text: Well, he was the Pope. 
  
  Actually, the argument is: because Jesus chose only men to be Apostles and the Church has always followed His example in believing a male only priesthood is God's plan. 
  
  Pope Paul VI, put it thus:
  
  "The Church holds that it is not admissible to ordain women to the priesthood, for very fundamental reasons. These reasons include: the example recorded in the Sacred Scriptures of Christ choosing his Apostles only from among men; the constant practice of the Church, which has imitated Christ in choosing only men; and her living teaching authority which has consistently held that the exclusion of women from the priesthood is in accordance with God's plan for his Church."