Bible supports ordination of women according to Catholic bishop

In the view of Bishop Peter Kohlgraf of Mainz, the ordination of women in the Catholic Church is possible according to biblical interpretation.

"There are enough approaches in the New Testament to justify opening the ordained offices to women," he said.

He cited the example of Saint Mary Magdalene, for example.

In the view of Bishop Peter Kohlgraf of Mainz, the ordination of women in the Catholic Church is possible according to biblical interpretation. "There are enough approaches in the New Testament with which the opening of ordination offices for women could be justified," he said in a joint interview with the theologian, Dorothea Sattler in the "Zeit" supplement "Christ und Welt". Kohlgraf is chairman of the pastoral commission of the German Bishops' Conference and of the sub-commission on women.

As an example, he cited Mary Magdalene's witness to Jesus' resurrection. "She appears before the disciples as the first witness to the resurrection," the Bishop said. Pope Francis, he said, had therefore called her an "apostle ": "This trace should be followed up."

Pope John Paul II's letter

Sattler, a theologian and professor at the University of Münster, also wants "the full participation of women in ministries and offices". However, this should not result from the fact that too few men want to become priests. Rather, other reasons are needed to allow gifted, theologically trained women to work: "The more who give witness, the better."

Kohlgraf and Sattler have different opinions on John Paul II's doctrinal letter to the bishops from 1994, in which the then Pope affirmed that priestly ordination was reserved for men.

Theologian Sattler: Dogmatically not ultimately binding

According to Sattler, the letter does not have the formal structure to be considered a final decision. "He uses words that go close. But he does not invoke his authority as Bishop of Rome with the necessary forms," the professor explains. She does not consider John Paul II's statements "dogmatically ultimately binding".

In contrast, Kohlgraf emphasises that biblical principles - such as the resurrection - do not need a papal doctrinal definition to be valid. Even if he wanted to, the Pope "would not have the right to ordain women. Because Jesus, by his election of the twelve men as apostles, established a baseline of ecclesiastical ministry."

However, the bishop admitted that the Bible is not always clear and often needs to be re-evaluated. Kohlgraf said he did not see "a quick solution to the women's question". "But in the Church it is also true: never say never."

The quote

"We prevent the proclamation of the Risen Lord by getting bogged down in the women's question. The lack of gender justice blocks the way to the core of our message." - Bishop Peter Kohlgraf in an interview with "Christ und Welt".

Source

Cathcon has already posted on this, but now here with more detail.