Vatican commission again says no to ordaining women as deacons, but urges other ministries

"A second Vatican study commission has determined that women should not be ordained as deacons, dealing another setback to Catholic women who hope one day to be able to preside at weddings, baptisms and funerals. The Vatican on Thursday took the unusual step of publishing a synthesis of the commission's findings, including the members' votes on specific theological questions. The report left open the possibility of further study but proposed instead the creation of new lay ministries for women outside the ordained diaconate,"

"Deacons are ordained ministers who perform many of the same functions as priests, presiding at weddings, baptisms and funerals. They can preach but cannot celebrate Mass. For male seminarians, the diaconate is a transitional ministry on their way to being ordained as priests. Married men can also be ordained as permanent deacons. Women cannot, although historians say women served as deacons in the early Christian church."

A Vatican study commission concluded that women should not be ordained as deacons and proposed creating new lay ministries for women outside the ordained diaconate. The Vatican published a synthesis including members' votes and left the question largely closed while allowing for possible further study. Deacons perform many priestly functions such as presiding at weddings, baptisms and funerals, preach but do not celebrate Mass. For men the diaconate can be transitional or permanent for married men; women are currently excluded despite historical evidence of female deacons. The commission's president, Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi, cited two irreconcilable theological schools requiring a prudential approach.

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