Christopher member of christ the king cathedral, metropolitan archdiocese of ende, which part of latin church, under supervision archbishop of ende the most reverend mgr. The ecumenical implications of women deacons 127 trine of the faith, inter insigniores 1976, presents both the iconic argument jesus must be represented by a male and the argument from authority jesus. Fathers cited in inter insigniores, the 1976 document of the. Raming, the exclusion of women from the priesthood netuchen, scarecrow press, 1976. Juan pablo n, carta novo incipiente, 3 y 4, en aas 71 1979 399. The principal explanatory document in the matter is declaration on the admission of women to the ministerial priesthood, inter insigniores, issued by the congregation for the doctrine of the faith october 15, 1976. In particular, the teachings of two encyclicals became sites of contention. Church documents on womens ordination moleski, sj 1976.
The roman catholic church doctrine on the ordination of women, as expressed in the current canon law and the catechism of the catholic church, is that. It presents some theological and historical arguments for the catholic churchs inability to ordain women as priests or bishops. The greatest in the kingdom of heaven are not the ministers but the saints. Inter insigniores is a document issued on 15 october 1976 by the sacred congregation for the. The catholic church has never felt that priestly or episcopal ordination can be validly conferred on women 1 this document was issued in the last two years of paul vis pontificate. Circumstances and origin of the declaration inter insigniores. Apart from its relevance to the present debate, the document inter insigniores is a major instance of the. The federal land policy and management act of 1976, as amended, is the bureau of land management organic act that establishes the agencys multipleuse mandate to serve present and future generations. Why the church doesnt ordain women catholic answers. Though traditionally women have not been allowed to serve as priests in the catholic church, i feel, after investigating both sides of the argument, that women should be allowed to. Declaration inter insigniores, october 15, 1976 rome. Infallibility and the ordination of women richard r. The role of women in evangelization pastoral commission of s. In 1976, the congregation for the doctrine of the faith, the curial office responsible for matters of faith and morals, published its opinion that women could not be ordained as priests with the document inter insigniores.
In its declaration inter insigniores 1976, the holy sees congregation for the doctrine of the faith gives two reasons against the ordination of women to priesthood. This paper discusses past and future arguments regarding the ordination of women as deacons in the catholic church, which, despite the common catholicorthodox history of women in the diaconate, essentially take. His holiness pope paul vi, during the audience granted to the undersigned prefect of the sacred congregation on 15 october 1976, approved. Inter insigniores declaration on the question of admission of women to the ministerial priesthood sacred congregation for the doctrine of the faith october 15, 1976.
Inter insigniores is a document issued on 15 october 1976 by the sacred congregation for the doctrine of the faith with the approval of pope paul vi. The catholic church has never felt that priestly or episcopal ordination can be validly conferred on women. Sep 01, 20 the principal explanatory document in the matter is declaration on the admission of women to the ministerial priesthood, inter insigniores, issued by the congregation for the doctrine of the faith october 15, 1976. Vincentius sensi potokota, part of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church which full communion with successor of peter apostle, bishop of rome, supreme pontiff francis, as the head of the church which has a supremacy. Pdf the ordination of women and the unity of the church. Apostolic letter on reserving priestly ordination to men. Declaration on the admission of women to the ministerial priesthood s. Jan 29, 20 1403 1976 inter como 21 campionato serie a 1975 1976 comostorychannel. This paper discusses past and future arguments regarding the ordination of women as deacons in the catholic church, which, despite the common catholicorthodox history. Congregation for the doctrine of the faith, declaration inter insigniores on the question of the admission of women to the ministerial priesthood october 15, 1976.
