Content warning: This article mentions sexual violence, abuse and child abuse.
In 2002, the Boston Globe published an investigation uncovering one of the more sinister sides of the Catholic church. Their work sent the Vatican into the heart of a media frenzy as the Pope and Church finally had to answer for its long history of clerical sexual abuse of minors.
Seventeen years on, the Guardian published an article outlining the Vatican’s “secret rules” in place for Catholic priests who father children. While priests are expected to resign and become dedicated fathers, the total number of children born to church officials is unknown.
And while some of the children are born from consensual relationships, many may be the result of rape or abuse.
As the crimes pile up, many people have become more and more vocal about change in the Catholic Church. As trust in the clergy erodes with every new accusation and criminal charge, could the solution lie in opening up the priesthood to women?
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The ‘no women allowed’ standpoint has been historically based on Jesus’ biblical decision to only have male apostles, though the point has been debated for decades.
“The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: ‘Only a baptized man validly receives sacred ordination,’” said Neil MacCarthy, the director of public relations for the Archdiocese of Toronto.
“The Lord Jesus chose men to form the college of the twelve Apostles and the Apostles did the same when they chose collaborators to succeed them in their ministry,.” MacCarthy added.
Women therefore cannot be ordained, as the Church recognizes the choice made by Jesus to be binding. Jesus’ decision to choose twelve male apostles has acted as a catalyst for the long line of men that have followed in ordination
Not everyone, however, is in accordance with the Vatican’s stance. In activist and priest Roy Bourgeois’ essay “Why Women Should Be Priests.” he accepts that Jesus did in fact only choose male apostles. However, he also outlines that nothing was ever said about Jesus ordaining anyone.
Furthermore, while Mary is synonymous with purity and womanhood, having given birth to Christ, Bourgeois said Mary Magdalene is the unsung biblical hero women should be looking at.
“Consider Mary Magdalene, the only person identified in all four gospels as having stayed with Jesus during his crucifixion. She also was the first to witness his resurrection,” he said. Jesus asked her to bring the news of his resurrection to the male apostles, who on hearing, didn’t believe her. “Mary Magdalene became known as ‘the apostle to the apostles,” Bourgeois said.
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MacCarthy acknowledges Mary Magdalene as a messenger but not as an official apostle. In the New Testament, there are four lists of the twelve apostles, which are consistent with one another. She is not mentioned.
Over time, Mary Magdalene has been labelled a prostitute and sinner, though some even claim she was Jesus’ wife. Michael Haag, author of The Quest for Mary Magdalene, argues that the Church discredited Mary’s message due to her gender, labelling her a sex worker to stop the spread of her ideas
Journalist and Catholic priest Kerry Walters wrote for the Huffington Post that the prominence of Mary Magdalene in the New Testament was “indisputable,” as he is in fact mentioned more times than nearly all the male apostles. Walters highlights that despite Pope John Paul II ruling out women’s ordination, he did acknowledge Mary Magdalene as the apostle to the apostles.
While women cannot be ordained, their role within the church is not slight. Serving as religious sisters, MacCarthy explains that hundreds of years ago, religious orders of women were largely responsible for the development of healthcare and education in Canada, and many of those orders continue to make vital contributions today.
“At the diocesan level and in the business offices of the church in different parts of the world, women are involved in leading various departments, many in senior management roles,” says MacCarthy. “In the Archdiocese of Toronto, we have several women teaching on the faculty of St. Augustine’s Seminary, where men studying for the priesthood receive their formation.”
In 2017, the all-male Pontifical Council for Culture at the Vatican created a Women’s Consultation Group, made up of 37 women working in areas ranging from “Iranian theology to medicine, diplomacy and acting,” according to Crux. The purpose of the group is to bring forward female voices in a male-dominated environment.
Female ordination is a highly-debated issue in the Catholic Church and not all women in the parishes would agree this is a progressive step.
Roseanne Kelly, Pastoral Assistant at St. Joan of Arc Parish in Toronto, is against female ordination. Kelly believes the way Catholicism is set up in the Vatican must be respected and filtered down.
Having worked at the parish for 34 years, Kelly says she has seen the biggest changes occur within the last 10 years.
“I’m old fashioned. I don’t think women should become priests,” she said. “There are some women I haven’t seen at church for ages because they don’t agree with the way things are.”
“The attendance at the church has dropped over the last 10 years,” she added.
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In 2016, Pope Francis reconfirmed his stance on female ordination. Despite highlighting how vital the role of women in the church has been, even emphasizing the importance of the Mother Mary, during a press conference he suggested the ban on female ordination would be eternal.
We can all agree that a greater female presence in any industry is not a bad thing but this tradition goes to the roots of the Catholic religion. Surely, more women in the Catholic church would provide greater representation and a more accessible community for female catholics? With all organisations under the microscope of gender equality in light of the #MeToo and Times Up movements, whether it be in 10 or 100 years, we may see some big changes heading this way in regards to female presence in The Vatican.