Why Women Cannot Be Catholic Priests

Recently, this issues came up in our parish. I pray for those who are mislead in to thinking that women will someday be ordained, it will not happen, ever. I was going to write an article explaining why, when I came across this wonderful article at EWTN.com from Our Sunday Visitor, in 1995.

WHY WOMEN CAN'T BE PRIESTS

Lost in the debate over women priests is the reason for the
Church's  teaching. A top woman theologian explains why the
Church has always believed what it believes 

By Mary DeTurris

Shouts of rage and whispers of schism have irrupted in
the month since  the Vatican issued a brief confirmation
of the Church's long-held teaching that it cannot ordain
women to the priesthood.

Yet lost amid the rash of reports of rebellion and
frustration is a  chorus of voices singing out in
support of the clarification of Church teaching,
published Nov. 18 by the Vatican's Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith with the approval of Pope John
Paul II.

 These supporters argue that critics, confused Catholics
and others, would  do well to study what the Church has
really said about the reasons for barring women's ordination,
which have nothing to do with "gender equality" and everything
to do with Jesus and the  history of the Church.

 "It seems so patently unreasonable and unfair to people that
they can't  imagine this, and they don't even give it a chance,"
said Sister Sara Butler, a Missionary Servant of the Most Blessed Trinity.

Admittedly, at one time Sister Butler would have been
an unlikely  supporter of the Church teaching. And she
understands firsthand the frustrations of those  advocating
women's admittance to the priesthood.

In the 1970s, she was among the numerous theologians
who spoke out  publicly in favor of women's ordination.
But Sister Butler, currently a theologian at  Mundelein
Seminary in Illinois, said she was forced to change her
mind as her study of the issue drew her  deeper into Scripture
and Church history.

Now, after years of continual study of the questions,
she is one of the  American Church's leading authorities
on the issue. And she believes that Pope John Paul II's
argument is "the only possible reading of the tradition"
of the Church.

Original choice

 "Catholics have always insisted that the ordained ministry
has its origin  in Jesus' own choice of the Twelve [Apostles]
and that they are the foundation of the Church," she explained in a recent interview.

Following Jesus' example of choosing 12 males to be His apostles,
the  Church from the earliest days has reserved the priesthood to males.

Sister Butler acknowledges that this requirement is not spelled
out  directly in the Bible, "as if Scripture, as if Jesus, said,
'I don't want any women to be priests.' "

History, however, shows that the first Christians believed that Christ
intended a male-only priesthood.

"We know it is so because early in even the second and third centuries
some people went ahead and admitted women to at least priestly functions,
if not to ordination,  and those people were considered heretics,"
she explained. "The response was that this was not what Christ willed,
and it's against apostolic teaching."

<Inter Insigniories>, a 1976 declaration by the Vatican's  Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith, details the early Church's response
to the Gnostics and other radical Christian sects that supported
women priestly roles. The Fathers of the Church, the Vatican said,
"immediately censured this step, judging it a novelty which should on no
account be accepted into  the Church."

The declaration, which was approved by Pope Paul VI and remains
the  Church's most explicit explanation of its teaching on women's
ordination, recounts that  beginning with early Church leaders such
as St. Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen and St. John Chrysostom,
and extending through the Middle Ages down to the current popes, the
male-only priesthood was  an unquestioned tradition.

Even the Oriental or Eastern churches, which split with the
Roman Church over many theological issues, never questioned
that tradition. The question came up with the Protestant Reformation
in the 16th century. The Protestant churches effectively abandoned
the idea  of the priesthood in favor of "a pastoral ministry" in which
men and women could participate.

Nevertheless, the Catholic Church and the various Eastern Catholic  churches have
held true to Christ's original plan.

 As Sister Butler said, "The reason is we don't think Jesus intended this  for the Church,
and this judgment has been made repeatedly and definitively by the Church of our
own ancestors. It's a universal, unbroken tradition."

Anti-woman bias?

 Nonetheless, critics of the ban on women priests insist that it has  always reflected anti-
woman bias in the Church, and that if Jesus were living in an age with a  greater
appreciation of women's dignity and gifts, He would have chosen female disciples and
ordained  women priests.

 This is another argument that holds little water for Sister Butler, based  on her study of
the issue and the history, even though she once felt that the Church's main  objection to
women priests was based on its belief that women were inferior and should be
subordinate to  men.

 "The Vatican did clarify its teaching about women's equality and has been  very
specific," she said. "Pope Paul VI very specifically reiterated what Vatican II had said
about  the absolute equality of women and men, and Pope John Paul II has been very
lucid in many, many  places clarifying women's equality with men."

