Catholic Church split on women deacons, Vatican paper shows
VATICAN CITY—The global Catholic Church is split on whether to allow women to serve as deacons, a Vatican document showed on Tuesday, just weeks after Pope Francis ruled out any opening on the issue.
Giving women a greater role in the male-dominated Church is one of the issues up for the debate at a summit of bishops known as the synod.
A first, inconclusive session was held last year.
On Tuesday, the Vatican released a working document due to inform discussions at a second and final session in October.
“While some local Churches call for women to be admitted to the diaconal ministry, others reiterate their opposition,” it said.
Noting that women deacons will not be on the synod’s agenda, it said “theological reflection (on the issue) should continue, on an appropriate timescale and in the appropriate ways.”
Unclear role
Deacons, like priests, are ordained ministers, and as in the priesthood, must be men in today’s Church. Women deacons existed in early Christianity, but it is unclear what role they had.
In an interview with US broadcaster CBS’ “60 Minutes” program recorded in April and aired in May, Francis responded with a flat “no” when asked if he was open to women deacons.
