«The Holy Father expressed that at this moment the question of the female diaconate is not mature and asked that we not discuss this possibility now. The study commission on the topic has reached partial conclusions which we will publish at the right time, but it will continue to work.” On the much-discussed topic of ministries to women, the prefect for the Congregation of the Faith, who in any case will meet those who want to make proposals to him on Thursday 24th, reiterates, once again, that the topic is not on the table for discussion. With a verbal communication which, they assured at the daily briefing on the Assembly’s work, received numerous applause, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez assured that the question of the role of women within the Church is nevertheless very close to Pope Francis’s heart. «The Holy Father», he said, «is very concerned about the role of women in the Church and, even before the Synod’s request, asked the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith to explore the possibilities of development without focusing on the order sacred. We cannot work in a different direction, but I must say that I fully agree. Why? Because thinking about the diaconate for some women does not resolve the issue of the millions of women in the Church. On the other hand, we have not yet taken some steps that we could instead take.”
He cites examples on the new ministry of the catechist for which the Dicastery for Divine Worship has sent a letter to the Episcopal Conferences. «There he proposed two different ways of configuring the ministry. One was connected to the guidance of catechesis. But the second accepted what the Pope had said in Querida Amazonia about the catechists who support the communities in the absence of priests, women who are leaders, guide the communities and carry out various functions. The Episcopal Conferences could accept this second way, but very few did so.” Yet, adds the cardinal, «this proposal was possible because the Pope had explained in his documents that priestly power, connected to the sacraments, is not necessarily expressed as power or authority, and that there are forms of authority that do not require the order sacred. But these texts have not been implemented.”
Furthermore, he adds, even the acolyte, once reserved for male lay faithful, now open to all, «has actually been granted in a small percentage in the dioceses, and many times it is the priests who do not want to present women to the bishop for this ministry.”
And it is not just a female issue but, the Prefect suggests, consideration of the role of the laity in general, so much so that even the diaconate reserved for males has been accepted in a few dioceses in the world. «And where were they welcomed», he denounces, «how often are they just ordained altar boys? These few examples make us understand that rushing to ask for the ordination of deaconesses is not the most important response to promoting women today.”
Finally he asks that «testimonies of women who are truly leaders of communities or who carry out important roles of authority be sent to him. Not because they were imposed on the communities, or as the result of a study, but because they acquired this authority under the impulse of the Spirit in response to a need of the people. Reality is superior to idea. This is the line of work in this stage. I especially ask the women members of this Synod to help understand, explain and send to the Dicastery various proposals, which we can listen to in their context, on possible ways for the participation of women in the leadership of the Church”. In any case, the reflection will continue, in particular that of the Commission chaired by Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi” to try to arrive, step by step, at something concrete. And so that «we can understand that there is nothing in the nature of women that prevents them from having very important positions in the leadership of the Churches. What truly comes from the Holy Spirit cannot be stopped.”