 In fact, Pope John Paul has written and spoken often about the equality  of women,
their unique gifts and their role in the Church.  In 1988, he devoted a 116-page
apostolic letter, <Mulieris Dignitatem>, to the subject of the dignity and vocation of
women.  And  last year he wrote an open letter to the women of the world in which he
acknowledged that women have  been oppressed and discriminated against and that
some of the "blame" for this can be laid  on "not just a few members of the Church."

 In apologizing for discrimination by some Churchmen, the Pope affirmed  women's
central importance in history and said the Church believes the Gospel message of
Christ is "ever relevant" when it comes "to setting women free from every kind of
exploitation and  domination." In <rdinatio Sacerdotalis>, the Pope's 1994 apostolic
letter  reaffirming the Church's teaching on ordination, he was careful to spell out that
the decision to deny women  access to the priesthood is not based on a belief that
women are less competent than men.

 "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 nonadmission of women to priestly ordination cannot mean that
women are  of lesser dignity, nor can it be construed as a discrimination against them,"
the Pope wrote.  "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."

 That wisdom is sometimes called into question by those who campaign for  the
ordination of women. Many who support a female priesthood claim that there is no
connection between today's bishops and priests and Jesus' choice of the Twelve
Apostles.

 That view, according to Sister Butler, is something "quite alien" to  Catholic tradition.
"They really intend to suggest that the ordained ministry is the creation of the  Church,
something that it  developed for self-organization," she said. "Once you have done that,
you  have completely emptied out the whole idea of the Catholic sense of this Church."

 Since the very beginning of the Church, she continued, the authority of  bishops and
the priests under them has been seen as an extension of "the authority of Christ, who
acts through His ordained ministers who exercise His authority in a way that other
baptized Christians cannot."

 This authority structure ensures that what the Church teaches remains  true to the
teaching of Christ, and that is why the teaching authority of the popes and the  bishops
is at the heart of the question concerning women's ordination.

 And the authority of the Church has been "absolutely consistent" on the  issue of the
male-only priesthood, Sister Butler said. "Theologians have thought through the
centuries that it belongs to the deposit of faith, and that's what the Holy Father is
saying now, and  it does." The "deposit of faith" is the body of unchangeable teachings
entrusted by Christ to the  apostles and handed on by them to the Church.

 "When you tell people that this is what Christ willed for the Church,  they often say, 'If
He were alive now, He would do it differently.' He is alive now. Don't we believe  that
the Lord is living and acting in the Church, that these teachers are not just acting on
their own judgment but are trying to be absolutely faithful to the teaching that they are
entrusted  with and doing that against tremendous odds?"

 While she believes in the Church's authority and believes that the Church  is teaching
the doctrine of Jesus on the ordination question, Sister Butler worries that reaction  to
the Vatican's recent statement is focused so much on the authority question, which is
"misleading to the average person," and misses the real reasons for the Church's
teaching.

 "My expectation is that there will be a lot of talk about the pope's  authority," she said.
"But what we really need is a deeper theological investigation of the reasons
Filed under: General Stuff, Vaccination Information

You are Not an Animal

Today, while researching one thing, I came across this wonderful gem of a homily. It is from 2002, but as the Church is timeless, so is this homily.

You Are Not an Animal

by Father Daniel J. Mahan

Stewardship begins in one’s youth, when the good habits of self-giving, generosity, and responsibility are being formed.  Contrary to popular opinion, our young people are not “animals.”  They are loved by the Lord who never stops calling them to the good life.

For the most part, Jesus ministered to His own people, the people of Israel.  Only occasionally did He minister to the Gentiles, those who were not Jewish.  Today’s Gospel describes such an occasion.[1]

When Jesus ministers to this woman of the region of Tyre and Sidon, He anticipates the objections of His apostles:  “It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”[2] You see, many of the Jewish people of Jesus’ day spoke with great contempt for the Gentiles.  They were called swine or dogs, animals certainly not deserving of the dignity that is due to human beings.

It seems that down through the ages this has been our unfortunate legacy: to regard those people different from ourselves as being less than deserving of human dignity.  It is how slave holders of the South regarded people of color.  It is how the Nazis regarded the Jews.  It is how some Israelis and some Palestinians regard each other.   It is how some regard an undesired child in the womb — as an animal, or even less than an animal,  undeserving of the rights and respect that is due every human person.

Every human person is created in the image and likeness of God,[3] created with an eternal soul, created with the capacity to know, love, and serve God.

