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April 8, 2020

Pope Francis sets up commission to study women deacons

Pope Francis accepts offertory gifts from indigenous people as he celebrates the concluding Mass of the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon at the Vatican in this Oct. 27, 2019, file photo.

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis has established a new "Study Commission on the Female Diaconate" as a follow-up to a previous group that studied the history of women deacons in the New Testament and the early Christian communities.

Published in Vatican
October 25, 2019

Brazilian bishop claims Pope Benedict opened path to women deacons

Bishop Evaristo Pascoal Spengler of Marajo, Brazil, attends a news conference after a session of the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon at the Vatican Oct. 25, 2019.

VATICAN CITY -- A change to the Code of Canon Law made by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009 provides a canonical path to allow the ordination of women deacons, a Brazilian bishop said.

Published in Vatican
March 12, 2017

Orthodox Church debate over women deacons moves one step closer to reality

Above every Greek Orthodox church’s altar, Theotokos, or Mary the Mother of Jesus, symbolically watches over the congregation. The figure, with arms outstretched, welcomes visitors and parishioners alike at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral near downtown Los Angeles.

Kyriaki Karidoyanes FitzGerald was an 18-year-old theology student when a priest at Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School in Brookline, Mass., thrust a book into her hands. To her surprise, it was on ancient female deacons.

Published in International
August 18, 2016

Diverse, diligent panel gets female deacons talks off on right foot

Phyllis Zagano, a senior research associate in the religion department at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., is seen in her office Aug. 2. Zagano, who has written extensively on the subject of women deacons, is one of six women appointed by Pope Francis to a 13-person "Commission to Study the Women's Diaconate."

The swiftness of Pope Francis setting up a Vatican panel to study the question of women deacons clearly indicates His Holiness wants resolution to the prickly issue.

Published in Robert Brehl
August 2, 2016

Pope names six women, six men to panel to study women deacons

Pope Francis poses with clergy and women religious during his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Oct. 7, 2015. The Pope has appointed a panel of six women and six men to study women deacons

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis has appointed six men and six women to a commission to study the issue of women deacons, particularly their ministry in the early church.

Published in Vatican
June 2, 2016

Women in the Church

The heads of women's religious orders attend an audience with Pope Francis in Paul VI hall at the Vatican May 12. During a question-and-answer session with members of the International Union of Superiors General, the pope indicated his willingness to establish a commission to study whether women could serve as deacons.

Much ado followed a recent impromptu promise by Pope Francis to study the role of women deacons in Church history. His  simple pledge to convene a commission to look into what Francis called an “obscure” historical question was widely — and wildly — interpreted as a thumbs up for a female diaconate.

Published in Editorial
June 1, 2016

Church must ‘retune’ relations with women

Simon-Pierre Arnold said ordination for women is not an option but the Church must ‘retune’ its relationship with women.

MONTREAL – The time has come for the Roman Catholic Church to rethink its patriarchal structure and build a stronger relationship with women, a prominent Benedictine monk from South America told delegates, comprising mostly nuns, at the assembly of the Canadian Religious Conference.

Published in Canada
May 18, 2016

Top nun pushes for women deacons, greater role for Catholic women

Pope Francis greets Sister Carmen Sammut, president of the International Union of Superiors General, during an audience with the heads of women's religious orders in Paul VI hall at the Vatican May 12. During a question-and-answer session with members of the UISG, the pope said he was willing to establish a commission to study whether women could serve as deacons.

VATICAN CITY – Catholic sisters globally would be better-equipped to carry out their work if they could become deacons, the head of a global network of nuns has said, an important marker in the sharp debate over women deacons that Pope Francis opened last week.

Published in Faith