The report Rome buried — and couldn’t keep secret

March 31, 2026

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In April 2026 we celebrate 50 years since the Pontifical Biblical Commission declared women could be ordained.

The Pontifical Biblical Commission was founded by Pope Leo XIII in 1902 to ensure sound interpretation of Sacred Scripture.

Verdict suppressed

In 1975 the Commission was asked about the ordination of women.

At that time all the members of the Pontifical Biblical Commission were ordained men. There were no women and no laymen amongst their members.

In April 1976 the Pontifical Biblical Commission concluded unanimously (17-0):

“It does not seem that the New Testament by itself alone will permit us to settle in a clear way and once and for all the problem of the possible accession of women to the presbyterate.”

In further deliberation, the Commission voted 12-5 in favour of the view that Scripture alone does not exclude the ordination of women, and 12-5 in favour of the view that the Church could ordain women to the priesthood without going against Christ’s original intentions.

Verdict ignored

As is well known, this was ignored by the Congregation for Doctrine and Faith (CDF), which on 15 October 1976 published Inter Insignores stating that the Church, in fidelity to the example of the Lord, does not consider herself authorized to admit women to priestly ordination.

The Pontifical Biblical Commission’s report was officially never published.

It is not included in the listings of all documents published by the Pontifical Biblical Commission — in fact there is no entry for the year 1976 at all.