Do any Catholics believe in the ordination of women?

[Loobingler]

Or is it a total no-no for any Catholic?

The Catholic Church doesn't but I think lots of ordinary Catholics feel differently and see it as something the church should be considering, but I don't see it as imminent.

I am Catholic and would not be distressed by a change in the Church's position on this. Not that I can see it happening any time soon.

There is a breakaway order of Catholic nuns in the US who are very active in this area and I think have claimed ordination or something. Will google for you, if you are interested.

Lots of Catholics do - my brother does, but my mum doesn't. I'm a former Catholic who did believe and still does.

Interesting organisation here: womensordination.org/blog/category/lcwr/

I know some Catholic monks and priests who are pro.

I am pro, but I think I'm very much in the minority.

My DH is pro as are all of his friends who are catholic and his 86 year old Dad.

Sister Helen Prejean (who Susan Sarandon played in Dead Man Walking is in favour.

There is probably millions of us. There are huge campaigns for it, mainly in the US and ordinations - which tend to result in excommunication. There are groups of nuns who are battling with the Vatican over this and other issues and a film - Radical Grace- is being made by some of them.

I'm Catholic and firmly believe that something has to change - whether it's the ordination of women or allowing priests to marry - because otherwise (in my area anyway) we are seriously going to run out of priests in the not-too-distant future. I personally wouldn't be against either option, or both.

I'm going to go against the grain and say I don't. I don't know why and I am really aware of the hypocrisy but it doesn't sit right with me for some ridiculous reason. But I wouldn't campaign against it or anything like that but would let the Church decide

I am catholic. I definitely agree with having female priests. I would also like priests to be able to marry.

One thing that annoys me is that they can't marry, but a married C of E vicar can move to the Catholic Church. It's an inconsistency. Either priests can be married or they can't.

Safyre I have heard priests with some standing within the church say exactly the same thing-that in the UK and Europe at least, the church will die in the next few hundred years if they don't allow women and married clergy.

me too - not bothered

I was discussing this with my MIL who is Catholic (I'm not). Their priest is very ill and she was expressing concern about the shortage of priests. I said that as Pope Francis appears to be quite forward thinking maybe women priests will be allowed at some point. My MIL seemed pretty anti to be honest which surprised me. It just seems logical and right to me.

We were married by a priest with a wife tortillas. It doesn't seem right does it?

As a complete aside, I was at the funeral of an elderly relative last year, which was officiated by a female vicar (CofE I think). The previous vicar had also been female and the vicar noted that she now had a deputy vicar (or words to that effect) who was male, and my relative had been very pleased as 'she was all for encouraging more men into the Church' - got a big laugh.

My sense is that if this Pope doesn't get it done, it will be many a long day before someone else so liberal is in the Vatican.

Another one in favour of married priests and women priests. Most of my Catholic friends feel the same.

Catholicism is a pillar of patriarchy, ordinating women priests undermines the church at its foundations.

At Mass recently my priest gave a sermon about praying for vocations. He said that the number of men applying to be ordained was dropping in the UK but overall, worldwide, ordinations were constant or even increasing slightly. This was due to high numbers of men entering the priesthood from South America, the Philippines etc. If the trend continues then we would be a missionary outpost for priests from abroad. I must admit I haven't checked his figures

While numbers of men being ordained remains constant or even increases then it is unlikely that the Pope will have the mandate to drive through reforms. Which is a shame as I believe that married priests would be the next logical step taken by the Vatican. I think that the hierarchy may have a problem with women priests for quite some time despite the concept being popular with grass roots Catholics.

THe catholic catechism states that only men can recieve holy orders, ordaining women would be invalid in canon law.

God chose to reveal himself as a male figure- jesus; jesus chose only male disciples. Eve discgraced herself in the garden of Eden, only men can reach the Godhead.

I'm not remotely bothered one way or another from a doctrinal/religious point of view.

But there might be some practical difficulties - with living accommodation for example - because everything is set up based round single men with no ties.

It's not like the C of E where the vicar is paid a salary - priests just get a stipend, which isn't enough to support a family.

Again unlike the C of E where a vicar can find a parish and "settle down" as long as they like, Catholic priests can get moved around a lot. Which might be disruptive for schooling etc, or the spouse's job.

Accommodation usually comes with the job but what about if a priest has a big family (after all, they shouldn't be using contraception ) and can't be housed in the rectory (or whatever it's called). Does the Church have to buy a huge new house near the church? Or make them buy their own house? Bit unfair if everyone else gets theirs free, and anyway, priest don't get a salary.

What about parishes that have multiple priests because they are so big and busy - unmarried male and female priests all living together in the same house? Or a priest with a family having to live with a couple of extra single priests?

The catholic church looks after priests after retirement too - often allocating them to a parish with other priests, or to a Priest's nursing home if necessary - would they have a responsibility towards a priest's spouse and children too?

It could end up a logistical nightmare trying to allocate them all to suitable parishes.

Not that these things can't be worked out, but it does need a bit of thought - an potentially a total change of organisation and procedure, and maybe a lot of money too.

Peppa- the Ctaholic church is the richest organisation in the world- I am sure they could find a few houses for priests tio live in.

I would love women priests, married priests and while I'm making a list, I'll have gay marriage too.

What Catholics think and what the rules are are often profoundly different, as evidenced by how few families in any church on a Sunday are sitting there with13 kids.

Again just dealing with the practicalities...

Every parish I've lived in has had a large house near the church that is used as living accommodation. Most were built to house more than one priest and a live-in housekeeper. In my experience these days most priests fend for themselves or have a daily cleaner

The church I attended when I was a child was built in the early 60's and had a house big enough to accommodate 4 priests, although there were only 2 living there. My granny used to keep house for them when their live-in housekeep had her day off/holidays. There was a huge kitchen, a parish office, a couple of big reception rooms, a bedroom each for the 4 priests, a couple of bathrooms and a bedroom, sitting room and bathroom for the housekeeper. Plenty big enough for even the largest family. It is probably costing a fortune to run now that one elderly man lives there alone.

Chances are there would be little need for separate priests retirement homes if a retired married priest had a family to look after him and I assume that a priest's wife would have the same career choices that most grown woman have - she may well make a significant contribution to family finances.

For the record C of E priests get a stipend not a salary and it is barely enough to live on if you have a family and your spouse is not working. That said we do get a tied house which we don't of course pay rent on. We get a pension dependent on years of service and there is a nursing home for retired C of E priests which sounds like my idea of hell but it is there.

As much as I understand the objection to women priests from the RC point of view it is that outlined by atthestrokeoftwelve Also at the eucharist the priest stands in persona Christi, so as Christ and as Jesus was a man no woman can be a priest. I think this is a real problem for the RC hierarchy who make the decisions.

Whiteshoes- so Catholicism is a hypocritical religion?

"What Catholics think and what the rules are are often profoundly different, as evidenced by how few families in any church on a Sunday are sitting there with13 kids."