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Pope Francis’ years-long process to reform the Catholic Church fell short of providing greater equality for women as hoped, but at least reflects his goal of a church that listens more to the faithful. It closed with the following recommendations.
In a significant move, the pope left open the controversial issue of whether to allow women to be ordained deacons, but called for women to be granted all the opportunities that canon law already provides. said that it would not issue any educational documents based on the recommendations.
As a result, it remains unclear whether the synod's final recommendations will have any authority or impact, given that the purpose of the exercise was to provide the Pope with concrete proposals for reform.
“In this time of war, we must bear witness to peace,” the pope said in explaining his decision, saying he must set an example of living in acceptance of differences.
Pope Francis (C) attends the second session of the 17th Ordinary General Conference of Bishops on October 26, 2024 at the Paul VI Audience Hall in the Vatican. Tiziana Fabi/AFP via Getty Images
Francis said he would continue to listen to the recommendations of the bishops, adding: “This is not the typical practice of endlessly delaying decisions.”
Deacons perform many of the same functions as priests, such as presiding over baptisms, weddings, and funerals, but they cannot celebrate Mass. Supporters say allowing women to serve as deacons would help fill the shortage of priests. Opponents say this would mark the beginning of a slippery slope toward the ordination of women to the male-only priesthood, which Francis has repeatedly emphasized.
Earlier this week, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, the Vatican’s doctrinal chief, told an extraordinary gathering of 368 bishops and laity that the time was “not ripe” for Francis to allow women to be ordained as deacons. said. Asked to define what determines “maturity” for women’s greater roles, he did not directly respond.
The multi-year synod process has sparked great hope for change, especially for women who have long complained that they are treated as second-class citizens within the church. Although women are barred from the church’s highest pastoral positions, they do most of the work of running Catholic hospitals and schools and transmitting the faith to the next generation.
During Thursday’s synod, Fernandez explained that the special working group will continue after the synod closes, but its focus will be to discuss the role of women in the church, not the role of women in the board of deacons or the diaconate. . She added that she has worked with women in pastoral roles in the past, but “most of them did not require or want a diacontet, which would be onerous for the work of the laity.”
The meeting called for “the full implementation of all opportunities already provided for in canon law regarding the role of women, especially in areas where women are underexplored.” It leaves unresolved “the question of women’s access to the papal service.”
Pope Francis (right) attends the second session of the 17th Ordinary General Conference of Bishops in the Paul VI Audience Hall in the Vatican on October 26, 2024. Tiziana Fabi/AFP via Getty Images
This was the most controversial sentence in the final document, with 258 votes in favor and 97 votes against. It was unclear whether the “no” vote was due to overreach or understatement.
The results were a disappointment to Catholics who had campaigned for recognition that women share the same spiritual mission as men. They also say that despite the inclusion of women in the conference process, the working group leading the discussion on women’s role is run by the Holy See and operates outside the conference. pointed out.
Kate McElwee, secretary general of the Women’s Ordination Conference, said: “The final document will be met with great disappointment and frustration by many women around the world who want tangible change.” .
She acknowledged a “cultural shift” but said “the pace of change is probably too slow for many women”.
The first stage of the synodal process concluded that it was an “urgent need” to ensure the full participation of women in the Church’s governance, and called for theological and pastoral research into allowing women to serve as deacons. It ended last year after requesting that it be continued.
If the idea of allowing women to serve as deacons before the conference was a fringe proposal promoted by Western progressives, the idea gained traction during the debate. It has become something of a litmus test for how far the church will go, or not, in addressing women’s demands for greater equality and representation in the highest ranks of the church.
Francis thinks otherwise, saying that the ordination of women merely “canonizes” women, empowering women within the Church and even those who lead Catholic communities without resorting to ordination. He argued that there are many ways.
