The following are the principal arguments put forward by those who hold that women should not be excluded from ministerial priesthood because of their sex. First, women should have equal rights and dignity in the Church and should not suffer discrimination because of their sex. Vatican II recognized this principle, and so does Saint Paul: “All of you who have been baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Him. There does not exist among you Jew or Greek, slave or freeman, male or female. All are one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3.27). Granted that no one has a right to ordination, nevertheless one does have a right not to be discriminated against simply because of one’s sex.
Response: To recognize the differences between men and women is not to show discrimination, but to invite reflection on the proper way to promote the dignity and role of each sex. If a priest is to be a visible symbol of Christ, who stands in relation to the Church as groom and bride, it is not discriminatory to choose those to be priests who can represent Christ in this way.
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
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