The Catholic Church teaches that priestly ordination is reserved to men alone 1. This teaching is based on several key reasons:

Fidelity to Christ's Example

The primary reason is that the Church feels bound to follow the example of Jesus Christ, who chose only men as His Apostles 2 1. The sacrament of Holy Orders hands on the office of teaching, sanctifying, and governing that Christ entrusted to His Apostles 2 1 3. The Church believes that this choice by Jesus was deliberate and in accordance with God's plan 2 1.

Apostolic Tradition

From the beginning, the Church has consistently followed Christ's example by ordaining only men 1. This constant and universal tradition is seen as a confirmation of God's will and a permanent norm for the Church 2. Pope John Paul II, in his Apostolic Letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, reaffirmed that the Church has no authority to confer priestly ordination on women 4. He stated that this tradition has also been faithfully maintained by the Oriental Churches 1.

Magisterial Teaching

The Church's living teaching authority (the Magisterium) has consistently held that the exclusion of women from the priesthood is in accordance with God's plan 1. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has clarified that this teaching is founded on the written Word of God, has been constantly preserved and applied in the Tradition of the Church, and has been set forth infallibly by the universal ordinary Magisterium 4. Therefore, this teaching is to be held definitively by all the faithful as belonging to the deposit of faith 4.

Scriptural Basis

The Church finds scriptural authority for this teaching in the fact that Jesus chose only men as members of the Twelve, and this example was followed by the apostolic community 5. While biblical research contributes to understanding, the Church interprets Scripture as a whole, guided by the Holy Spirit and a long tradition of reading and reflection 5. There is considerable biblical evidence indicating that pastoral leadership in the early Church was male, which supports the Church's judgment on who can receive priestly ordination 5.

Sacramental Representation

Through the Sacrament of Holy Orders, the priest sacramentally represents Christ, the Head, Shepherd, and Spouse of the Church 6. The Church teaches that only a baptized male can validly receive sacred Ordination and be configured to Christ in this specific way 7 6.

In summary, the Church's teaching that only men can be ordained to the priesthood is based on fidelity to Christ's example, the unbroken tradition of the Church, and the authoritative interpretation of Scripture and Tradition by the Magisterium 2 4 1.