"As you well know continued Cardinal Kasper -, the ordination of women to the priesthood in some Anglican provinces since 1974, and to the episcopate since 1989, has much complicated relations between the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church". On this question the cardinal recalled the position of the Catholic Church, according to which ordination to the priesthood was "right from the start reserved exclusively for men" and "this tradition has been faithfully maintained also by the Oriental Churches"; "the Church does not have in any way the authority to confer ordination to the priesthood on women". In Kasper’s view "this enunciation clearly shows that what’s at issue here is not merely a disciplinary position, but also an expression of our fidelity to Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church he explained is bound by the will of Jesus Christ and does not consider herself free to establish a new tradition alien to that of the Church of all times". (to be continued)
