This article on the ordination of women first appeared at Catholic Stand.
Before I opine about the ordination of women, I just want to be clear that I am not against female leaders. In fact, I believe they bring views, experiences, and skills into the world of leadership that complement, and sometimes rival, their male counterparts. However, I am against women and men who try to usurp Jesus’ authority by pushing worldly ideologies, and this article will reflect my position.
Recently, famed author George Weigel wrote an article in which he explained that the synodal conversations on ordination of women were “non-issues” and a waste of time. He defended his position by citing Vatican documents that have already declared that the Church has no authority to ordain women.
I completely agree with Mr. Weigel, and I would simply add that God has been dealing with this problem since the beginning of human history. Genesis 2-3 (RSVCE) gives us a clear account of a similar problem and its consequences for those who oppose God’s will, and it is an excellent parallel for the issue, or “non-issue,” of female ordination.
The Head and His Bride
In Genesis, God creates Adam and places him in the Garden of Eden. He then creates Eve from Adam’s side. God did this to show three things – that Adam and Eve were one flesh with equal dignity, that Adam was the head of Eve (since she came from Adam rather than Adam from her), and that Adam was ultimately responsible for Eve’s and his own actions.
However, as we know, Adam allowed Eve to be the lead communicator with Satan, while he stood quietly in the background. He failed to protect her, Eden, and the human race. He allowed her to take his headship. Then he followed her disobedience and disobeyed God as well.
Adam protected neither his headship nor his bride. Rather, he was complicit in every respect, and humanity will always blame him for man’s fall from grace. As a result of his action and inaction, death entered the world, and God took the right to grace away from all humans. Now we experience suffering, sin, and physical death.
Synodal Musings On the ordination of Women
Regarding synodal conversations about the ordination of women and other well-settled Church teachings, many in the Church are doing exactly what Eve did millennia ago. They are tempting Christ (the true Head) by doing their level best to cooperate with Satan and destroy the Church.
Their machinations are clearly designed to change the Church’s hierarchical structure and teachings so that the Church (the last Eve) becomes the head of Jesus (“the last Adam”). However, neither the Church nor anyone in it have the authority to do this. Jesus is the head of the Church (Ephesians 5:21-33) and, ultimately, He will put an end to the madness.
Spreading Confusion
In the meantime, unfortunately, clerical assertions, which promote the idea that established teachings are up for debate, only sow confusion and chaos in the Church. Consequently, the duplicitous “members” of the Church and their secular counterparts will find more ways to further spread this confusion.
They do this, in part, by incessantly calling the Church’s teachings and traditions antiquated. “Antiquated” is merely a buzzword for I don’t have an argument, but you need to listen to me anyway. Then those with authority listen to their nonsense, and the confusion spreads. Instead of turning to the Head, they try to engage Satan by themselves, just as Eve did.
I firmly believe this is why St. Paul wrote that in the end times “people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4). They will do this because, without clarity from the world’s largest and solely-authoritative Church, nothing on earth will stand as a contradiction to their rebellious and wayward behavior.
Protecting the Bride
As for the rest of us, Jesus promised that if He did not shorten the final days of false Christs and false prophets, they would lead astray even the elect (Matthew 24:22-24). Therefore, we know Jesus will protect the elect from false prophets. We also know that He will protect His bride, the Church, because, as Jesus states, man cannot tear apart what God has put together (Matthew 19:6; see also Ephesians 5:21-33).
So, the Eves of this current generation are engaged in an unwinnable war. They will strive to tempt the Last Adam and force His hand. But Scripture tells us that God will bring their schemes to light and destroy them. Therefore, Catholics must completely trust, as hard as this may sometimes be, that Jesus will prevail, and the truth will always stand as a contradiction to evil and lies. Jesus will protect his bride from teaching heresies just as He has done for over 2000 years.
Pray For Our Clergy
On a final note, those clergy, from the top down, who promote confusion and error will give an account for their sinful conduct. They will face justice in its purest and most definitive form. Therefore, we need to pray to God that they convert to Christ and stop spreading error. By making non-issues issues, they only harden their hearts and make themselves members of Hell. So, pray for a divine softening to come upon them and for them to teach truth with clarity. And, if you feel moved to do so, please write them. Here is a template to use.
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