After 50 years, women's ordination advocates brainstorm paths to transform institutions
The brainchild of WOC Executive Director Kate McElwee, the "Not if, But How — Reforming Institutions" panel gathered two sociologists and a political scientist to explore concrete strategies for changing institutions.,The brainchild of WOC Executive Director Kate McElwee, the "Not if, But How — Reforming Institutions" panel gathered two sociologists and a political scientist to explore concrete strategies for changing institutions.
4 months ago
Advocates for women’s ordination, marking five decades of effort, gathered to explore new strategies for reshaping religious institutions and advancing gender‑inclusive leadership 1.
The meeting reflects 50 years of sustained campaigning for the ordination of women in various faith traditions 1.
Participants discussed practical pathways, including policy reforms, grassroots mobilization, and theological reinterpretations 1.
Proposals aim to alter existing structures, promote inclusive decision‑making, and create supportive environments for women clergy 1.
Organizers hope the ideas generated will catalyze concrete changes and inspire broader support across denominations 1.*
Examine Catholic doctrine on women’s ordination and institutional reform
Catholic doctrine distinguishes sharply between (a) what cannot be changed—especially the sacramental constitution of the Church regarding priestly ordination—and (b) what can and should be reformed—especially how women participate in the Church’s apostolic and decision-making life. The Church teaches that women cannot receive priestly ordination, while insisting that women’s dignity, gifts, and pastoral responsibilities must be recognized and expanded in ways that remain faithful to the divine and apostolic “shape” of the Church.
The Catechism states the doctrinal conclusion with clarity: “Only a baptized man (vir) validly receives sacred ordination” and, therefore, “the ordination of women is not possible.” It grounds this in Christ’s choice of the Twelve and the Church’s fidelity to that choice.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) likewise teaches that the Church “does not consider herself authorized to admit women to priestly ordination” and judges it necessary to recall and explain this position.
In Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, Pope John Paul II explains that the Catholic Church’s practice is rooted in the Lord’s manner of acting: Christ chose “only men as his Apostles” and formed the foundation of the Church on that choice; the Church’s tradition has therefore preserved ordination “to men alone.”
Inter Insigniores similarly argues that Jesus did not entrust the apostolic charge to women and that the apostolic community remained faithful to Jesus’ attitude toward women while still not conferring ordination on women.
A major institutional question is whether changing ordination discipline would be legitimate. Inter Insigniores addresses this by stating that, while the Church has real authority to set sacramental discipline, it has “definite limits”:
“The Church has no power over the substance of the sacraments…”
And it cites Trent’s teaching that the Church may “lay down or modify” what is fitting provided the substance remains unaltered.
So, institutional reform can modify certain practices, but not the sacramental “substance” or divine constitution of ministerial priesthood.
The Catechism also stresses that ordained ministries are not interchangeable social offices. It says the ministries conferred by ordination are “irreplaceable for the organic structure of the Church”—and without bishops, presbyters, and deacons, one cannot speak of the Church in the same sacramental-hierarchical sense.
Relatedly, a CDF doctrinal work explains that the Church’s tradition teaches that those who have not received priestly ordination attempt to perform Eucharistic priestly action “not only in a completely illicit way but also invalidly.” It adds that such abuse must be eliminated by pastors.
Ordinatio Sacerdotalis is explicit about the status of the teaching. John Paul II declares:
“the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women”
and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the faithful.
This language reflects that the issue is not treated as a merely changeable policy matter but as tied to the Church’s divinely constituted sacramental ordering.
When discussing Church reform, Catholic doctrine insists that dogmatic meaning is not a floating approximation. A CDF text warns against relativism about dogmas and reaffirms that sacred dogmas must be maintained in their determinate sense “once and for all.”
In the same setting, it acknowledges that the Church can clarify and develop expression over time, but without changing the underlying meaning she intends to teach.
Therefore, institutional reform cannot be a process of re-creating doctrine from sociological preference; it must be a faithful adjustment of disciplines and structures within the bounds of revealed truth.
The doctrinal “no” to ordination is paired with a strong “yes” to women’s gifts and ecclesial participation. Inter Insigniores explicitly recognizes women’s decisive historical role and calls for women’s wider participation in the Church’s apostolate, pastoral reflection councils, and even some structures of the Apostolic See.
Pope Francis similarly affirms in Evangelii Gaudium that women make an “indispensable contribution” through sensitivity and distinctive skills, noting that many already share pastoral responsibilities with priests. He adds that the Church must create broader opportunities for a more incisive female presence and argues that women’s presence should be “guaranteed” in workplaces and settings where decisions are made—including in the Church.
A later Vatican-level text on issues raised in the Church (2023) also stresses that the Church should avoid speaking of women as a problem, and instead promote a Church where men and women dialogue as protagonists without “subordination, exclusion, nor competition.”
It further states that some Churches worldwide have asked for greater recognition of women’s contributions and growth of responsibilities in pastoral areas, and it asks: if new ministries are needed, to whom belongs discernment and at what level and modality?
Even within reform discussions, Catholic teaching can allow or disallow particular ministerial developments depending on how they relate to sacramental ordination. The 2023 text notes that there are divergent positions regarding women’s access to the ministerial diaconate: some regard it as unacceptable in discontinuity with Tradition; others see it as a restoration of ancient practice; others fear it would express an anthropological confusion.
This shows that “institutional reform” in Catholic terms is not monolithic: certain proposals may be debated (especially around the status of particular ministries), while the priesthood remains definitively closed to women.
A coherent Catholic approach to reform—without violating doctrine—would typically focus on:
Crucially, the doctrinal boundary remains: the Church’s authority does not extend to changing the substance of sacraments, and ordained ministry (bishops/presbyters/deacons) is essential to the Church’s organic sacramental structure.
From these teachings, the Catholic doctrine can be summarized as a two-part principle:
Catholic doctrine closes the door on women’s priestly ordination as a matter of sacramental and apostolic fidelity, taught as belonging to the Church’s divine constitution. At the same time, Catholic teaching explicitly calls for institutional reform that strengthens women’s presence, responsibility, and influence in the Church’s pastoral mission and governance—so that the Church’s life becomes more fully reflective of the “dignity and vocation” of women, without altering the divinely instituted nature of priestly ordination.