Answering ‘women’s ordination’ with ‘I will serve’

Dear Ladies and Gents, the spectre of “women’s ordination” is rearing its ugly head once again. Please let this dead horse RIP. Male-only priesthood is permanently settled, “de fide” doctrine, stated as such by Pope John Paul II (Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, #4).

I know many devout, faithful, lifelong Catholics who see the priesthood as a function that can be carried out by anyone qualified with the proper gifts and skill sets. Their simple and pragmatic answer to the priest shortage is: It’s time to ordain women. 

Even fairly-well catechized Catholics might come to this conclusion, because they’ve learned well the externals of the Faith, the names of things, the workaday operations, etc., but perhaps not the profound, immutable symbolism and “mystery” beneath and behind the truths and practices (Ephesians 5:31-32). Theology of the Body can be extremely helpful here. 

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Fr. Thomas Loya, a Byzantine priest, has written Priesthood, Manhood and the Theology of the Body, demonstrating why priestliness is germane to manhood (and vice versa), and how the masculine principle plays out throughout the priestly vocation 

What many good Catholic folks don’t understand is that the priesthood is not a job description but an ontological state of being that only a baptized man authentically called by God can inhabit. The New Testament/Covenant priesthood is consonant with the Old Testament/Covenant priesthood. The Twelve Apostles mirror the Twelve Tribes of Israel: a continuum of spiritual patriarchy (Rev. 12:14; 21:12). Yes, patriarchy. Deal with it. Unless you know better than God, that is. 

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Women say they want to be part of the decision-making processes of the hierarchy, but that is not how Christ set it up. Yes, it might be lovely if priests consulted, listened to and implemented women’s ideas and concerns, but that has never been a required element of their exercise of authority. 

True, there is immense spiritual power in the priesthood... for the good of the whole Church. However, we don’t just need spiritual fatherhood, we need spiritual motherhood in the Church as well: a different type of life giving and life nurturing (matriarchy), but nonetheless essential. If women abandon using their own power and gifts by striving to imitate and possess male power and gifts, the “feminine genius” will lie fallow. 

Not sure what women’s unique gifts, power, authority, role, mission, influence are? The Scriptures are the best place to start. (Don’t forget the three books of the Bible named for women: Ruth, Esther, Judith.) Get yourself one of those “all the women of the Bible” books, but don’t stop with the Bible! Go through Church history (beginning with Acts of the Apostles) right up to the dazzlingly diverse female saints of the last three centuries. If you’re a mother, learn godly womanhood by osmosis and mentoring from the gals living it: catholicmomsgroup.com FB and IG: @catholicmomsgroup.

Whether they realize it or not, what those gunning for “women’s ordination” want is to upset the beautiful male/female symmetry and balance in the Church (Bridegroom and Bride). By abandoning their exalted vocations, women ostensibly want to take over male roles and “feminize” the Church, remaking it in their own image. 

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Even if they want to “do good” by these means, those who crave visibility, honours, power, titles, positions, authority and recognition are not following the humility of Christ nor obeying Holy Mother Church — if particular forms of the aforementioned are not prescribed for them. “Whoever would be the greatest should be the least.” 

The Church was divinely constituted by Christ Himself and is not evolving. It is not a make-it-up-as-you-go-along free-for-all that conforms to the spirit of the age. The juxtaposition of “women’s” and “ordination” is a great insult to women because it implies that women need to become like men to be fulfilled. “Women’s ordination” is an ontological impossibility. The Holy Spirit is not calling women to the priesthood. It is a delusion, a mistaken discernment. It’s not “our” Church, it’s Christ’s.

(Sr. Helena Raphael Burns, FSP, is a Daughter of St. Paul. She holds a Masters in Media Literacy Education and studied screenwriting at UCLA. HellBurns.com Twitter: @srhelenaburns #medianuns)

A version of this article appeared in the November 01, 2026 issue of The Catholic Register with the headline "Answering ‘women’s ordination’ with ‘I will serve’".