Jesus recognizes the dignity of the woman whom He encounters in today’s Gospel.  He uses the occasion to teach His disciples and to teach us that no human being is ever outside the care and mercy of God, no human being is ever to be treated as less than a child of God.

And yet, this is what we do.  We must remind others and even ourselves of our God-given dignity.  Unfortunately, I hear frequently just the opposite in regard to our young people. Yes, our young people, even the ones sitting among us today. “Animals,” they are sometimes considered.  (Perhaps some parents are thinking of their teenagers’ rooms right now and are nodding their heads in total agreement!)  But that laid aside, what I hear said of our young people is that they are incapable of controlling themselves and making sound moral decisions in regard to the Sixth and Ninth Commandments.[4]

Some parents believe this of their own children, so much so that they arm their teenagers with pills, shots, and devices to spare them of the consequences of their lack of control.   They fail to consider that there’s not a device or pill in the world that can spare a young person from a broken heart or the shame of sexual exploitation. “They are just not able to control their hormones,” it is said.  “They are slaves to their passions.”

What an awful thing to say of our young people, to contend that they are incapable of making morally sound judgments, that they are just like animals in heat.

Turn on the television, especially to MTV, and this is exactly what is being said. Our young people are being encouraged to: “Give in to your hormones.  You can’t control them anyway, so you might as well enjoy the wild life.  You might as well live like ‘wildlife’ during your teens and early twenties.   Party like an animal.”

What a shame.  The young people I know are capable of so much more than that.  The young people I know are sharpening their minds by taking difficult classes in school.  They are improving their self-control by disciplining their bodies in sports.  They are showing great responsibility in their jobs and are helping out at home. They are good stewards.  They are opening their hearts to God and to our Church and listening with rapt attention to our 82 year-old Holy Father, who has an amazing ability to connect with young people, in spite of his advancing years and physical limitations.[5]

Our young people are not animals.  They are human beings who possess eternal souls and who are capable of exercising their free will to choose what is good and noble and holy and true. They have recourse to the sacraments of the Church, especially the Holy Eucharist, to strengthen them in body, mind, and soul. They have recourse to the Sacrament of Penance, a sacrament in which a person finds forgiveness of sins and the grace of God that is necessary to make progress in the virtues and to improve one’s ability to make good moral decisions.

Animals?  Out of control? Slaves to their passions?   To be certain, some of our young people act as if that were the case.   In fact, some who are old enough to know better act as if that were the case as well.  But a person who considers our young people to be animals has things very, very wrong.  Each of us has been redeemed by the blood of the Lord. Each of us is considered so dear to the Lord Jesus that He would die to accomplish our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins.  Each of us is connected to the Lord Jesus in a profound and irrevocable way,[7] so much so that the Lord’s grace makes it possible for us to rise above our human weakness and limitations and to live honorably, as children of the light.[8]

Young people, (and others), you know the commandments.  You know the consequences of sin.  You know that sin is a path that you don’t want to follow.   Others may tell you that you cannot resist the urge to sin.   I tell you that I believe in you.  You are capable of so much good.   Stay close to Jesus, stay close to the sacraments, and you will find the grace you need to stay on the path that leads to heaven.   “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.”[9] You are not animals.   You are children of God.

Father Daniel J. Mahan

X The Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

August 18, 2002


[1] Matthew 15: 21-28. [2] Matthew 15:26. [3] Cf. Genesis 1:26,27. [4] You shall not commit adultery.  You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. [5] In this homily written in August 2002, I refer to Pope John Paul II, who died on April 2, 2005, just prior to the publication of this  manuscript. [6] Cf. Philippians 4:8. [7] Cf. Romans 11:29. [8] Cf. Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5; 1 John 1:5-7. [9] James 4:7,8.

Filed under: General Stuff, Vaccination Information

H1N1 Vaccine Information

Here is some information that I have found helpful in my research regarding H1N1.

Below is information from the manufacturer’s inserts for the H1N1 vaccine, which can be found on the package inserts from each company for the vaccines. The links for these package inserts are listed as well.

All manufactured H1N1 vaccines contain thimerosal (ethyl mercury) except the LiveNasal spray manufactured by Medimune, “the safety and effectiveness of which have not been studied in pregnant or nursing mothers”.

Sanofi Pasteur Vaccine
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM182404.pdf

“Safety and effectiveness of [the vaccine] have not been established in pregnant women or nursing mothers or children <6 months of age”

Novartis Vaccines
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM182242.pdf

“Safety and effectiveness of [the vaccine] have not been established in pregnant women, nursing mothers or children less than 4 years of age.”

