DROPOUTMYTH

QandA

Q. Why in the Catholic Church are only men priests?
-Msgr. Vince Krische

The first point to remember is that Pope John Paul II clarified this for the universal Church some years ago and his clarification "closed the door" to the question. Secondly, here are some of the reasons. First and foremost is that Jesus was a man and the priest is to be conformed to the image of Jesus. This was manifested by Jesus in a number of ways. He chose only men to be his twelve apostles. This is significant in that Jesus had many women who were also his followers. They exercised different and significant roles in His life. Mary Magdalene was the first one to announce the resurrection to the Apostles; Martha and Mary were close friends and it was Mary that spent her time at His feet wanting to know more of what He had to teach; it was the women who remained with Him at the end, with the exception of John; the rest of the apostles all fled due to fear.Some say that the culture of His time did not allow women to occupy significant positions in society. However, Jesus did not conform to cultural norms if they were contrary to the plan of God. He even went to crucifixion which He could have avoided if He would have only compromised.

In His teaching, He was very thorough and would not have forgotten something as important as the "ordination" of women if He knew that that was God's will. The Church in the New Testament is spoken of as the "bride of Christ" with Jesus the "bridegroom." It would follow that women could not be "bridegroom." It is still important that we maintain the distinction between "men" and "women." We are equal in dignity but we are also different. Understanding the mystery of marriage, we could say that it takes two to make one; every man is incomplete and every woman is incomplete; together we make one. In the Priesthood and Consecrated life of Sisters and Brothers, the Church and Jesus Himself form the whole person.

However, the Church has from the beginning provided significant positions for women. When cultures offered women nothing, the Church, in her wisdom, carved out a whole structure through the religious life. As Sisters, women occupied positions as Presidents of Catholic Universities; superiors of hospitals and health care institutions; educators and social workers through institutions which serve humanity. This shows the wisdom of the Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to recognize women and their role in the Church. In fact, today 67% of the Directors of Church ministries in the United States Bishops office are all women. A significant problem we are dealing with socially is what is called the \"masculinization\" of women. Our call is to promote and continue to develop the true understanding of woman. Pope John Paul II also did that in his \"Letter to Women\" which was also issued some years ago. Women are tremendously significant in the Church and their distinct role cannot be glossed over.

As you can see, 40 is a biblical symbol of deep meaning for both repentance and prayer. Today, we too are called to simplify and refocus our lives, and we do this by taking some deliberate steps to do this. We decorate our churches to reflect a sorrowful and contrite mood, coloring the space with stark imagery.

We give up things that distract us or make us forget how God is the center of all our being.

We add stations of the cross, rosary and reconciliation prayer services to our routine, and are highly encouraged to receive the sacrament of reconciliation.

If God could send His Son to die for our sins, surely I can change my life for 40 days. How about you?