Francis did not suggest he would allow women priests – he has previously said “the door is closed” on that subject – but when asked if he would create a commission to study whether women could be deacons, he said he was open to the idea, the National Catholic Reporter reported. The pope merely agreed that it would be a good idea to create a commission to study the historical roots of having female deacons – particularly whether or not those deaconesses were ordained, as the church’s male deacons are in modern times – and how they could apply to the present-day church.
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“It would be useful for the church to clarify this question. I am in agreement”, he said, according to a report from the National Catholic Reporter.
FutureChurch will hold a female deacon retreat September 14-16 in Cleveland, Ohio, for “women who are discerning or feel called”, said Rose-Milavec. “I will speak to do something like this”.
The pontiff was addressing a meeting of 900 women who were members of various religious congregations from around the world.
Women deacons would, like male deacons, be able to do most things that priests can do except celebrate the eucharist or hear confession.
The ordination is open to married men over 35.
In a news release, coming a half-day after news of the comments emerged on the Web, the Vatican press office said that the pope made the statement in response to questions about contemporary women’s leadership from nuns at a major Vatican conference.
Francis has often championed the special qualities of the female sex, saying in December 2014: “Women are like strawberries on a cake-you always need more of them”. There is ongoing study as to the role of women in the early Church and whether they served as deacons and, if so, in what roles.
Francis has also repeatedly said – as he reiterated on Thursday – that he wants to see women assume greater and more authoritative roles in the Catholic Church, but he does not want to “clericalize” them by reducing such growth to mimicking jobs done by men.
“Because [a] woman looks at life with true eyes”, said Francis.
Some conservative Catholics oppose women deacons because they see it as a steppingstone to women priests.
Francis also said he would ask another Vatican office that is in charge of the liturgy to explain more fully why women aren’t allowed to give a homily at Mass. Women can only preach at services where people do not receive communion.
John Gouveia, who also attends Queen of Angels, said he thinks women should be deacons, but not priests.
Kathleen Sprows Cummings, director of the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism at the University of Notre Dame since 2012, said whether women become deacons is not the most important issue, but rather that the conversation came from a meeting with women. “A deacon could eventually become a priest”.
When her husband, Jim Andersen, was ordained as a deacon at the church in 2007, Sharon Andersen underwent training sessions along with him.
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The decisions have largely been welcome by pro-women activists, but have not shielded the pope from criticism that he has not done enough to advance the role of women within the church.
