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Vatican denies Francis intends to introduce a diaconal ordination for women

Saturday, May 14th 2016 - 10:54 UTC
Full article 3 comments
Pope Francis accepted a proposal that he establish a commission to study the role of New Testament deaconesses and the possibility of women serving as deacons today. Pope Francis accepted a proposal that he establish a commission to study the role of New Testament deaconesses and the possibility of women serving as deacons today.
Jesuit Federico Lombardi issued a clarification arguing that “it is wrong to reduce all the important things the Pope said to the religious women to just this question.” Jesuit Federico Lombardi issued a clarification arguing that “it is wrong to reduce all the important things the Pope said to the religious women to just this question.”
Pope Francis told the sisters that he thought it would be a good idea to form a commission “to take up this question again in order to view it with greater clarity”. Pope Francis told the sisters that he thought it would be a good idea to form a commission “to take up this question again in order to view it with greater clarity”.
In a Friday video statement, Sister Carmen Sammut said the sisters “were quite excited by the fact that Francis did not leave any question out” In a Friday video statement, Sister Carmen Sammut said the sisters “were quite excited by the fact that Francis did not leave any question out”

Pope Francis “did not say he intends to introduce a diaconal ordination for women,” and he certainly did not speak about the ordination of women priests, the Vatican spokesman said.

 Pope Francis met members of the International Union of Superiors General, the leadership group for superiors of women's orders, on Thursday and accepted a proposal that he establish a commission to study the role of New Testament deaconesses and the possibility of women serving as deacons today.

After some news outlets reported the pope was considering ordaining women deacons and comments were made about women deacons leading to women priests, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi issued a clarification on Friday.

The spokesman insisted “it is wrong to reduce all the important things the pope said to the religious women to just this question.”

Women and the diaconate “is a question that has been discussed much, including in the past, and that comes from the fact that in the early church there were women who were called deaconesses, who carried out certain services within the community,” Father Lombardi said.

Pope Francis told the sisters that he thought it would be a good idea to form a commission “to take up this question again in order to view it with greater clarity,” Father Lombardi said. “But one must be honest: The pope did not say he intends to introduce a diaconal ordination for women and even less did he speak of the priestly ordination of women. In fact, talking about preaching during the Eucharistic celebration, he let them know that he was not considering this possibility at all.”

In a Friday video statement, Sister Carmen Sammut, superior of the Sisters of Our Lady of Africa and president of the UISG, said the sisters “were quite excited by the fact that Pope Francis did not leave any question out; he really wanted to answer each of our questions.

”He was very strong about the fact that women should be in the decision-making processes and the decision-making positions of the church,“ she said.

”About the diaconate,“ she said, the sisters ”had proposed that there would be a commission. He accepted that proposal and has said that he would bring that forward so that it could be studied even more than it has already. And I hope that one day there will be a real decision about this.”

Categories: Politics, International.

Top Comments

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  • gordo1

    The ladies should be patient - we already have married priests. Female deacons will come soon and then female priests before the end of this century.

    May 14th, 2016 - 04:03 pm 0
  • Alejo

    Very interesting piece in El Clarín today.

    http://www.clarin.com/politica/doloroso-Papa-Francisco-cumple-Argentina_0_1576642476.html

    May 15th, 2016 - 04:21 pm 0
  • Troy Tempest

    2 Alejo

    Do you mind summarizing for us non Spanish speaking readers?

    May 15th, 2016 - 06:02 pm 0
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