Pope believes ban on female priests in Catholic Church is forever

No female catholic priests, ever!

Published Nov 2, 2016,  in Deccan Chronicle

Pope Francis was referring to a 1994 document by Pope John Paul that closed the door on a female priesthood. 

(Note: The army of ladies who cry for women priests are not doing so to fill in shortage of male priests, but on theological, philosophical, scriptural and rational grounds of gender equality stressed in the Bible as well as the words and deeds of Jesus during his public life with women. No amounts of diktats are likely to silence those who are clamoring for it. They should be given convincing reasons or stop all the modern day talk about dialogue, collegiality, co responsibility and rule of the church by a  team of 9 etc.

Time was when every word of a reigning pope was passed for infallible pronouncements. Pope John XXIII put a stop to all that when he said: “I am infallible only when I say the right thing,” and that he was not going to sit on the Ex-Cathedra Chair just to make any such pronouncements. So no one gives any weight to diktats and personal statements not backed by solid reasons and public support called vox populi (voice of the people) also called “Sensus Fideliu,) common consent of the people of God in the evolution of any doctrine spoken by Cardinal Newman.

So just as so many conservative bishops around the world are reportedly praying for the speedy death of Francis for destroying their old orthodox beliefs, the lady battalion in the Church, supported by male scripture scholars and theologians, may also start praying for a happy and peaceful death of Francis whom they all love for the many innovations ha has been responsible for bringing into the Church. Time was when one accepted the maxim: “Rome has spoken and the case is close.,” It is now  made to stand on its head: “Rome has spoken and a whole world of discussion started!” Let time and tide resolve issue! james kottoor, editor)

Aboard the papal plane: He was speaking aboard a plane taking him back to Rome from Sweden, when a reporter noted that the head of the Lutheran Church who welcomed him in Sweden was a woman, and then asked if he thought the Catholic Church could allow women to be ordained as ministers in coming decades.

"St Pope John Paul II had the last clear word on this and it stands, this stands," Pope Francis said. Pope Francis was referring to a 1994 document by Pope John Paul that closed the door on a female priesthood. The Vatican says this teaching is an infallible part of Catholic tradition.

The reporter then pressed the Pope, asking: "But forever, forever? Never, never?" Pope Francis responded, "If we read carefully the declaration by St John Paul II, it is going in that direction."

Pope Francis has previously said that the door to women's ordination is closed, but proponents of a female priesthood are hoping that a future pope might overturn the decision, particularly because of the shortage of priests around the world. The church teaches that women cannot be ordained priests because Jesus willingly chose only men as his apostles. Those calling for women priests say he was only following the norms of his time.

In August, Pope Francis set up a commission to study the role of women deacons in early Christianity, raising hopes among equality campaigners that women could one day have a greater say in the 1.2-billion-member church.Deacons, like priests, are ordained ministers and must be men.

The church barred women from becoming deacons centuries ago. Scholars debate the precise role of women deacons in the early church. Some say they were ordained to minister only to other women, for instance in baptismal immersion rites. Others believe they were on a par with male deacons.