Vatican reaffirms Church teaching on ordination to the priesthood

Vatican City, Jun 3, 2008 / 01:33 pm (CNA).- The secretary for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Archbishop Angelo Amato, said this week only men can be ordained to the priesthood because “the Catholic Church is not authorized to change the will of her founder, Jesus Christ."

"Therefore," the archbishop continued, "in the participation in the life and mission of the Church, women cannot receive the sacrament of Holy Orders and therefore, they cannot carry out the functions proper to the ministerial priesthood....”

Archbishop Amato was interviewed by L’Osservatore Romano, explaining that the recent CDF decree was necessary because of the numerous faux ordinations occurring.