The Catholic Church has specific theological and canonical reasons why a woman cannot be appointed as pope. These reasons are primarily based on tradition, doctrine, and the interpretation of Scripture.
The Catholic Church’s teachings on the papacy, the priesthood, and apostolic succession all contribute to the longstanding tradition that the pope must be a male.
This doctrine is not merely a matter of cultural or historical context but is believed to be divinely instituted, from the example set by Jesus Christ and the apostles.
John Paul II, who served as the head of the Catholic Church between 1978 and 2005, stated in his Apostolic Letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis that the presence and the role of women in the life and mission of the Church, although not linked to the ministerial priesthood, remain necessary and irreplaceable.
“The Church desires that Christian women should become fully aware of the greatness of their mission: today their role is of capital importance both for the renewal and humanisation of society and for the rediscovery by believers of the true face of the Church,” the letter read in part.
Reasons Why a Pope Can’t Be Female
The Catholic Church believes that the priesthood, and by extension the papacy, is a role reserved for men. This belief is grounded in the Church’s interpretation of Jesus’ selection of male apostles.
Catholics hold that Christ chose only men to be his 12 apostles, and since the pope is seen as the successor of St. Peter, this creates a theological precedent that the pope must be male.
Additionally, the Church teaches that the priesthood and the papacy are part of the apostolic succession, meaning the pope is seen as a direct successor to the apostles, particularly St. Peter.
Since the apostles were all male, this is interpreted as a sign that the role of pope should also be filled by a male, as the apostolic office is seen as a continuation of what Christ established.
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The papacy holds the highest authority in the Catholic Church, and part of the papacy’s role involves teaching and interpreting Scripture, tradition, and doctrine for the global Church.
The Catholic Church’s position on gender roles within the clergy (including the papacy) is shaped by centuries of tradition and teachings, such as those in the writings of early Church Fathers and doctrinal statements like Ordinatio Sacerdotalis (1994) by Pope John Paul II, which explicitly declared that the Church does not have the authority to ordain women as priests.
The Canon Law
According to Canon Law, the body of laws governing the Catholic Church, requires that a pope must be a baptized male who is an ordained bishop. Women are excluded from the priesthood under this law, and by extension, from the papacy.
Additionally, the Catholic Church’s official stand is that only men can be ordained as priests, and since only priests can become bishops and eventually pope, this excludes women from ascending to the papacy.
“Only a baptized man validly receives sacred ordination,” read the statement in the law.
Historically, there has never been a female pope in the Catholic Church, and the role of the pope has always been associated with male clerics. However, women have been appointed to powerful roles in the Catholic Church.
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Pope Francis Stand on Women Leadership
Before his death, Pope Francis had named the first woman to hold a high-ranking post in the Secretariat of State, that is male-dominated, and it is Vatican’s diplomatic and administrative nerve center.
Francesca Di Giovanni, who was 66 years when she was appointed, assumed the newly created office in a division known as the Section for relations with states where she took the rank of under-secretary.
Francis also appointed four women as first female councilors for the Synod of Bishops, a department founded more than 50 years ago that prepares major meetings of world bishops held every few years on a different topic.
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