UCAN: Women pained by papal commission’s ‘no’ to women’s diaconate
Pope Leo XIV arrives at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit (St. Esprit Cathedral) in Istanbul for a meeting with bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, and pastoral workers on Nov. 28. A commission appointed by his predecessor, Francis, on Dec. 4 ruled out admitting women to the Diaconate. (Photo: AFP)
Pope Francis formed two commissions to explore the possibility of ordaining women to the diaconate. The first was in August 2016 to study the theology of women deacons and their role during the early centuries of the Catholic Church, and the second was in April 2020, following discussions about the potential of a women’s diaconate at the Synod on the Amazon in October 2019.
The membership in these commissions was equally divided between men and women. The report of the first commission was not published.
The chair of Pope Francis’ Second Commission for the Study of the Diaconate released a report on Dec. 4, only in Italian. It rules out admitting women to the diaconate, understood as a degree of the sacrament of Holy Orders.
The report states that it is not currently possible “to formulate a definitive judgment, as in the case of priestly ordination.” The report is very disappointing to women and men in reform groups around the world.
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For centuries, women have followed the example of Phoebe (Rom. 16:1). Throughout history, women have felt and expressed their calling from God to serve in ordained ministry. Today, the diaconal and priestly roles of women keep the Church functioning worldwide,” stated Kate McElwee of the Women’s Ordination Conference in the USA.