Woman priests

Woman priests
Question from RP on 4/11/2008:

There is a woman involved in the Catholic Worker movement who plans to get "ordained" within the next year or two. She wrote about this in the local Catholic Worker newsletter. I have a past connection with Catholic Worker and so when I called to express my objections, I was asked to write something in a future issue of their newsletter about this.

I know the Church's teaching on this issue but my question goes deeper into whether gender could be said to be one determining factor as to whether the power to confer sacraments is given by the Holy Spirit. For example, if a man is illicitly ordained by a real bishop, does this mean that when he consecrates bread and wine, the bread and wine truly become the Body and Blood of Christ, the ordination being illicit but valid? If a woman, however, is "ordained" by a legitimate bishop, does she then have the ability to change bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ? In otherwords, does the fact of her being a woman mean that it is impossible theologically for this power to be given? The woman in question wants to be able to "celebrate" Mass and administer the sacraments. I would like to know exactly what the Church teaches on this specific aspect of this question, not just theological speculations. In otherwords, I know that "Ordinatio Sacerdotalis" states that the ordination of women is not possible, but this does not address the specific question of whether the ordination of a woman, illicit as it may be, would "take", so to speak.

I hope I'm clear on the specific aspect of the question that I'm wondering about. Thanks for your help, I'd like to be able to write something in the Catholic Worker newsletter but this aspect of the question has never been clear to me.

God bless, RP
Answer by Rev. Mark J. Gantley, JCL on 4/30/2008:

If a woman is "ordained" by a validly ordained bishop, the ordination is invalid. So if she attempted to celebrate Mass, after the consecration, the bread and wine would still be bread and wine. If she heard confessions and gave absolution, the sins would not be forgiven.