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Pope Francis Says Panel Will Study Whether Women May Serve as Deacons Pope Francis Says Panel Will Study Whether Women May Serve as Deacons
(about 4 hours later)
ROME — Pope Francis said on Thursday that he would set up a commission to study whether women can serve as deacons in the Roman Catholic Church, revealing an openness to re-examining the church’s long-held insistence on an all-male clergy. ROME — Pope Francis said Thursday that he would set up a commission to study whether women could serve as deacons in the Roman Catholic Church, a move hailed by women who have campaigned for years for a more prominent role in the church.
His move was hailed as a breakthrough by Catholic women who have clamored for years to be given a more prominent role in the church, and who cite research showing that women in the church’s early history served as deacons. His remarks reveal an openness to re-examining the church’s long-held insistence on an all-male clergy. Yet the idea will face stiff resistance from those who believe that it is the first step toward ordaining female priests, something that recent popes have ruled out, citing church doctrine. Some Catholic women, however, cite research showing that women served as deacons in the church’s early history.
But the idea will face stiff resistance from some who believe that ordaining women as deacons is the first step toward ordaining female priests — which recent popes have ruled out, citing church doctrine. The pope’s comments were made during an assembly of leaders of women’s religious orders and were consistent with his style: a seemingly off-the-cuff remark that opened a broad horizon of possibilities.
The pope’s comments were made during an assembly of leaders of women’s religious orders, and were consistent with his style: a seemingly off-the-cuff remark that opened a broad horizon of possibilities. It came during a question-and-answer session in which he assured the nearly 900 sisters in the room that he wanted to “increase the number of women in decision-making positions in the church.”
During a discussion at the Vatican on Thursday, which at one point touched on the role that female deacons played during the early years of the church, Francis was asked about the possibility of an official commission to study the issue. His response was, in essence, “Why not?” One woman asked about the possibility of an official commission to study the issue. His response was, in essence, “Why not?”
“Constituting an official commission that might study the question?” Pope Francis mused out loud, according to the National Catholic Reporter. “I believe yes. It would do good for the church to clarify this point. I am in agreement.” “Constituting an official commission that might study the question?” Francis mused, according to the National Catholic Reporter. “I believe yes. It would do good for the church to clarify this point. I am in agreement.”
“I accept,” the pope said later. “It seems useful to me to have a commission that would clarify this well.”“I accept,” the pope said later. “It seems useful to me to have a commission that would clarify this well.”
Deacons are ordained ministers in the Roman Catholic Church, and in many parishes they perform the same roles as priests. They are permitted to preach at Mass, perform baptisms, witness marriages and conduct funeral services. Deacons must be men over the age of 35, and they may be married (though if a deacon’s wife dies, he is expected to remain celibate). The comments may prove to be more of a change in tone than a change in church practice, similar to his remark “Who am I to judge?” made in response to a question about gays during a midflight news conference in 2013.
The church in the United States has for decades been actively encouraging men to become deacons to assist priests stretched thin because of a shortage of priests. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops says more than 13,000 men are now serving in what is called the “permanent diaconate.” Deacons are ordained ministers in the Catholic Church, and in many parishes they handle many of the same tasks that priests do. They are permitted to preach at Mass, perform baptisms, witness marriages and conduct funeral services. Deacons currently must be men over the age of 35, and they may be married (though if a deacon’s wife dies, he is expected to remain celibate).
This is not the first time the issue of female deacons has come up. In 1995, an American group of canon law experts said that ordaining women as deacons in the church would be in keeping with Catholic theology and past practice, though the Vatican never acted on that recommendation. The topic has continued to be discussed, however: Just last week, scholars met at the University of St. Michael’s College in Toronto for a conference titled: “Women, the Diaconate and the Future of Ministry.” Facing a shortage of priests, the church in the United States has for decades been actively encouraging men to become deacons to fill the gaps. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops says there are now more than 13,000 men serving in what is called the “permanent diaconate.”
