Thursday, March 8, 2007
Ordinatio Sacerdotalis
This goes out to certain members of the Catholic clergy and religious in the Archdiocese of Singapore who are pushing for women ordination.
The priesthood. Why is it not open for women? Here's a summary of it.
Reason #1
Men and Women, are equal in dignity but not in their roles. We know, even from our appearances, the difference of a man and a woman. But being different does not mean being lower or higher than the other. We all got our roles to play. Look here, Mary, was the Immaculate, no sin was in her, wouldn't it be great if she would be a ordained? Who could outdo her in purity? But she did not become a 'priestess'. Her role was to bear the Son of God. The same principle applies today. Here's an example, men cannot become mothers. hehe... No matter, how we long for it, we won't be able to do that. We won't be able to nurture a child as a woman does, cos that's not our role. It may seem a lil extreme, but I'm just trying to make a point. We are equal, but not the same.
Reason #2
The Church is founded by Jesus, and He has given authority to the Apostles, the power to bind and loose. "whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven." (Mt 18:18) The apostles of the modern day are the pope and his bishops. They are also the teaching authority of the Church. We, as the faithful should trust the promise of Jesus, that He would always be with the Church, "even to the consummation of the world."(Mt 28:20) The magisterium, the teaching authority of the Church, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit would not go wrong. The Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith, has affirmed that the Holy Orders are reserved only for men. Jesus in on the side of the Church, we should submit ourselves to their teachings.
Reason #3
If you think the pope has the power to change anything, you're so wrong. The pope is the guardian of what has been handed down to him by the Apostles. "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."(Ordinatio Sacerdotalis) As the guardian of the Church, his duty is to safeguard the faith, not to change it. "The authority of the pope is not unlimited; it is at the service of Sacred Tradition" (Pope Benedict XVI) The priesthood is a ministry instituted by Christ, and Christ chose men for it. And so, the pope is merely doing his job in safeguarding what has been handed down to him by the apostles.
Reason #4
Jesus chose the 12 apostles and all of them were men. At the Last Supper, Jesus said,"Do this in memory of me," The orders were given to the apostles, to celebrate the Eucharist. If Jesus meant women to be part of the priesthood, He would have said so. It might seem harsh, but look at it this way. "The greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven are not the ministers but the saints."(Ordinatio Sacerdotalis) Just think about Judas, he was there too, at the Last Supper, I don't have to tell you what happened to him.
Reason #5
The Priesthood is a gift from God. Some women might say that they feel 'called' to the priesthood. But the priesthood is a privilege, not a right. This Sacrament is not something that you could get if you just wanted to, but a gift bestowed upon by God through His Church. It is God who chooses whom to be His ministers' not men; male nor female.Perhaps such discernments of the feeling of being 'called' should be purified by the teachings of the Church.
Labels: Priesthood
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