to discover the empty tomb.

As Christ valued women, who were among the lowest of the low, in this way; if his Apostles allowed women to teach and use their gifts, had female co-workers, deacons etc; why can't his church do likewise?

Well, mainly because the alleged female deacons may have existed or may not have existed. One thing is clear

The saying is sure: If any one aspires to the office of bishop, he desires a noble task. Now a bishop must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, dignified, hospitable, an apt teacher, no drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and no lover of money. He must manage his own household well, keeping his children submissive and respectful in every way; for if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how can he care for God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may be puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil; moreover he must be well thought of by outsiders, or he may fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.​

1 Timothy 3:1-7 RSV-CE

Similarly of a deacon

Deacons likewise must be serious, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for gain; they must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then if they prove themselves blameless let them serve as deacons. The women likewise must be serious, no slanderers, but temperate, faithful in all things. Let deacons be the husband of one wife, and let them manage their children and their households well; for those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.​

1 Timothy 3:8-13 RSV-CE

 

[Strong in Him]

Amen, Jesus did that. Jesus also chose 12 apostles, all men.

Yes, he did - he also chose circumcised Jews.

saint Paul gave a set of qualifications for a man to be a bishop. Is that not significant?

It might be if anyone today followed them. I only see these verses dragged out when people want to "prove" that women cannot lead.
I'll show you what I mean.

The saying is sure: If any one aspires to the office of bishop, he desires a noble task. Now a bishop must be above reproach, the husband of one wife,​

That's interesting; how many Catholic bishops are married?
A bishop MUST be the husband of one wife - it says so in Paul's list of qualifications.

temperate, sensible, dignified, hospitable, an apt teacher, no drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and no lover of money.

Excellent qualities - I'm assuming that all Bishops are tested for those, and anyone who is not a good teacher, not gentle and quarrelsome id not allowed to be ordained.
Shame Paul doesn't say anything about faith, commitment, being born again or having a good prayer life - are those things not important too?

He must manage his own household well, keeping his children submissive and respectful in every way; for if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how can he care for God's church?

How many children do Catholic Bishops have?
Paul says if they can't manage their household - including children - how can they can manage the church? Remember, according to you this is Paul's list of requirements for a Bishop

The thinking seems to be - from others as well as you - "Paul says a Bishop must be the husband of one wife, therefore a Bishop must be a man since a woman cannot have a wife". Fine. But you can't apply a bit of that verse and not the rest of it. You yourself quoted this and underlined, for my benefit, the words a Bishop must be the husband of one wife - so Bishops MUST be married. So when Catholic Bishops marry then I'll allow them to instruct me about the gender of leadership according to Paul.

And if you're happy that Jesus chose a woman to be the first to proclaim the risen Christ, why are women apparently not allowed to preach the Gospel today?

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

Fine. But you can't apply a bit of that verse and not the rest of it. You yourself quoted this and underlined, for my benefit, the words a Bishop must be the husband of one wife - so Bishops MUST be married. So when Catholic Bishops marry then I'll allow them to instruct me about the gender of leadership according to Paul.

Of course bishops are not required to be married by saint Paul, but if they are married then he sets some limits. Why does this trouble you so much that you make such a meal of it? And it is not "husband of one wife" alone that indicates that bishops are to be male, nor has the Church ordained women as bishops in the past so, as saint John Paul II wrote, the church does not have the authority to innovate in this matter. Women cannot be bishops, nor priests, and very likely not deacons.

 

[bbbbbbb]

Curiously, the only ordination rite described in the Bible was that of the Levitical priesthood which was limited not only to men, but to Jewish men and not only to Jewish men, but to members of the tribe of Levi only.

The New Testament is amazingly vague about any form of ordination to a vocational office in the church. In fact, Peter goes so far in his first letter as to inform his readers that they are a royal priesthood as well as a holy priesthood. Thus, the concept of the priesthood of all believers is deeply embedded in the New Testament where it was completely absent in the Old Testament.

 

[Strong in Him]

Of course bishops are not required to be married by saint Paul, but if they are married then he sets some limits.

That's not what you said, and not what the Scripture says.
You said that St Paul gave a list of qualifications for a man to be a Bishop. Then you underlined the verse "A Bishop must be the husband of one wife". If a Bishop must be a husband, a Bishop must be married.
There's no way around that. It would be inconsistent to say, "A Bishop MUST be a man because only a man can be a husband" and then in the next breath to say "ah but a Bishop doesn't have to be married."

Why does this trouble you so much that you make such a meal of it?

What troubles me is the way in which you randomly apply the Scripture.
And I'm not making a meal of it. You brought it up; I'm asking you to explain why you are insisting that a Bishop must be a man - according to that Scripture - but he doesn't have to be a husband - in contradiction of that Scripture.

And it is not "husband of one wife" alone that indicates that bishops are to be male,

It also indicates that Bishops have to be married (which you claim they don't) AND have children.

nor has the Church ordained women as bishops in the past,

So?
The church didn't have computers in the past, nor sound systems. There is no Scriptural evidence of Sunday schools, parishes, church committees/fund raising events, holding Bible studies or having a communion service with special liturgy where everyone lines up to receive a morsel of bread and small sip of wine. Ordination is not even mentioned in the NT, never mind a hierarchical system of deacons, clergy, arch deacons, bishops, cardinals etc etc - all wearing elaborate robes and mitres.

the church does not have the authority to innovate in this matter.

But God does.

Women cannot be bishops, nor priests, and very likely not deacons.

In your church, no.
Elsewhere, they can be, and are.