Roles of Men & Women in the Catholic Religion
The role of men and women in the Catholic Church have undergone a degree of scrutiny over the past century as other denominations within the higher church have begun to re-examine the roles of women in the church. While the role of men within the church has remained largely unchanged over the past millennium, some denominations have started ordaining women, which has also led to some discussions within the Catholic Church about the role of women.
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Men
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Men in the Catholic Church have long held the positions that made all of the decisions and garnered most of the spiritual and political authority of the denomination. Men have served as priests, bishops, archbishops and cardinals throughout the history of the church. Traditional theology within the Catholic Church continues to see men as the proper representatives of God's authority on Earth through institutions such as the church and the family. According to Catholic Planet, "men are intended by God to be teachers and leaders in the Church." Additionally, women should not, have any type of leadership or teaching role over adult men.
Woman as Pope
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Although it isn't clear due to inaccuracies of the written record, as well as the blending of fact and fiction throughout historical accounts, but there is some evidence of a woman serving as pope during the 9th century. However, it is important to note that this woman, known as Pope Joan, impersonated a man in order to ascend to her position as pope for almost two years. Evidence is found in ancient parchments, artwork, writings and tarot cards from that time period. According to Haribird, many modern church scholars dismiss the story of Pope Joan as an urban legend from the Dark Ages of European history.
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Women as Ordained Priests
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As some branches of the Anglican Communion began to ordain women near the turn of the 21st century, the issue of women in the priesthood began to formulate and renew its own movement within the Catholic Church. Several websites and organizations, such as Women Priests, advocate for the ordination of women in the Catholic Church, citing their belief in the equality of all human beings and their ability to lead in the ministry.
Women and Paul John Paul II
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During Pope John Paul II's pontificate, women were allowed to expand their roles within the Catholic Church, especially in priestless church parishes. In some cases women have been allowed to take over pastoral and administrative duties as well as attaining positions in the Catholic Church around the world as chancellors of dioceses. Also during the pontificate of John Paul II, women began to be recognized by the Catholic Church as experts and professionals at Vatican synods and symposiums. In 2004, two women were appointed as theologians for the International Theological Commission and a female Harvard law professor was named as president of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.
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