Do synod reports show a real consensus on women deacons? (2024)

","longer_truncated_body_json":null,"longer_truncated_body_html":null,"truncated_body_text":"The deadline passed this week for the world\u2019s bishops\u2019 conferences to submit feedback ahead of this October\u2019s session of the synod on synodality. A handful of territories have posted their reports online, including Australia, Austria, Luxembourg, and","wordcount":1518,"postTags":[{"id":"34991f3f-5d6b-40de-9dd9-19041acf6aea","publication_id":228030,"name":"Analysis","slug":"analysis","hidden":false},{"id":"edfc65bc-66de-4056-a04a-01e13b292c62","publication_id":228030,"name":"Synod on synodality","slug":"synod-on-synodality","hidden":false}],"publishedBylines":[{"id":97384436,"name":"Luke Coppen","handle":"lukecoppen","previous_name":null,"photo_url":"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F152e3bb8-ac82-4ec2-8b4f-25d0dad7f0d8_400x400.jpeg","bio":"Luke Coppen is The Pillar\u2019s Senior Correspondent. He edited the U.K. Catholic Herald from 2004 to 2020 and was Europe editor of the Catholic News Agency from 2020 to 2022.\n","profile_set_up_at":"2023-03-23T12:11:22.640Z","publicationUsers":[{"id":899764,"user_id":97384436,"publication_id":228030,"role":"admin","public":true,"is_primary":false,"publication":{"id":228030,"name":"The Pillar","subdomain":"thepillar","custom_domain":"www.pillarcatholic.com","custom_domain_optional":false,"hero_text":"News and analysis covering the Catholic Church.","logo_url":"https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/e1d84de5-dbcf-4987-8cad-e8e485283932_300x300.png","author_id":21393502,"theme_var_background_pop":"#ff0000","created_at":"2020-11-30T17:52:24.662Z","rss_website_url":null,"email_from_name":"The Pillar","copyright":"The Pillar","founding_plan_name":"Founding Member","community_enabled":true,"invite_only":false,"payments_state":"enabled","language":null,"explicit":false}}],"is_guest":false,"bestseller_tier":null}],"reaction":null,"reaction_count":2,"comment_count":15,"child_comment_count":10,"is_geoblocked":false,"truncated_description":null,"hasCashtag":false,"truncated_body_html":null,"post_paywall_content_for_google":null,"cover_image_alt":null,"cover_image_caption":null,"html":"

The deadline passed this week for the world\u2019s bishops\u2019 conferences to submit feedback ahead of this October\u2019s session of the synod on synodality.

A handful of territories have posted their reports online, including Australia, Austria, Luxembourg, and Switzerland.

There\u2019s a striking convergence in those four reports: they all suggest there is significant support for the admission of women to the diaconate among Catholics in their countries.

Why are the reports addressing the topic of women deacons in the first place? What exactly are they saying? And how significant are they likely to be?

The Pillar takes a look.

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Why do the feedback reports address women deacons?

After the synod on synodality\u2019s first session in Rome in October 2023, the General Secretariat of the Synod \u2014 the Vatican body overseeing the global synodal process \u2014 asked local Churches to offer feedback.

It invited bishops\u2019 conferences to carry out \u201Ca further consultation,\u201D based on the first session\u2019s \u201Csynthesis report,\u201D and to send it a summary of responses, \u201Cof a maximum length of 8 pages,\u201D by May 15.

It said that the responses would help to shape the working document (Instrumentum laboris) for the synodality\u2019s second session on Oct. 2-27.

In its summary of the women deacons debate, the synthesis report noted that \u201Cdifferent positions\u201D were expressed at the first session.

\u201CFor some, this step would be unacceptable because they consider it a discontinuity with Tradition,\u201D the report said. \u201CFor others, however, opening access for women to the diaconate would restore the practice of the Early Church.\u201D

\u201COthers still, discern it as an appropriate and necessary response to the signs of the times, faithful to the Tradition, and one that would find an echo in the hearts of many who seek new energy and vitality in the Church.\u201D

\u201CSome express concern that the request speaks of a worrying anthropological confusion, which, if granted, would marry the Church to the spirit of the age.\u201D

So the consultation summaries submitted by bishops\u2019 conferences mention women deacons because the topic was highlighted in the synthesis report, though the consultation\u2019s \u201Cguiding question\u201D \u2014 \u201CHOW can we be a synodal Church in mission?\u201D \u2014 didn\u2019t directly concern the issue.

What do the synod feedback reports say?

The feedback reports obviously address many other subjects besides women deacons. But the seeming consensus on the topic in the published reports is eye-catching.

Some covered the issue in a single sentence, while others devoted several paragraphs.

