Bible doesn't rule out women priests

THE Pontifical Biblical
Commission has voted by 12 to 5 that scriptural grounds alone are not enough "to exclude (the) possibility" of ordainine women.
`,...venteen members present it ,1 recent plenary sessLn of the Commission agreed unanimouslythat the New Testament by itself did not seem able to "settle in a clear way and once and for all7 whether women could be ordained priests. in iA third or three votes. the majority of the international team of biblical scholars also agreed that, if the Church were to open up the priesthood to women: it would not be contradicting Christ's original intentions. The vote here was also 12 to 5.
No change in Catholic teaching about the ordination Of ;omen is possible without the approval of Pope Paul. who presumahlv \wok! not base a decision on the opinion of scripture schoiars alone In a speech on April IX,
1975, the Pope that Christ did not call women to Orders. and: "We cannot change the behaviour of the Lord.– Reliable Rome sources, not connected with the Biblical (*ommisSion, made available to the press the confidential document containing the commission's position.
-1 he position taken by the scripture scholars is different from that Of bishops and others who maintain that Serious biblical as well as theological and• traditional objections stand in die way of ordaining womeh.
-I he commission consists of biblical scholars appointed by the Pope. It plays it consultative role to the Vatican's Cmogregation fur the Doctrine of the Faith, which asked it to stuily the question of \A omen's ordination. The congregation is preparing a document on the question.
1 he issue of ordination for women is hardly raised in But the Vatican has felt ouisido preSstires especially from the United States and Britain — to -change the traditional practice of ordaining only men.
In May. 1973, Pope Paul established an International Commission to Study the Role of Women in the Church and Society. But the commission, hic.1:1 had only a temporary mandate. was dissolved in January.
The late Archbishop Enrico Bartoleiti. who headed the commission. maintained that the group's mandate did not include study of the question. But in late 1974 • the Arch bishop publicly called •for a further study by competttnt bodies. During the Hols s ear. Pope Paul made se‘eral rolls for the advancement of on-len in society -1975 was also International Women's Year. Those close to the Pope. however. sa■ that he remains strongl■ opposed to advancing women to the altars as ordained priests.
in the United States, an increasing number of Catholic women are • calling upon Church leaders to ordain 5% omen.
One sin of the growth of the miw ement of Catholic Women Seeking a Change in the Church's p•,sition on the issue was the conference held last November on the ordination of women which drew -about
1.200 people to Detroit. '
Part icipants resolved to continue working together on the parish. diocesan. state and national levels to t.Ntin ordination of women.