By Charles Igwe
Pope Francis has reiterated the Catholic Church’s stance on the exclusivity of male priesthood, asserting that women cannot be ordained as priests. His remarks come from a recently published book titled “The Shepherd: Struggles, Reasons, and Thoughts on His Papacy.”
In the book, Pope Francis addresses the issue of female ordination and emphasizes that it is not possible within the doctrine of the Church. He also discusses the role of women in the Church, highlighting their significant ecclesial intuition. The Italian version of the book, released recently, has drawn attention to the Pope’s reaffirmation of male-only priesthood.
Despite some activists hoping that female ordination might be discussed at the ongoing Synod on Synodality at the Vatican, Pope Francis made it clear that the Church’s doctrine regarding the priesthood is unchangeable. He questioned whether allowing women into the priesthood would bring any significant benefits to the clergy.
Pope Francis referenced other denominations, like Lutherans, that ordain women and allow their priests to marry, but have not experienced substantial growth in their ministries. He pointed out that the issue is deeply rooted in culture, and merely making programmatic changes won’t provide a solution. Instead, he emphasized the need for paradigmatic changes within the Church.
Pope Francis has consistently held this position on female ministry and church leadership throughout his papacy. In 2019, he addressed the International Union of Superiors General of Women, reiterating the Church’s adherence to its doctrines and dogmatic expressions as revealed in the Bible.
The Pope concluded by stating that while they are all Catholics, anyone who wishes to found another church is free to do so.
