ROME (AP) – A second Vatican study commission has concluded that women should not be ordained as deacons, posing another setback for Catholic women who aspire to preside at significant ceremonies such as weddings, baptisms, and funerals. This announcement came from the Vatican on Thursday, which took the rare step of publicly sharing a synthesis of the commission's findings, even disclosing the members' votes on key theological questions. Although the report stated that the issue is currently closed, it left open the possibility of further study and suggested the establishment of new lay ministries for women outside the ordained diaconate.
Deacons, who are ordained ministers, carry out many functions similar to priests, including officiating weddings, baptizing, and presiding over funerals. While male seminarians see the diaconate as a transitional step towards becoming priests, married men can also be designated as permanent deacons. Historically, women did serve as deacons in the early Christian church; however, the current position of the Catholic Church prohibits women from receiving this ordination.
Pope Francis originally commissioned the first study on this topic in 2016 at the request of the International Union of Superiors General, which represents the world's female religious orders. After that commission failed to reach a consensus, Francis established a second commission in 2020, led by Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi, which released its findings recently. The members of this second commission were not publicly named, but Petrocchi indicated that there are two fundamentally opposing theological perspectives on the matter, thus requiring the Vatican to adopt a cautious approach.
The report emphasized that ongoing research currently precludes any movement towards enabling women to join the diaconate as a sacramental order. However, it acknowledged the potential for further examination, asserting that a "definitive judgment" on the matter has yet to be made.
Many Catholic women actively participate in the church's work across schools and hospitals, and they often play crucial roles in imparting faith to future generations. Despite this involvement, they have long argued for greater recognition within an institution that restricts the priesthood to men, often feeling they hold a "second-class status." In numerous regions, women have been advocating for expanded roles in decision-making and ministerial positions.
Discerning Deacons, a group based in the U.S. advocating for the ordination of women deacons, expressed disappointment with the report's conclusions. They called for a more inclusive process to continue exploring this issue and expressed a commitment to ongoing advocacy. Similarly, the Women’s Ordination Conference, another U.S.-based group, reacted with indignation at the Vatican's unwillingness to create space for women in ministerial roles, arguing that such a decision would ultimately harm the global church.
Supporters of including women in the diaconate contend that allowing women to serve in this capacity could not only empower them within the ministry but could also alleviate some of the challenges posed by the priest shortage in various regions. Opponents of the ordination of women as deacons caution that this could lead to a broader acceptance of women's ordination in the priesthood, which the Church maintains is reserved for men, based on the precedent set by Christ selecting only men as apostles.
Although Pope Francis has supported discussions about the matter, he has refrained from making any decisive determinations. The diaconate question emerged during the 2019 Amazon synod, an assembly of bishops, and was revisited during a significant synod reform process aimed at keeping this dialogue active. Yet, the transfer of responsibility for this matter to the Petrocchi commission effectively halted further discussions on the subject within the synod framework.
With the release of the synthesis report, it seems that the Vatican is signaling a closure on this topic. Pope Leo XIV’s decision to publish the findings may indicate a more definitive stance on the issue. Given this development, advocates for women’s ordination within the church face ongoing challenges in pursuing leadership roles in an institution that has traditionally limited such opportunities.
