Theological quiz on women’s ordination

Can, and should, women be ordained priests?

What does the latest, reliable Catholic theology say about this?

Here you can test your knowledge in seven steps.

This quiz will strengthen your hand when you need to explain to others why it is not against our Catholic faith to ordain women. It can also serve as a 'mini course' for people who make enquiries about this. We offer this as a free service to you. However, we are a charitable organization, totally dependent on the help by volunteers and donations to cover our central administration. We invite you, after completing the test to support us by a donation of £/$/€ 15 or hopefully more if that is possible for you.

STATEMENT ONE. Christ reserved ordination to men.

Jesus Christ reserved holy orders to men. This is clear from the fact that he only chose men to be part of the Twelve Apostles. Also, at the Last Supper, it is to those twelve men that Christ said: ``Do this in memory of me!`` As we read in the official commentary on Pope Paul VI's INTER INSIGNIORES (1976): ``The essential reason moving the Church to call only men to the sacrament of order and to the strictly priestly ministry is her intention to remain faithful to the type of ordained ministry willed by the Lord Jesus Christ and carefully maintained by the apostles.... As Jesus before them, the twelve were above all to preach the good news (Mk 3:14; 6:12). Their mission in Galilee (Mk 6:7-13) was to become the model of the universal mission (Mk 12:10; cf. Mt. 28:16-20). Within the messianic people the twelve represent Jesus. That is the real reason why it is fitting that the apostles should be men: they act in the name of Christ and must continue his work. It has been described above how Pope Innocent III saw a witness to Christ’s intentions in the fact that Christ did not communicate to his mother, in spite of her eminent dignity, the powers which he gave to the apostles.``