Glen

February 21, 2020

TMP 295.92

ORDINATION OF WOMEN IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: 21ST CENTURY

CONTEXT

It has been a debate for sometime within the Catholic Church considering women to be ordained
as priestess and deaconess along side with the male clergy. Ordination among women is not new
among other Christian movements, in particular with the Anglican Church. For some time, the
Church still stood on the patriarchal supremacy of clergy and had never been changed since then.
But looking into the signs of the times where the dwindling number of vocations and decline
population of clergy ever more clear. The question here is that the Church ready to open the
possibilities of considering ordination of women in presbyterial ministry. Should the Church
change its perspective, and how would it deal with the long tradition of patriarchal structure of
clergy.  

Ordination of women in presbyterial ministry is possible through dialogue of the past and
present: reading back history and opening the possibilities.

1. Reconsidering Ordination of Women

1.1. Church Doctrine on Holy Orders

1.2. Ordination and Equality
1.3. Pope Francis’ Exhortation Querida Amazonia: the pope’s response

2. Historical context: Early Christians had ordained women with particular role in the
community and worship

2.1. Female deacon: liturgical and ministerial role of women in the 1st century Christianity
2.2. Paul on the role of women
2.3. Early Church Fathers writings and reflection on ordination of women

3. The patriarchal supremacy and decline of feminine role in the altar

3.1. Papal Writings on Ordination of Women

3.2. Council Documents on Ordination of Women
 Reference List

Berrelleza, Erick, and Phyllis Zagano. 2019. “What Do U.S. Catholics Think About Women
Deacons?” Review of Religious Research, vol. 61, no. 3, 2019.

Giffin, Michael. 2019. “Feminist Rhetoric and the Ordination of Women.” Quadrant Online
Feminist Rhetoric and the Ordination of Women Comments,
quadrant.org.au/magazine/2019/06/feminist-rhetoric-and-the-ordination-of-women/.

Stiefel, Jennifer H. 1995. “Women Deacons in 1 Timothy: A Linguistic and Literary Look at
‘Women Likewise…’ (1 Tim 3.11).” New Testament Studies, vol. 41, no. 3, 1995.

“‘Querida Amazonia’: Post-Synodal Exhortation to the People of God and to All Persons of
Good Will (2 February 2020): Francis.” "Querida Amazonia": Post-Synodal Exhortation
to the People of God and to All Persons of Good Will (2 February 2020) | Francis, 2 Feb.
2020, www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-
francesco_esortazione-ap_20200202_querida-amazonia.html.

Zagano, Phyllis. 2007. “Deacons and Deaconesses Rough the Centuries.” Church History and
Religious Culture, vol. 87, no. 2, 2007.