Why aren't there priestesses in the Catholic Church?

The Catholic Church follows a tradition. This tradition did not include giving the sacrament for Catholic priesthood to any women then, and it does not include it now.

There is a reason for this, and it is historical: Jesus Christ did not choose any woman as an apostle while he was alive, and he did not give authority to any woman to expel demons (or any other), as we can verify in the gospels. Because of this, the Church understands and declares that it has no authority to give the sacrament of priesthood (known as ordain) to any woman.

This has been confirmed by popes Paul VI and John Paul II; the latter in a definitive manner.


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