Last week, [Rick Santorum] said that the president was arguing that Catholics would have to "hire women priests to comply with employment discrimination issues."
And my thought for the day isn't about Rick Santorum -- he's free to believe whatever he wants, as far as I'm concerned -- or even about the Catholic Church -- they're free to set up whatever rules they want. And it's not even about whether or not the government should require the Catholic Church to comply with employment discrimination issues. (I don't think they should.)
No, my question for the day is: Why don't Catholics demand that the Church open the priesthood to women? Why are they so passive in this regard? (And others.)
I looked up the reason for why the Church doesn't ordain women and was surprised to find out that it's exactly as I had always thought: because Jesus was a man. Really? Are they sticking with that? Sounds like more of a dodge, than an answer, to me. Couldn't you just as easily say that because Jesus was a Jew, only Jews can be priests? Or, because Jesus wore sandals, only those who wear sandals can be priests? Is that the best they can do?
(My suspicion is that the real reason has more to do with power. Duh! Catholic priests are just not willing to abdicate their positions of privilege within the Church. It's human nature. Power, historically, has almost never been given up without a fight.)
But my problem, here, isn't so much with the Catholic Church as it is with Catholics themselves. Because, as far as I'm concerned, if you wanted to start a golf club, say, where all the members were required to play while standing on their heads, I would say: Go for it! (Just don't expect me to join.)
And that's how I feel about the Church and its policy in regard to women priests. It makes no sense to me -- and probably very few other people -- so why don't Catholics insist on change? Or, at the very least, insist on an answer to the question, not a dodge.
1) Since only 28% of Catholics are engaged ( i.e. attend regularly), I contend that they are already voting with their feet - Staying home or attending mega-churches - for a "high-impact worship experience". Ugh.
ReplyDelete2) Rome is allowing married Anglican priests to become catholic priests - but only ones who say they cannot be Anglican because it is too liberal.
3) My Aunt is a nun ( recently retired at 78) and she has said they there are literally thousands of nuns who have the training to be ordained TODAY, if they were allowed.