Cardinal says 'patriarchal society' not cause of all-male priesthood

Published: 2006-09-01

PHILADELPHIA (CNS) -- The church's prohibition against women priests is not culturally conditioned by the "patriarchal society" in which Jesus lived and taught, said Philadelphia Cardinal Justin Rigali. "Jesus treated women in a manner highly unusual for his culture," he said, noting that Christ "forgave the woman caught in adultery." The cardinal described as an "unfortunate incident" the July 31 riverboat ceremony near Pittsburgh at which eight women said they were ordained to the Catholic priesthood. But the event provides an opportunity to discuss Catholic teaching, he said. Some critics of the all-male priesthood "have attempted to dismiss this teaching by stating that Jesus lived in a patriarchal society and that, because he was limited by the culture of his time, he chose only men to be priests," the cardinal said in his weekly column appearing in the Aug. 17 archdiocesan newspaper, The Catholic Standard & Times. Christ "could hardly be limited by culture," he said.

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