My opinion is not based on political correctness but on the very practical consideration that the Church is not currently attracting enough qualified priests even for their declining membership. I would like to see the Catholic Church change in a manner that would bring more priests and better priests into the priesthood, so that the church could grow again, but without losing any essential element of Christianity. I consider the Church to be one of the greatest forces for good in the world. I do not want any essential doctrine changed, nor do I think the Church should change to suit my whims. I do hope and pray that they are giving the issue a great deal of thought; something needs to change to reverse the current membership slide and scarcity of leaders.
Do you have an answer that addresses the nearly worldwide shortage of priests?
People assume as the popes have done that the fact that Jesus had no female apostles meant that he didn't want there to be women priests.
This is not founded upon any of Christ's teachings just human supposition.
Jesus may just as well have picked men so that he wasn't traipsing around Judea traveling with women and men in his "entourage." certainly would have been a major distraction at the time.
It is men who make up the rules of the church and interpret God's intentions and some day men will see the light. Of course, all conservative catholics will be scandalized for a hundred years and line up in the longest line for communion.
Worldwide the RC Church is growing vigorously. Only in the "postchristian" West is a shortage of priests a problem. The real solution to that seems empirically to be to encourage a conservative theology from the top down. It would be devastating to give in and surrender to "progressive" elements who are committed not to the gospel but only to themselves and their self-aggrandizement.
There is not a worldwide shortage. There are only shortages in those areas in which the Word is being preached in an ambiguous manner.