Editing Holy orders (section)

== Ordination of women ==
{{Main article|Ordination of women}}
The [[Catholic Church]], in accordance with its interpretation of the theological tradition on the issue, and the definitive clarification found in the encyclical letter ''[[Ordinatio sacerdotalis]]'' (1994) written by [[Pope John Paul II]], officially teaches that it has no authority to [[ordain]] women as priests and thus there is no possibility of women becoming priests at any time in the future. "Ordaining" women as deaconesses is not a possibility in any sacramental sense of the diaconate, for a deaconess is not simply a female who is a deacon but instead holds a position of lay service. As such, she does not receive the sacrament of holy orders. Many Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant churches ordain women,<ref name="Svenskakyrkan2021">{{cite web |title=Ministry and Ministries |url=https://www.svenskakyrkan.se/ministry-and-ministries |publisher=[[Church of Sweden]] |access-date=12 May 2021 |language=English}}</ref> but in many cases, only to the office of deacon.

Various branches of the Eastern Orthodox churches, including the Greek Orthodox, currently set aside vows of deaconesses. Some churches are internally divided on whether the Scriptures permit the ordination of women. When one considers the relative size of the traditions (1.1 billion Catholics, 300 million Orthodox, 590 million Protestants), it is a minority of Christian churches that ordain women. Protestants constitute about 27 percent of Christians worldwide, and most of their churches that do ordain women have only done so within the past century; moreover, denominations within the same tradition may differ with respect to women's ordination. For example, in [[Methodism]], the [[Primitive Methodist Church]] does not ordain women, while the [[Free Methodist Church]] does ordain women.<ref name="PMC2013">{{cite web|url=http://www.primitivemethodistchurch.org/Discipline-2013.pdf|title=Discipline of the Primitive Methodist Church in the United States of America|publisher=[[Primitive Methodist Church]]|language=en|access-date=31 May 2017|archive-date=7 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807023333/http://www.primitivemethodistchurch.org/Discipline-2013.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="FMC">{{cite web|url=http://fmcusa.org/blog/1995/08/01/fmc-statement-on-women-in-ministry/|title=FMC Statement on Women in Ministry|publisher=[[Free Methodist Church]]|access-date=31 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807022256/http://fmcusa.org/blog/1995/08/01/fmc-statement-on-women-in-ministry/|archive-date=7 August 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In some traditions women may be ordained to the same orders as men. In others women are restricted from certain offices. Women may be ordained bishop in the Old Catholic churches and in the Anglican/Episcopal churches in Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cuba, Brazil, South Africa, Canada, US, Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia. The Church of Ireland had installed [[Pat Storey]] in 2013. On 19 September 2013, Storey was chosen by the House of Bishops to succeed [[Richard Clarke (bishop)|Richard Clarke]] as [[Bishop of Meath and Kildare]].<ref name="Meath and Kildare news" /> She was consecrated to the episcopate at [[Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin]], on 30 November 2013.<ref name="bbc – Irish Anglicans install Rev Pat Storey as bishop" /> She is the first woman to be elected as a bishop in the Church of Ireland and the first woman to be an [[Anglican Communion]] bishop in [[Ireland]] and [[Great Britain]].<ref name="Meath and Kildare news">{{cite web|url=http://meath.anglican.org.dnnmax.com/mainsite/Bishop/tabid/81/language/en-US/Default.aspx|title=Bishop Clarke|publisher=Diocese of Meath and Kildare|access-date=26 September 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130920193628/http://meath.anglican.org.dnnmax.com/mainsite/Bishop/tabid/81/language/en-US/Default.aspx|archive-date=20 September 2013}}</ref><ref name="bbc – Irish Anglicans install Rev Pat Storey as bishop">{{cite web|title=Irish Anglicans install Rev Pat Storey as bishop|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-25159579|work=[[BBC News]]|date=30 November 2013|access-date=30 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/21/world/europe/anglicans-name-first-female-bishop-in-ireland.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220102/https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/21/world/europe/anglicans-name-first-female-bishop-in-ireland.html |archive-date=2022-01-02 |url-access=limited |url-status=live|title=Anglicans Name First Female Bishop in Ireland|last=Erlanger|first=Steven|date=20 September 2013|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=26 September 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The Church of England's General Synod voted in 2014 to allow women to be ordained to the episcopate, with [[Libby Lane]] being the first woman to be ordained bishop. [[Continuing Anglican]] churches of the world do not permit women to be ordained. In some Protestant denominations, [[Continuing Anglican|women]] may serve as assistant pastors but not as pastors in charge of congregations. In some denominations, women can be ordained to be an [[Elder (religious)|elder]] or [[deacon]]. Some denominations allow for the ordination of women for certain religious orders. Within certain traditions, such as the Anglican and Lutheran, there is a diversity of theology and practice regarding ordination of women.