The Pope's ‘Teaching’ on Why Women Can't Be Priests - a New Focus? by Dr. John Wijngaards

Early Church:Women celebrating Eucharist
in Catacomb of St. Priscilla in Rome

http://www.womenpriests.org/teaching/newfocus.asp<http://www.womenpriests.org/teaching/newfocus.asp>The

based on a talk by Dr. John Wijngaards to the Cleopas Society, London


18 January 2011


"Few people will have noticed that a subtle shift has taken place in the central Catholic Teaching Authority with regard to the reasons for which women are being excluded from the ordained ministries."





"In short we may say that, according to Pope Benedict XVI, Christ established a masculine order of bishops and priests; and that the Church of all timesand places has constantly affirmed this as a norm through its practice and teaching.





So what to make of these central assertions by Pope Benedict XVI? We can do no better than briefly examine the validity of each of the three pegs onwhich he now hangs the argument.


1. Jesus appointed only men as apostles. Saying that *Jesus chose only men*, Pope Benedict is not only referring tothe fact that he chose no woman when he appointed the Twelve apostles. He also implies that women were not among the apostles at other crucial events, such as when, at the Last Supper, he commissioned them to celebrate theEucharist and, before his ascension, when he instructed them to teach andbaptise all nations.But is this true?"





"In Luke 8,1-3 we find a clear mention of women following Jesus among the group of disciples. Then there are other examples, such as the Samaritanwoman, who clearly became an apostle to the townspeople of Sychar (John4, 39-42)."


"Again, women were the first witnesses of his resurrection."


"However, most interesting is what happened at the Last Supper."


"Although women are not explicitly mentioned as having been present at the Last Supper, we can safely presume that they were present. And this is rather crucial. "


"For the Council ofTrent<http://www.womenpriests.org/church/trent2.asp> (1563)declared that "through the words *'do this in commemoration of me'*, Christ established the apostles as priests, and ordained that they and other priests should offer his body and blood."

"And medieval theologians routinely saw in this a deliberate restriction to men only: "Christ ordained only men in the Supper when he bestowed the power of consecrating" (Durandus 6,§3<http://www.womenpriests.org/theology/durand2.asp>).


"But whas this the case? Were there no women at the Last Supper?"


"First of all, it's important for us to note that we know from the Gospels that women always took part in Jesus' community meals. It was one way for them to express the new reality of God's kingdom "(SuzanneTunc<http://www.womenpriests.org/scriptur/tunc.asp>).


"Then , the Last Supper was a Paschal meal. Jesus stated: "I have longed to eat this Passover with you" (Luke 22, 7-16). And the whole family, includingwomen, had to take part in the paschal meal as we know from Old Testamentprescriptions (Exodus 12,1-14).Now if other women -- Jesus' mother and women disciples -- were present at the Last Supper, then it is clear that it was to all disciples that Jesus said: "This is my body. Eat of it all of you. Do this in commemoration of me!" And: this is my blood. Drink of it all of you. Whenever you do this, it shall be a memorial to me". (Matthew 26,26-28; 1 Corinthians 11,23-25). So Jesus words “Do this in commemoration of me!” were addressed to all the disciples, women as much as men. It is interesting to note that Holy Communion has always been given equally to men and women. In the same way, Jesus entrusted celebrating the Holy Eucharist in principle to both men and women. And this would imply that Jesus did not exclude women from the ministries. More important, however, is the question whether Jesus established a permanent norm by omitting women from the Twelve apostles... "


"Pope Benedict XVI frantically tries to hang on to the common opinion of the past. He attempts to silence those who have the courage to speak out. But he is doomed to fail. The assertion that Jesus Christ made masculinity an unchangeable feature in the ordained ministries does not stand up to scrutiny..."