Ordination and the Ministry Willed by Jesus

Roma locuta, causa finita? It might in the matter of the Roman Declaration on the ordination of women priests more accurately be stated: Roma locuta, causa stimulata! A gradual increase in the number of Catholics in favor of women priests has been recorded in France from 1968 to 1976: 25% in 1968, 28% in 1970, 30% in 1974, 37% in 1976, with 42% of secular priests polled in 1976 in favor also. The jump from 1974 to 1976 probably reflects the snowballing discussion the subject has been experiencing in recent years. Unfortunately no post-Declaration poll is available for France. In the United States a poll was taken in 1974, showing 29% of Catholics in favor of women priests, almost the same figure as in France at that time. Then in February and March, 1977, after the Declaration, a Gallup poll of U.S. Catholics was conducted on the same question in three stages, with the following results in favor of women priests: February 18—31%; March 4—36%; March 18—41%. As Father Andrew Greeley pointed out, there was a 10% favorable increase within a month in the wake of the Vatican Declaration.