Another objection is based upon the transitory character that one claims to see today in some of the prescriptions of saint paul concerning women, and upon the difficulties that some aspects of his teaching raise in this regard. The author studies the testimony of the church fathers cited in inter insigniores, the 1976 document of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith. Humanae vitae 1968, forbidding birth control and inter insigniores 1976, rendering official an exclusively allmale priesthood because women lack a natural resemblance to jesus. Holiness pope paul vi, during the audience granted to the undersigned prefect of the sacred congregation on 15 october 1976, approved this declaration, confirmed it and ordered its publication. The priesthood series article the question of women and the priesthood part 3 continuing from last week another common objection says that the only reason jesus didnt have women as apostles is because it would not have been accepted in his time, and since he taught a message of tolerance. Cosi il capitano dellinter, mauro icardi, sullinizio di campionato. The anglican missions evangelical ethos notwithstanding, this argument is by all appearances a direct descendant of that view, articulated by pope paul vi in his 1976 papal declaration inter insigniores or in english, on the question of admission of women to the ministerial priesthood and reaffirmed by both john paul ii in 1994 and. Ordination to the diaconate is not doctrinal, see commentary by the sacred congregation for the doctrine of the faith, on the declaration inter insigniores, october 15, 1976 rome. The catholic church has never felt that priestly or episcopal ordination can be.
Letter to priests john paul ii, novo incipiente nostro, 6 april, 1979 p. Bureau of land management printed materials distribution services p. The iconic argument, briefly, argues that one must evidence the maleness of jesus in order to. Letters of paul vi to dr coggan, 30 november 1975 and 10 february 1976. Given in rome, at the sacred congregation for the doctrine. Patristic testimony on womens ordination 517 first section of the congregations declaration inter insigniores on the ordination of women, issued october 15, 1976,2 presented a sampling of the teaching of the church fathers on the matter. Stanford libraries official online search tool for books, media, journals, databases, government documents and more. Past arguments and future possibilities phyllis zagano abstract.
Inter insigniores and its aftermath prior to issuing the declaration, pope paul vi had established a biblical commission to research the question of. The ordination of women and the unity of the church. Inter insigniores circa quaestionem admissionis mulierum ad sacerdotium ministeriale 15 oct. Only a baptized man in latin, vir validly receives sacred ordination. This view is given positive conten byt elizabeth johnson, who writes though not directly in ref erence to inter insigniores that the imag oef christ lies not in sexual resemblanc to e jesus as a human man, but in a resemblanc teo the narrative for omf his life in the. Declaration of the sacred congregation for the doctrine of the faith on the question of the admission of women to the. Catholics and particularl womeny afte r the publication of inter insigniores by the vaticans congregatio fon r the doctrine of the faith cdf in october of 1976 i. Church documents on womens ordination moleski, sj 1976 inter. He inquires to what extent the fathers of the church support the 1995 response of. Juan pablo n, carta dominicae cenae, 2, 8 y 9, en aas 72 1980 116. Ordinatio sacerdotalis of john paul ii futurechurch.
Question of the admission of women to the ministerial. Marialis cultus february 2, 1974 apostolic exhortation last will and testament of pope paul vi, july 14, 1973. Evangelii nuntiandi december 8, 1975 apostolic exhortation election of the roman pontiff october 1, 1975 apostolic exhortation gaudete in domino apostolic exhortation may 9, 1975. Inter insigniores declaration of the sacred congregation for the doctrine of the faith on the question of the admission of women to the ministerial priesthood. The question of women deacons was specifically omitted. The nature of the diaconate according to lumen gentium no. Apostolic letter on reserving priestly ordination to men alone his holiness pope john paul ii may 22, 1994. Although the teaching that priestly ordination is to be reserved to men alone has been preserved by the constant and universal. Catholic church doctrine on the ordination of women project. Cdf commentary on inter insigniores, january 27, 1977.
The churchs tradition in the matter has thus been so firm in the course of the centuries that the. In october 1995, thencardinal joseph ratzinger, prefect of the sacred congregation for the doctrine of the faith, reaffirmed the doctrinal status of ordinatio sacerdotalis, stating that the ban on women priests was taught infallibly. He inquires to what extent the fathers of the church. Women and the bible women bible ordination articles on home churches, ministry, priest roman documents who presided at the eucharist.
The commentary on this declaration noted that this is a question that must be taken up fully by direct study of the texts, without preconceived ideas, and that it should be kept for the. This was done through the declaration inter insigniores in 1976. The church teaches that this requirement is a matter of divine law, and thus doctrinal. The key statement in this declaration is that in fidelity to the example of the lord, the church does not consider. Church documents on womens ordination moleski, sj 1976 inter insigniores.
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