Groups that have pushed for women to play a greater role in the church welcomed the pope’s declarations, as an important — if embryonic — step. Creating a Vatican commission is no guarantee of change. Such commissions can take years to reach conclusions and are only advisory. Pope Paul VI rejected the majority report of a Vatican commission in 1966 that, after three years of study, essentially recommended that the church lift its ban on artificial birth control.
The Rev. James Bretzke, a professor of theology at Boston College, said in a statement, “I can’t underscore enough how groundbreaking this is for the church.” It is far from clear that Francis favors female deacons or that a commission he appointed would even recommend this change.
Father Bretzke, who, like Pope Francis, is a member of the Jesuit religious order, added, “If women can be ordained as deacons, then this is going to weaken — not destroy, but weaken significantly — the argument that women absolutely are incapable of being ordained as priests. So this is opening more than a crack in the door.” The pope asked some skeptical questions of the women at the assembly about whether the responsibilities of deaconesses in the early church were more circumscribed than those of male deacons.
The Women’s Ordination Conference, an American organization that supports the idea of female deacons, priests and bishops, said in a statement: “Opening a commission to study the diaconate for women would be a great step for the Vatican in recognizing its own history.” Francis said that his first step would be to consult with the church’s doctrinal office “to tell me if there are studies on this.” The doctrinal office is led by Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, a German theologian who has long maintained that ordaining women in any capacity is impermissible.
Lucetta Scaraffia, the co-editor of a monthly magazine on women and the church distributed with the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, said that although the pope’s words were encouraging, they did not necessarily reflect the views of most bishops.
“I doubt much will come of it,” Ms. Scaraffia said. “I think the pope would like to open discussion, but there is strong resistance” to any ordination of women.
Still, news of Francis’ remark delivered a jolt of excitement to Catholics who have questioned church doctrine that women cannot be ordained because the disciples of Jesus were all male.
“I’m ecstatic,” said Sister Christine Schenck, who served for years as executive director of FutureChurch, an organization based in Cleveland that advocates greater roles for laypeople and women in the church. “I was just in prayer thanking God.”
She said about 30,000 women already serve in American parishes as “lay ecclesial ministers,” taking on many pastoral and administrative functions. Many of them have advanced degrees in theology and ministry. They are not, however, allowed to deliver the homily at Mass, and some are unsung and invisible in their parishes.
“The vast majority of all these lay ministers in the United States could be ordained deacons tomorrow. They’ve met all the qualifications,” Sister Schenck said. “Being ordained as deacons would allow them to preach at Sunday Mass. It also would validate their ministry.”
The Women’s Ordination Conference, an American organization that supports the idea of female deacons, priests and bishops, said in a statement, “Opening a commission to study the diaconate for women would be a great step for the Vatican in recognizing its own history.”
That history is a matter of some debate. Some scholars say there is biblical evidence that women served as deacons alongside men, but others say the women’s functions were more limited.
In 1995, an American group of canon law experts said that ordaining women as deacons in the church would be in keeping with Catholic theology and past practice, though the Vatican never acted on that recommendation. The International Theological Commission, an advisory body to the Vatican’s doctrinal office, considered female deacons in 2002, but it reached rather muddy conclusions.
Phyllis Zagano, an advocate of women’s ordination and editor of the book “Women Deacons? Essays With Answers,” said that until about the 12th century, women were ordained as deacons and considered clergy, but their roles varied among countries and dioceses.
“The real problem is that they can’t figure out why a woman can be ordained a deacon but not a priest,” Ms. Zagano said.
Francis has been urged to give women a greater role in the church, where few women hold top positions in the Curia, the Vatican’s administrative arm. He has repeatedly acknowledged this shortcoming, but so far, he has not really addressed it.
At the session with the women superiors general on Thursday, Francis admitted that the integration of women into the life of the church had been “very weak” and said, “We must go forward.”