Female Clergy

From the Deacon's Bench:

A woman, and a nun at that, has published a book on women and ordination. And Sister Sara Butler isn't necessarily saying what others in the sisterhood of feminism would like to hear. She was interviewed for the Advocate, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Newark:

"She said one common objection to the Church's teaching on female ordination is that the Catholic Church is patriarchal and not including women in the role of priests is sexist. "Most argue that the exclusion of women from a public leadership role is an injustice and explicit sexism. Some view that Jesus' choice of 12 men is irrelevant and that it is just an ecclesiastical tradition to have men as priests," Sister Sara said. However, she explained that the priesthood is a sacrament and that all priests are to follow in the tradition of the apostles who were all men."

Priestly ordination is a vocation to exercise Christian ministry through the Church. It is conferred by a sacrament instituted by Jesus and ordained ministry is traced back to the apostles. Priests are successors of the apostles," Sister Sara emphasized.

Women held roles of influence and had leadership positions in the early Church, Sister Sara stressed, and both female and male saints are represented and revered in the Catholic Church."The goal of a Christian life is not to be a priest, but to be a saint," she said. "Women have full participation in the Church and we are all called to live the Gospel to the hilt. It is not about a leadership position. Mary's dignity was not compromised because she wasn't a priest or an apostle and she is known as the 'Queen of All Saints.'"