In an interview with Anthony Gaspari of Zenit the Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, Cardinal Mauro Piacenza touches on all the issues that will certainly emerge during the Papal visit to Germany. He comments on women’s ordination, the influence of the Vatican, ecumenism, celibacy and vocations.
Is the ordination of women to be considered “a matter of doctrine”?
Certainly, and as everyone knows, the issue was clearly addressed by both Paul VI and the blessed John Paul II who, with the Apostolic Letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis of 1994 permanently closed the issue. In fact, it affirms that: “In order to remove any doubts over a matter of great importance that concerns the Church’s divine constitution, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren, I declare that the Church does not in any way have the power to confer priestly ordination on women and that this sentence must be definitively followed by all the faithful of the Church.”
So there is no place for women in the Church?
On the contrary, women play a very important role in the Body of the Church and could even have a more significant role … Who would prevent, for example, a great economist from becoming head of the Apostolic Administration? Or a competent journalist from becoming spokesman for the Vatican Press Office? There are various examples for all offices that are not related to holy orders.
Other questions raised in the interview are covered in the full article:
Doesn’t Rome have too much power?
In this Church, who are priests and what is their role then?
But is the law on celibacy so insurmountable? Can it really not be changed?
And vocations? Wouldn’t they increase if celibacy were abolished?
Your Eminence, in this historical moment, if you were to summarize the general situation, what would you say?
Full Article: Vatican Insider
Image: Catholic Herald UK