Often the question is asked why women cannot be priests in the Catholic Church. The answer has a multitude of reasons. As Tom said, at our faith formation program, this is such a vast subject that people spend a life time studying. As I was listening I was also trying to put a few ideas together. But my brain is sometimes mush and sometimes it’s a boxful of puzzle pieces. I know the pieces but when asked a question it is sometimes difficult to recreate the whole picture on the fly. I am going to attempt to recreate part of the picture here. Maybe understanding why Jewish people and Protestants do not have a priesthood will help.

Judaism and Protestantism

Kevin made a good point when he said that from the oldest times the priesthood was limited to males. Priesthood is not a right but a limited calling. In the Old Testament they were twelve tribes of Israel, eleven were not chosen for the priesthood. Only one tribe was chosen to serve at the Temple, the tribe of Levi. Kevin is absolutely right but we could also be more precise. True, the Levites were the only ones allowed to minister and serve at the Temple in Jerusalem but the actual priesthood was even more restrictive than that. The actual priests came directly from one family, the family of Aaron. they are called the Kohanim (cohen or kohen like the family name). All kohanim are Levites but not all Levites are kohanim[1].

So what is special about the priesthood? Strictly speaking a priest is someone who offers sacrifices. In Judaism, priests offered animal sacrifices who had to be male, perfect and pure sacrifices. God showed his presence only in the Tabernacle, in the Temple in Jerusalem, in the cloud of Glory, on the Mercy Seat above the Ark of the Covenant.

In August 70 AD, the Roman army destroyed the Temple, never to be built again. Since then the Jewish people have not been able to offer animal sacrifices again. The Temple was lost so were lost the priesthood and the sacrifices. In the same way we can note that Protestants do not have priests either, they only have ministers. When Luther undermined the teaching on the Real Presence and the Sacrifice of the Mass the priesthood soon fell. The Anglicans used to call their ministers priests but depending on what brand of Anglicanism they belong, they have different opinions about the Holy Communion. As the beliefs of Anglicanism are changing it is more difficult to find Anglicans with a priesthood. The more one believes in the Mass as a Sacrifice the more one accepts the priesthood. The more one undermines the priesthood the more one undermines the Eucharist. This is a simple matter of historical observation to see that the two are linked and when one is denied the other will be also.

Only the Catholic and Orthodox Churches still believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and the Sacrificial nature of the Mass. Only they have true priests because only they offer sacrifices as the book of Malachi (Mal 1:11) states:

For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.

Who today is among the Gentiles, stretches from East to West, calls the Name of the Lord Great, offers incense and a pure offering? Only the Catholic and the Orthodox Churches are the Gentiles who claim to offer the pure sacrifice of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist onto the Lord[2].

In summary the principle role of the priest is not to preach but to offer sacrifice. There is no problem with women preaching or being leaders in the church. We can see this in a lot of Protestant churches and in a lot of synagogues where they have ministers, preachers and rabbis. In Catholic theology there is absolutely no problem with women lectors, servers or leaders. Some of our beloved women are the consecrated religious sisters who serve the church as prayer warriors, doctor, nurses or teachers. Where would be the Catholic Church without all the hospitals run by our nuns? But they cannot be priests as they cannot offer sacrifices. Historical Christianity shows only priests can offer sacrifices and every time this has been challenged the Priesthood and the Sacrifice have disappeared.

The Sin of Adam

When we look at Salvation history we can summarize it this way. God created Adam and from Adam cam Eve. Eve tempted Adam who sinned against God. We can see a direction: God, Adam, Eve then Eve, Adam, God. Adam sinned against God and lost Saving Grace. He also sinned against Eve because he failed to protect his wife even if he had to sacrifice himself.

When God decided to act on our behalf we can see the same thing happening but in reverse because to redeem us God had to reverse the sin of Adam. The second Eve (Mary) instead of disobeying God said yes to Him. As the first Eve came out of first Adam so did the second Adam came out of the second Eve, reversing Eve’s disobedience was Mary’s obedience. Reversing the first Adam’s loss of Saving Grace, Jesus, the second Adam offers us back God’s Saving Grace. [3]

Now, why was it that only Jesus could atone for our sacrifice? When we speak of sin the offence is relative to the person being offended. I am 55, if I punch a 55 year old man with all my strength that’s bad enough. If I punch my wife with the same strength that’s worse. But if I punched a 5 year old with all my strength there would be no limit to my guilt.

Adam’s sin is infinite because the person he offended is infinite God. There is nothing that Adam has that could ever repair the offense. Only God is infinite and only God can repair the infinite damage. God is perfect therefore only a perfect victim can be offered. Adam, a human being, was the one who committed the offense therefore only a human being can offer the sacrifice. Ideally, Adam, who committed the offense should offer himself as a victim. But that’s not sufficient and God does not want human sacrifices. Finally, Adam, a male, failed to sacrifice himself for his bride, a woman.

To satisfy all the above and to show us what Adam should have done and what we should do for the love of God and our neighbors, to reverse Adam’s sin and give us back our lost Saving Grace, only Jesus Christ could have done it. Only Jesus Christ is God, infinite, perfect, victim, human and male. Only He, the new Adam can save the new Eve. Only He, a male, can save His bride.

That’s why, from the beginning, the priests had to be male and the animal sacrifices had to been first born males without defects. That’s why the Catholic Church cannot ordain women priests they would not be representative of the whole meaning of Adam’s sin, Christ’s sacrifice and His death for the Church, His bride.

Why? Because the male priesthood represents Christ and His sacrifice at Calvary and at Mass and losing one would be losing the other. And that’s a simple historical fact still observable in Protestantism today.

Notes:[1] Kohanim: Today some Orthodox Jews do have priests but not because they offer sacrifices but because, in their hope, when or if the Temple of Jerusalem is rebuilt, those of the house of Aaron will be able to resume the sacrifices.
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kohen
Jewish Encyclopedia: http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=523&letter=P

[2] Didache (early church liturgical circa 100 AD) Didache chapter 14

[3] Saint Ireneus of Lyons (175 AD): http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103519.htm

Below is a list of Apostolic Letters from the Vatican explaining the role of the priesthood.
Priestly Ordination (Ordinatio Sacerdotalis)
The Lord’s Day (Dies Domini)
Ministry and Life of Priests (Presbyterorum Ordinis)
Dignity and Vocation of Women (Mulieris Dignitatem)