The report submitted by the Australian Catholic Bishops\u2019 Conference said: \u201CThe possibility of women being admitted to the diaconate was seen as a sign of hope by many groups, with widespread agreement across many geographical dioceses.\u201D

\u201CSuggestions were made for dioceses to prepare ahead if this were approved by the Holy See and to consider formation and diaconate programs for women.\u201D

But the report also noted that Eastern Catholic Churches \u201Cvoiced their inability to support women\u2019s ordination to the diaconate but strongly advocated for women as lectors, catechists, and workers in Church courts and other Church structures.\u201D

The Austrian bishops\u2019 conference\u2019s report said that \u201Cwhile women\u2019s priesthood is discussed sporadically, there is a strong vote, supported by majorities in the dioceses (including diocesan leaders, Linz deacons), for the admission of women to the diaconate.\u201D

\u201CJust as the early Christian community recognized in Acts 6 that a (new) ministry was needed for the Church\u2019s mission, we recognize today that this ministry, sacramentally conferred through the laying on of hands, needs to be opened up to women so that the church can adequately fulfill its mission in the 21st century,\u201D it commented.

The report argued that women deacons would be a development \u201Cin the line of Vatican Council II.\u201D

\u201CAs this ministry is already performed by both women and men, it is \u2018time to acknowledge this in terms of the theology of ministry and sacraments and to open up the permanent diaconate within the one ordo [order] to both women and men,\u2019\u201D it said.

\u201COn the basis of a theologically sound fundamental decision, canon law could be adapted accordingly. As a result, the vocations experienced by women could be seen and examined, training could be offered, and women could be ordained to the sacramental diaconate in the local churches.\u201D

The Austrian report added: \u201CSuch a step could also benefit the Church\u2019s global commitment to combating poverty and discrimination against women, as it would be less suspected of being partly responsible for the disadvantage and discrimination of women through its own structures.\u201D

The Swiss bishops\u2019 conference report said that the country\u2019s Catholics would welcome the opening of the diaconate to women \u201Cif it expresses an evolution towards equal recognition of the baptismal dignity of men and women in the Church.\u201D

\u201COn the other hand, a special form of diaconate \u2018for women\u2019 would be seen, in the Swiss context, as an expression of the relegation of women, in the same way as the gradation of the diaconate in relation to the ordained ministry.\u201D

The report added: \u201CIf the Church is to gain fundamental credibility in its mission within Switzerland, the full equivalence of baptismal dignity in favor of the Church\u2019s evangelizing capacity must also be reflected in its ordained ministry.\u201D

Meanwhile, the Archdiocese of Luxembourg \u2014 led by the synod on synodality\u2019s general rapporteur Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich \u2014 said in its synod feedback report that women\u2019s role in the Church should be re-evaluated, \u201Camong other things through the access of women to the diaconate.\u201D

How significant are the feedback reports?

It\u2019s unclear what impact the bishops\u2019 conferences\u2019 feedback reports will have on the debate about women deacons.

That\u2019s because in March this year, Pope Francis announced that many of the hot-button topics raised at the first session would be assigned to Vatican-appointed study groups, \u201Cso that they may be properly examined.\u201D

Vatican officials confirmed that the study groups would address the topic of women deacons.

Although the study groups will present \u201Can initial account\u201D of their work at this October\u2019s second synod session, they won\u2019t have to wrap up until June 2025. So the feedback reports sent this month by the world\u2019s bishops\u2019 conferences are just one small step in a process extending ever further into the future.

The four reports considered here are just a fraction of those submitted to the Vatican by the more than 100 bishops\u2019 conferences worldwide. And even though the four documents report resounding support for women deacons, there are nuances.

The Swiss and Austrian summaries clearly call for the sacramental ordination of women to the diaconate. But the Australian and Luxembourgish texts do not specify what they mean by a female diaconate. It\u2019s therefore unclear whether they are also talking about sacramental ordination, or the creation of a new lay ministry, or the restitution of the early Church ministry of deaconesses in some form.

So we can\u2019t be sure that Catholics in Australia, Austria, Luxembourg, and Switzerland are necessarily endorsing the same thing.

The synod on synodality\u2019s synthesis report itself noted the confusion permeating the women deacons debate.

It acknowledged that there were \u201Cuncertainties surrounding the theology of the diaconate,\u201D which it said were due \u201Cto the fact that it has only been restored to a distinct and permanent hierarchical ministry in the Latin Church since the Second Vatican Council.\u201D

\u201CDeeper study will shed light on the question of the access of women to the diaconate,\u201D it suggested.

But the study groups created to \u201Cshed light\u201D on the topic are unlikely to have reached any definitive conclusions by the time the synod on synodality\u2019s second session begins.

There\u2019s also a question about how representative the feedback reports are. While the Vatican asked bishops\u2019 conferences to conduct \u201Cfurther consultation,\u201D it did not specify how it should be conducted. It left local Churches free to decide for themselves \u201Cwhat is possible in the time available and the best approach to take.\u201D

This means that bishops\u2019 conferences likely used a range of methodologies, some more likely to elicit representative responses than others.

The Australian report, for example, said that consultations were held from February to April this year, overseen by the country\u2019s National Centre for Pastoral Research (NCPR).

The NCPR received responses \u201Cfrom 25 geographical dioceses and three Eastern Catholic Church eparchies.\u201D But there are 28 dioceses in Australian and five Eastern Catholic eparchies, so some parts of the local Church did not engage with the process.

The report also noted a sense of \u201Cconsultation fatigue,\u201D which it said was leading \u201Cto less engagement in later phases.\u201D

\u201CThe short timeframe of the 2024 consultation and the scheduling across the Lenten and Easter periods also caused difficulties,\u201D it said.

