"to be definitively held ..."

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Nov 09, 2005

For today's quiz, compare and contrast:

Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church's divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Lk 22:32) I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful.

Pope John Paul II, Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, 1994

Question: What is the likelihood of women in the priesthood?

Answer: At this time in the Church's history, our focus and emphasis is upon including women as fully as we can. But the Church believes that we don't have the authority to make that change. Future generations? No one knows.

Cardinal Roger Mahony, AOL Live! online chat session, 1997
Via LA Catholic