Fr. William P. Saunders, in his regular column in the Arlington Catholic Herald, has taken on the question of women's ordination, and done so very well.[1] He rightly frames this issue firmly in the theological rather than the political or sociological. He clearly states the Biblical support for the Church's decision, support oh so important when answering protestant and evangelical questions, as well as the support of the Church Fathers. He leaves no room for those who would frame this in relativistic terms, who would say that Jesus acted relative to his society, by pointing out the willingness of Christ to contradict and disobey the norms of Jewish culture. And Fr. Saunders accurately points out that in this decision Jesus was following firmly in the Jewish tradition of being counter-cultural, that is in distinct opposition to the societies surrounding (and ruling) them. Female ordination was certainly the norm outside of Jewry, and Jesus equally clearly had no qualms saying the Jews were wrong.
One of the things that has stuck in my mind most clearly though is his statement that many people do see this question in a political light rather than a sociological light. A view that seems confirmed by the statements made by a Hispanic band from Argentina, Rescate.[2] They go so far as to state that the Pope's authority is "more political than spiritual," and that he is not the necessarily head of the Church on Earth. (I can only hope they are un-invited from the World Youth Day and replaced by a more Catholic band.)
Pulling myself back on target, this view, shared to one extent or another, by, I suspect, a significant number of those who call themselves "Catholic," frames the question of women's ordination in a light in which the answer is just as obvious as, but completely opposite from, the the theological light from which the Church addresses the question. The thought then occurs to me: is it even possible for the Church to communicate the why of its refusal to people asking the question from a political framework? The answers given will, lacking the proper mental grounding, seem meaningless, unimportant, merely excuses of an inertially bound institution. Similarly, once you grant the concept that the Pope has no overriding authority on theological matters, it follows that no statement by the Pope can be final or authoritative, and that room must always exist for the next Pope to "change the Church's stance."
It is this wrong approach then that must, eventually, be addressed and overcome before symptoms, such as the push for women's ordination, can be eliminated. It is a push that makes all the more crucial the efforts to combat relativism, and brings a greater sense of urgency to Pope Benedict's repeated condemnations of it. We must re-establish in the minds of men and society the concept of theology as the study of fact, of philosophy as the study of what is real. We must re-introduce people to the concept of the absolute. And we must defeat the materialism of positivist and/or atheist scientists.
[1] Saunders, Fr. William P. "Women's Ordination
(Part 1)" Straight Answers, Arlington Catholic Herald (online).
2005-08-04. http://www.catholicherald.com/saunders/05ws/ws050804.htm
[2] Catholic News Agency. "Spanish rock band invited to
perform at World Youth Day slams Pope Benedict" 2005-08-04.
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=4565