- A Vatican commission, led by Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi, has rejected the possibility of admitting women to the diaconate as a degree of the sacrament of holy orders, with seven votes against and one in favor, though it emphasizes that a “definitive judgment” cannot yet be formulated on the matter.
- The commission, which presented its findings to Pope Leo XIV on September 18 and made them public on December 4, conducted a historical investigation into “deaconesses” and concluded that while such roles existed in Church history, their functions differed significantly from the male diaconate and cannot solely resolve the ongoing debate.
- Petrocchi noted that a call for submissions on the topic following the Synod on Synodality yielded only 22 responses from a limited number of countries, indicating that widespread consensus or a clear voice from “the people of God as a whole” was not achieved.
- The report highlights a division among those who participated, with proponents of a female diaconate emphasizing the equal status of men and women, while opponents maintain that Christ’s maleness is an integral part of sacramental identity, making male ordination a divine order.
- Despite the lack of consensus on sacramental ordination for women, there is unanimous agreement on the need to expand non-sacramental ministries for women, encouraging further exploration of the “baptismal diaconate” and promoting greater female co-responsibility within the Church.
- Cardinal Petrocchi recommended that Pope Leo XIV exercise doctrinal prudence, continue theological study of the diaconate, and concurrently open new ministerial opportunities for women that do not involve sacramental ordination.
Vatican commission rejects female diaconate, although without a ‘definitive judgment’
