Vatican commission rejects female diaconate, although without a ‘definitive judgment’

The Vatican published on Dec. 4 the summary of the work carried out by the commissions studying the possibility of admitting women to the diaconate, presented to Pope Leo XIV by Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi.

Petrocchi, the president of the Study Commission on the Female Diaconate created by Pope Francis, stated that — with seven votes in favor and one against — the possibility of admitting women to the diaconate as a degree of the sacrament of holy orders is ruled out.

However, he emphasized that for the moment it is not possible “to formulate a definitive judgment, as in the case of priestly ordination.”

Historical investigation into so-called ‘deaconesses’​

This second working session — following the one held in 2021 — ended last February, and the conclusions were presented on Sept. 18 to Pope Leo XIV, who ordered that they be made public on Dec. 4.

In a seven-page document, the cardinal stated that, based on a historical investigation, the commissions agree that the so-called “deaconesses” existed in the history of the Church but with diverse functions and not equivalent to the male diaconate.

Petrocchi emphasized that this question cannot be resolved solely with historical data and that, ultimately, it is up to the magisterium to issue a doctrinal judgment.

Continued below.

johnnypapa said:

An Ex Cathedra statement with a nice encyclical about the history and meaning of the priesthood would put the finishing touch on this.

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I believe it is much needed. The waffling on this topic is more than exasperating.