CSL Biotherapies
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM182401.pdf

“Safety and effectiveness of [the vaccine] have not been established in pregnant women, nursing mothers or in persons less than 18 years of age.”

“Neither Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine nor AFLURIA has been evaluated in children. Safety and effectiveness in the pediatric population have not been established.”

Medimmune, LLC (Live Nasal)
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM182406.pdf

“Do not administer [the vaccine] to children <24 months of age because of increased risk of hospitalization and wheezing.”

The Seasonal Influenza Vaccine

In Children:

In a recent master study that analyzed all relevant influenza vaccine studies during the past 40 years, researchers found that in healthy children older than 2 years of age, the live flu vaccine was just 33% effective; the inactivated vaccine was just 36% effective. [The Cochrane Collaboration, 2006]

In a recent master study published in The Lancet, researchers found no evidence that influenza vaccines prevent flu in children younger than 2 years old. [The Lancet, February 2005]

In healthy adults:

In a recent master study that analyzed all relevant influenza vaccines during the past 40 years, researchers found that in healthy adults under 65 years of age, flu vaccination did not affect hospital stay, time off from work, or death from from influenza and its complications. Authors of the master study concluded that “universal immunization of healthy adults is not supported” by data. [The Cochrane Collaboration, 2004].

In the Elderly:

In a recent master study that analyzed all relevant influenza vaccine studies during the past 40 years, researchers found that for elderly people living in the community, influenza vaccines were not effective. For elderly people living in group homes, influenza vaccines were found to be 46% effective against pneumonia, but non-significant against influenza.

In October 2006 the British Medical Journal published a paper that analyzed all pertinent influenza vaccination studies and found that flu vaccines had little or no effect on influenza campaign objectives, such as hospital stay, time off work, or death from influenza and its complications.

[Credit: http://thinktwice.com/flu_show.htm]

Below is information from the manufacturer’s inserts for the H1N1 vaccine, which can be found on the package inserts from each company for the vaccines. The links for these package inserts are listed as well.

All manufactured H1N1 vaccines contain thimerosal (ethyl mercury) except the LiveNasal spray manufactured by Medimune, “the safety and effectiveness of which have not been studied in pregnant or nursing mothers”.

All of the vaccine manufacturer’s inserts state that:

“Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with [the vaccine]. It is also not known whether [the vaccine] can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity. [The vaccine] should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.”

Sanofi Pasteur Vaccine
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM182404.pdf

The Sanofi Pasteur vaccine contains formaldehyde.

“Safety and effectiveness of [the vaccine] have not been established in pregnant women or nursing mothers or children <6 months of age.”

Note that the “immune response and safety of Fluzone vaccine was evaluated in 31 children between the ages of 6-26 months.”

Novartis Vaccines
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM182242.pdf

“Safety and effectiveness of [the vaccine] have not been established in pregnant women, nursing mothers or children less than 4 years of age.”

CSL Biotherapies
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM182401.pdf

“Safety and effectiveness of [the vaccine] have not been established in pregnant women, nursing mothers or in persons less than 18 years of age.”

“Neither Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine nor AFLURIA has been evaluated in children. Safety and effectiveness in the pediatric population have not been established.”

“Neither Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine nor AFLURIA has been evaluated for carcinogenic or mutagenic potential or for impairment of fertility.”

Medimmune, LLC (Live Nasal)
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM182406.pdf

“Safety and effectiveness of Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine Live, Intranasal have not been studied in pregnant women or nursing mothers.”

“It is not known whether [the vaccine] can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity.”

“Do not administer [the vaccine] to children <24 months of age because of increased risk of hospitalization and wheezing.”

Note: the Sanofi Pasteur H1N1 (injectable) vaccine is the one that is recommended by the manufacturer for children ages 6 months and up. You will note the insert states that the “immune response and safety of Fluzone vaccine was evaluated in 31 children between the ages of 6-26 months.”

The immune response and safety of the four vaccines were evaluated in only a few hundred children and adults for only 1-3 weeks prior to the release of the vaccines for public use. [Source: www.NVIC.org, http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/BloodVaccinesandOtherBiologics/VaccinesandRelatedBiologicalProductsAdvisoryCommittee/UCM172424.pdf]

These studies are not published in the vaccine inserts because the studies had not been completed at the time the inserts were compiled. This is why the only information in the inserts regarding use of the vaccine for “specific populations” is for the H1N1 vaccine’s seasonal influenza likeness. In the case of the Sanofi Pasteur H1N1 vaccine it is the Fluzone seasonal influenza vaccine, which is made by the same process as the H1N1 vaccine.

Filed under: Vaccination Information