Francis agreed to a proposal to create an official study commission during a closed-door meeting with some 900 superiors of women’s religious orders in Rome for an assembly.
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The pope in no way signaled during a 75-minute conversation with the sisters that the church’s longstanding prohibition on women priests will change.
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.
Professor Cummings tell us though the pope has made it clear that integrating women more into the church is very important, but details on how and when that may happen have not been made available. “We’re leaders of ministries and service organizations”.
The pope’s announcement was also welcomed by Kate McElwee, co-executive director of the Women’s Ordination Conference, who described the move as a “huge step”. Pope Francis has stirred concern amongst traditionally minded Catholics over what they perceive as his liberal leanings on a range of issues, from divorce to the use of contraception. Women can not, however, though historians say women served as deacons in the early Church.During a 75-minute conversation with the sisters, the pope did not indicate that the church’s longstanding prohibition on ordaining women priests will change.
He said he will create a commission to study the possibility of ordaining women as deacons. “I can not confirm anything, until the full transcript of the conversation is published”, his spokesman said.
Holquin recalled a controversial investigation initiated in 2012 into the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, the largest leadership organization representing US nuns who provide health care, education and other services for the poor. But he said he would ask the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to report back on studies that have been done on the issue, Catholic News Service said. To me, that matters less than the fact that in a world where women can be presidents of nations, CEOs of corporations, chancellors of universities and administrators of hospitals, the doors of the diaconate are closed to female Catholics.
Francis’ comments take the next step, but a careful one. “I think it’s not surprising that Pope Francis would consider something like this or at least have some dialogue”. Deacons do not celebrate the Mass.
At this moment, prior to believers taking communion, priests are said to be in “Persona Christi” – representing the body of Christ, a role only men can perform. However it noted that when the pope was asked about women preaching homilies during Mass – which deacons do, as do priests – Rosica wrote that the pope “said it’s important to distinguish” between different types of speaking, and that speaking during Mass connects the role of priest to the person of Jesus.
On Thursday, he drew round after round of applause as he spoke freely with the sisters, asking them to challenge him and lamenting how so often nuns find themselves working as “servants” for priests, bishops and cardinals in ways that “undervalue their dignity”.
Previous popes have raised the question, but left it unanswered, said the Rev. Bruce Morrill, a Jesuit priest and the chair of Catholic Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School. I believe yes. It would do good for the church to clarify this point.
“Mobile Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi told me, “…the question of women serving as deacons in the Catholic Church has been studied for the past several years.
Deacons are ordained clerics who sit just behind priests in the Church hierarchy. The movement also ordains deacons. I wanted to call him: “Pope, son of a., go home”.
Unless you’re afraid that allowing women to be deacons would somehow allow them to sneak into the priesthood, it doesn’t make sense.
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“Potentially down the road, there could be female priests”, Bretzke said.
