Within Christianity there is a controversy over the possible ordination of women as priests or ministers. This controversy is based on two things:

• the understanding of humanity expressed as both male and female: What does being male or female mean, and what do they imply?
• the understanding of priesthood: What is it? What does it express? Is it just leading prayers, or is there something else being expressed?

The Catholic church

The Catholic Church sees maleness and femaleness as being two different ways of expressing our common humanity. The commonly heard phrase "gender roles" implies that the phenomenon of the sexes is a mere surface phenomenon, an accident. However, the Catholic Church teaches that there is an ontological (deep) difference between humanity expressed as male humanity and humanity expressed as female humanity. Whilst many functions are interchangeable between men and women, some are not, because maleness and femaleness are not interchangeable.

Relevant Church documents on the subject include:

• "Declaration Inter Insigniores on the question of the Admission of Women to the Ministerial Priesthood." Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, October 15, 1976.
• Apostolic Letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis (On Ordination to the Priesthood)." Pope John Paul II, May 22, 1994.
• "Apostolic Letter Mulieris Dignnitatem (On the Dignity of Women)." Pope John Paul II, August 15, 1988.
• Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The Catholic view is that the priest is not only a prayer-leader. Prayer leaders may be women (e.g. a woman can and often does lead at a public recitation of the Rosary, for example).

Pope John Paul II, in Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, explained the Catholic understanding that the priesthood is a special role specially set out by Jesus when he chose a dozen men out of his group of male and female followers. John Paul notes that Jesus chose the Twelve (cf. Mk 3:13-14; Jn 6:70) after a night in prayer (cf. Lk 6:12) and that the Apostles themselves were careful in the choice of their successors. The priesthood is "specifically and intimately associated in the mission of the Incarnate Word himself (cf. Mt 10:1, 7-8; 28:16-20; Mk 3:13-16; 16:14-15)".

Pope Paul VI, quoted by Pope John Paul II in Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, wrote "She (the Church) holds that it is not admissible to ordain women to the priesthood, for very fundamental reasons. These reasons include: the example recorded in the Sacred Scriptures of Christ choosing his Apostles only from among men; the constant practice of the Church, which has imitated Christ in choosing only men; and her living teaching authority which has consistently held that the exclusion of women from the priesthood is in accordance with God's plan for his Church."

However, the Catholic Church states that ordination is not required for salvation, nor does it effect salvation in the one ordained. In other words, a priest can go to hell just as easily as a layperson. The hierarchical structure that includes the ordained ministerial priesthood is ordered to benefit the holiness of the entire body of the faithful, and not to ensure the salvation of the ordained minister. There is no additional benefit in terms of automatic holiness that comes about through ordination.

As to why Jesus himself chose only men for the priestly ministry, the Church does not know. Pope John Paul II wrote, in Mulieris Dignitatem: "In calling only men as his Apostles, Christ acted in a completely free and sovereign manner. In doing so, he exercised the same freedom with which, in all his behaviour, he emphasized the dignity and the vocation of women, without conforming to the prevailing customs and to the traditions sanctioned by the legislation of the time."

In Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, John Paul wrote: "the fact that the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and Mother of the Church, received neither the mission proper to the Apostles nor the ministerial priesthood clearly shows that the non-admission of women to priestly ordination cannot mean that women are of lesser dignity, nor can it be construed as discrimination against them. Rather, it is to be seen as the faithful observance of a plan to be ascribed to the wisdom of the Lord of the universe."

John Paul II concluded his Apostolic Letter by saying: "I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful."

Eastern Orthodox

The Eastern Orthodox Church follows the same line of reasoning as the Catholic Church with respect to ordination of priests. Some Orthodox Churches are prepared to accept the ordination of women as Deacons.

Anglican Communion

Some national churches within the Anglican Communion ordain women both as priests and bishops (Epsicopal Church USA, Anglican Church of Canada). Other national churches ordain women as priests but not as bishops (Church of England). Many other national churches (in Africa, for example) ordain only men.

Other Protestant denominations

Many Protestant denominations do not have an understanding of priesthood separate from that of prayer leader. Most Protestant denominations do not use the term "priest," reserving that title for Jesus only, and instead use the term "minister." Ministers function as prayer leaders and teachers in the individual parish community. More liberal Protestant denominations do have women acting as ministers and/or have no theological objections against it. More fundamentalist denominations of Protestantism do not ordain women.

In 1956, the Methodist Church in America (today The United Methodist Church) granted full clergy rights to women. Since that time, women have been ordained full Elders (pastors) in the denomination, and several have been consecrated to the episcopacy.

See also

• Christian views of women