For over 2000 years women have administered the priestly ministry in the Roman Catholic Church. This is discussed in Vaticanelle, a parody.

Pope Sister Martha has gathered her Synodal Council of Bishops to discuss whether the Church is allowed to ordain men.

From the start, she makes it clear that no one seriously expects the priesthood to be introduced for men.

Why men should not be ordained

• Men are in charge everywhere. This makes them completely unsuitable as representatives of the ministry of Word and Sacrament.
• Jesus chose a woman to be the first witness of his resurrection.
• Women stood at the foot of the cross when the men ran away
• Jesus was betrayed by a man.
• Patriarchy and exploitation of women continues mercilessly in our societies.
• Can men be priests when they are more used to thinking in terms of laws and are not used to asking for mercy?
• Can men be priests if they want to lead instead of serve?
• Can men be priests if they so often make women invisible, even in subtle ways, in texts, in writings, in translations, even trivialising their concerns and not taking their wishes seriously?
• Men would take advantage of their position and sexually exploit women and children, especially nuns and altar servers?
• Why do we actually baptise and confirm men? I think they should only be allowed to marry, because that’s what they were born for! To support their wives and love them!
• Men are much too emotional. Look at them at sporting events!
• Men have not been able or willing to develop the feminine side of their humanity sufficiently. Who typically looks after a baby? Who cares for the sick? Who keeps the peace in the family? Who cooks?

Some bishops argue in favour of ordaining men

• St Joseph served the mother and the child devotedly.
• Can we still justify masculinity as the main obstacle to the priesthood? Surely it is first and foremost about passing on revelation!
• The New Testament places a greater emphasis on the equality of men and women.
• There are already signs of change everywhere. He already exists, the ‘new man’. We should do everything we can to support men on this path. Perhaps the priesthood can also help.
• I am thinking in particular of the teachings of our female Doctors of the Church. ‘It was through men that poison entered the world,’ they say. They basically assign man to the lower, the physical, the material, and attribute the spiritual, the higher, to woman.
• For this reason, the man is ascribed a multiple inferiority. He is mentally the weaker, physically the more active, therefore also morally the more vulnerable, and becomes a temptation for the woman.
• God said to Catharine of Sienna: ‘The grace of my Spirit I give to whomever I will; there is no male or female, commoner or noble, for all are equal before me.”
• Even outside the church the equality of women is recognised by men in some places – all this indicates that female abilities can also be developed in men.
• Men who believe that they feel a vocation to the priesthood as a result of their commitment are undoubtedly sincere in their endeavours to serve God and the community.

The proposal is put to a vote

Motion: “That suitably qualified men may be ordained as priests and deacons in those communities that wish to take this opportunity.” (The video contains the debate and result of the vote.)

• Colm Holmes is Chair of We are Church International.