On the Ordination of Women

Below is Fr John Hardon's entry on the question is his Modern Catholic Dictionary, originally published in 1980.

WOMEN, ORDINATION OF. A speculative question that has become highly controversial since the Second Vatican Council, as to whether women could be ordained to the Catholic priesthood and episcopacy. In 1975, Pope Paul VI declared women’s ineligibility for the ministerial priesthood (Acta Apostolicae Sedis, 67, 265). And in the following year the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith reaffirmed the fact and gave the reasons why this practice has a normative character. “In the fact of conferring priestly ordination only on men, it is a question of unbroken tradition throughout the history of the Church, universal in the East and in the West, and alert to suppress abuses immediately.” Having stated the fact, the Holy See went on to clarify this teaching. Since the priesthood is a sacrament, it is a sign that is not only effective but should be intelligible to the faithful: “When Christ’s role in the Eucharist is to be expressed sacramentally, there would not be this ‘natural resemblance’ which must exist between Christ and His minister if the role of Christ were not taken by a man” (October 15, 1976). On his visit to the United States, Pope John Paul II reaffirmed “ the Church’s traditional decision to call men to the priesthood, and not to call women” (October 4, 1979).

Since Fr Hardon wrote his dictionary much has been authoritatively written on the subject, especially John Paul II's Apostolic Letter Ordinatio sacerdotalis (On Priestly Ordination, 1994) in which he said (my emphasis),

Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church's divine constitution itself, in virtue of Our ministry of confirming the brethren. We declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful.

After the issuance of the Apostolic Letter, a dubium was submitted to Rome regarding its level of authority. This dubium was answered on 8 November 1995 by the Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Joseph, Cardinal Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict XVI.

When the answer was released it carried a cover letter in which he said, 

The publication in May 1994 of the apostolic letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis was followed by a number of problematic and negative statements by certain theologians, organizations of priests and religious, as well as some associations of lay people. These reactions attempted to cast doubt on the definitive character of the letter's teaching on the inadmissibility of women to the ministerial priesthood and also questioned whether this teaching belonged to the deposit of the faith.

The Response to the dubium was (again, my emphasis),

CONCERNING THE TEACHING CONTAINED IN ORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS RESPONSUM AD DUBIUM

Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
October 28, 1995

Dubium: Whether the teaching that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women, which is presented in the Apostolic Letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis to be held definitively, is to be understood as belonging to the deposit of faith.

Responsum: In the affirmative.

This teaching requires definitive assent, since, founded on the written Word of God, and from the beginning constantly preserved and applied in the Tradition of the Church, it has been set forth infallibly by the ordinary and universal Magisterium (cf. Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium25, 2). Thus, in the present circumstances, the Roman Pontiff, exercising his proper office of confirming the brethren (cf. Lk 22:32), has handed on this same teaching by a formal declaration, explicitly stating what is to be held always, everywhere, and by all, as belonging to the deposit of the faith.

The Sovereign Pontiff John Paul II, at the Audience granted to the undersigned Cardinal Prefect, approved this Reply, adopted in the ordinary session of this Congregation, and ordered it to be published.

Rome, from the offices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, on the Feast of the Apostles SS. Simon and Jude, October 28, 1995.

Joseph Card. Ratzinger
Prefect

Tarcisio Bertone
Archbishop Emeritus of Vercelli

Despite this definitive statement, issued by the Sacred Congregation responsible for the safeguarding and explanation of the Faith, and its specific approval by the Reigning Supreme Pontiff, guaranteeing that it is no longer a 'speculative question' as Father defined it, the question has not gone away. 'Problematic and negative statements' are still being made 'by certain theologians, organizations of priests and religious, as well as some associations of lay people'.

One 'organization of priests' that still makes 'problematic and negative statements' is the Association of U.S. Catholic Priests, at the upcoming conference of which Cardinal Cupich, one of Francis's favourite lickspittle toadies, will be a major speaker, which I posted about here.

Oh, for the days of  Roma locuta, causa finita! Of course, with Francis as Pope what Rome speaks one day may be the opposite of what Rome speaks the next. How long, O Lord, how long?