The culture wants to slap the "Barbie effect" onto everything to follow a certain political narrative that insists on erasing differences between men and women. Many people argue that until women are allowed to become priests, they aren’t fully participating in the Church. They say, other Christian denominations “ordain” women, so why can't the Catholic Church do the same if women are equally capable and significant?
The culture cancelling the color black.
There is no question here of inferiority or superiority, nor of capability. It is simply about the intrinsic nature of the roles of men and women, as designed by God. Priesthood is not a job, it’s a vocation. It is not something you merely choose to do; it is a call to being a spiritual father and bridegroom to the Church. The Church is not merely an institution like a government or corporation; it is the mystical body of Christ, deeply connected to the nuptial mystery—the spiritual “marriage” between Christ and His Church. In this union, priests represent Christ, the bridegroom, who gives the seed of life to the Church. The Church, as the bride, receives it (in its metaphorical “womb”), nurtures, and brings forth that life, reflecting the profound complementarity of their roles.
When Christ instituted the priesthood at the Last Supper, He did not ordain women, not even Mary, the holiest of all saints and above all angels. It was not only an instruction to commemorate His sacrifice in the form of a sacrament, but also the ordination of His Apostles to the priesthood. This interpretation is firmly rooted in Sacred Tradition and has been consistently affirmed by the early Church Fathers, who received this teaching from the Apostles or their immediate disciples. St. John Chrysostom emphasized this, stating, “For it was not to all that He said this, but to the Apostles, whom He ordained to be teachers of the world and to fulfill the priestly office.” Similarly, St. Augustine declared, “When He gave His body and blood to His disciples, He also gave them the command to celebrate this sacrament.” St. Thomas Aquinas later reinforced this understanding, writing, “The celebration of this sacrament belongs to the priest alone, who is consecrated for this purpose.” These testimonies, among many others, highlight the unbroken continuity of this sacred teaching throughout the Church’s history.
Thirdly, priesthood is a sacrament, called the sacrament of Holy Orders. Sacraments are not human inventions, but an establishment made by Christ, and must adhere to its original form and matter—ordained men acting in persona Christi (in the person of Christ). The church ministers the sacraments, but it cannot alter them. Pope Francis, echoing Pope Saint John Paul II, has reinstated this: Jesus is the one priest, and the apostles received the gift of ministering (CCC 1545) the one priesthood of Jesus Christ (Luke 10:16). Two thousand years later, no one—including the pope— has the authority to change the designs of the Church that Christ instituted.
Finally, the Church's mission is about sanctity, not status. Seeking roles outside of our God-given calling can stem from a lack of humility (Mark 10:35-40). True power lies in surrendering to God’s will (Mark 10:43-45), as exemplified by great Catholic women like Saint Teresa of Ávila, Saint Catherine of Siena, and St. Thérèse of Lisieux. They are among the most influential Catholic women, called Doctors of the Church, not because they held clerical positions, not because they sought for recognition, but because of their profound surrender to God’s will (not their own), and the powerful way Christ worked through them.
💡The tip: How do we embrace God’s design, and discover our true worth and calling—not in what we do, but in who we are as His beloved children? Let us imitate Our Blessed Mother, the greatest of all women, who replied to the angel: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)
References: priesthood as a call; the nuptial mystery; what is a sacrament; form and matter; Pope Saint John Paul II's word; CCC 1545; Luke 10:16; Mark 10:35-40; Mark 10:43-45; Luke 1:38