So while the Australian report concluded that there was \u201Cwidespread agreement across many geographical dioceses\u201D about the need for women deacons, it\u2019s unclear precisely how wide the consensus is.

What, in the end, do the synod feedback reports amount to? Probably not much more than impressionistic sketches of views within local Churches.

They might be used to build a case that there is a global wave of support for women deacons in the Catholic Church. But that would require more evidence than we have so far.

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Do synod reports show a real consensus on women deacons? (2024)

FAQs

Can women be deacons according to the Bible? ›

According to Scripture, only the office of elder is restricted to men. The office of deacon, however, seems to be open to both men and women.

Why can't women be deacons in the Catholic Church? ›

Women cannot be ordained deacons because deacons receive the sacrament of holy orders, which women cannot validly receive. Deacons receive this sacrament in a lesser degree than priests or bishops, but they do receive it, so potential candidates must be capable of receiving it.

Has the Catholic Church ever had female deacons? ›

Women ceased to function as deacons in the West in the 13th century. In the past century, K. K. Fitzgerald, Phyllis Zagano, and Gary Macy have argued for the sacramental ordination of women as deacons.

Can women be deacons in 1 Timothy 3 11? ›

Fourth, the character qualities required for the women in 1 Timothy 3:11 are also mandated for elders and male deacons, which makes sense if an official capacity is intended. Just as deacons are to “be worthy of respect” (1 Tim. 3:8), so too female deacons must “be worthy of respect” (1 Tim. 3:11).

Who was the only female deacon in the Bible? ›

The name Phoebe means "pure", "radiant", or "bright"; and was the name of a Titan in Greek mythology. Some scholars believe Phoebe was responsible for delivering Paul's epistle to the Roman Christian church. Phoebe is the only woman named as deacon (which means "servant" in Greek) in the Bible.

Do Baptist believe women can be deacons? ›

Today, most Southern Baptist and Cooperative Baptist Fellowship churches with women deacons tend to ordain them. Most churches in the American Baptist Churches tend not to ordain women deacons; in fact, they tend not to ordain deacons at all--men and women.

What is a female deacon called? ›

The ministry of a deaconess is a usually non-ordained ministry for women in some Protestant, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Orthodox churches to provide pastoral care, especially for other women, and which may carry a limited liturgical role.

What is the highest position a woman can hold in the Catholic Church? ›

As popes, cardinals, bishops, priests, and deacons, men have led the Catholic Church since its inception and continue to do so from high levels. Women, alternatively, serve as abbesses, nuns, sisters, educators, and in other roles on a community level and within convents and monasteries.

Can a woman be a pastor over a church? ›

It doesn't mean a woman can't serve in a pastoral role, or even be ordained to ministry. The key is whether they serve under the authority of Scripture and as a member of a pastoral team whose leader is a male as a contemporary symbol of God's designed order for the Church.

Do Presbyterians have female deacons? ›

Even without official action, some PCA churches have moved on the issue by implementing one of three innovative practices: 1) appoint or elect “deaconesses” as unordained commissioned church workers to support the work of ordained male deacons; 2) form an egalitarian group of unordained men and women to serve as “ ...

What is the wife of a Catholic deacon called? ›

Diakonissa is a Greek title of honor that is used to refer to a deacon's wife. It is derived from diakonos—the Greek word for deacon (literally, "server").

Can a Catholic deacon remarry if his wife dies? ›

Once the marriage bond is dissolved at the death of the spouse, those canonical conditions continue, at which point the deacon is now under the vow of celibacy.

Where does the Bible say women can be deacons? ›

The issue of whether women should serve as deacons is restricted to a few verses: Romans 16:1, 1 Timothy 3:11. Here are five arguments why they should serve as deacons. First, Phoebe is called a “deacon of the church in Cenchreae” (Rom. 16:1, NIV).

Does it say in the Bible that a woman Cannot be a preacher? ›

Reading through Scripture, a few passages stand out that directly speak to the role of women in the church: 1 Corinthians 11:3-12, 14:34-35, 1 Timothy 2:11-15 and Titus 1, 2. These passages are the foundation for the conclusion that women cannot be lead pastors in churches.

Was Phoebe in the Bible a deacon? ›

First, Phoebe is a deacon. Part of her calling from God was to lead the church, God's people.

When were women allowed to become deacons? ›

It was not until the third century that the specific Christian terms diaconissa or diaconal appeared. “From the end of the third century onwards, in certain regions of the Church (and not all of them), a specific ecclesial ministry is attested to on the part of women called deaconesses.

Who can be a deacon according to the Bible? ›

According to Paul, deacons must be “dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain.” A deacon is sound in the faith (1 Tim. 3:9).

Can a woman be a leader in the church Bible verse? ›

This is evidenced in the fact that many women, such as Pheobe (Romans 16:1-2), Priscilla (Acts 18:26), and Euodia and Syntyche (Philippians 4:2-3) played influential leadership roles in the early church. Numerous others served as prophetesses, evangelists, leaders, and judges (Miller 2005).

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