John Allen reports in the National Catholic Reporter that “Cardinal José da Cruz Policarpo of Lisbon, Portugal, a veteran European prelate at one point considered a contender for the papacy, reportedly has said there’s ‘no fundamental theological obstacle’ to the ordination of women as priests in the Catholic church.”
Cardinal Policarpo was speaking to Oa, a legal publication in Portugal. He is quoted as saying, reports Allen: “‘There’s a fundamental equality among all the members of the church,’ the cardinal said. ‘The problem lies in a strong tradition, which comes from Jesus and from the fact that the churches of the Reformation conceded the priesthood to women.’”
Allen notes that Cardinal Policarpo, though retirement age, was “recently confirmed in office for another two years.”
If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity!
Click here for more information on donating to CWR. Click here to sign up for our newsletter.