He dad Francis believes that this is not the time to debate the diaconate feminine in the Synod which is celebrated these days in the Vaticanrevealed this Monday the Prefect for the Dicastery (ministry Vatican) of the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Víctor Fernández, to the members of the assembly of bishops.
“We know that the Holy Father has expressed that at this moment the question of diaconate feminine is not mature, and has asked that we not entertain this possibility now,” Fernández said in a letter whose content was advanced in a press conference of the Synod the prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, Paolo Ruffini.
After the complaints of some participants of the Synod because the Dicastery for Faith has not listened to the proposals regarding the diaconate of the womenCardinal Fernández proposed a meeting with those interested next Thursday, but, on behalf of the dadclosed the door to the ordination of women.
In his letter, the Argentine cardinal, who participates in a working group within the framework of the Synodin what religious and lay people address key issues to make the Church a more inclusive and participatory institution, explained that the diaconate feminine “is not the most important response for women today,” according to the pontiff.
“The commission to study the issue has partial conclusions that we will publish at the appropriate time, but will continue working” on this matter, the prefect of the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith noted in his letter.
“The Holy Father is very concerned about the role of the women in the Churchand even before the request of the Synod asked the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith to explore the possibility of a development” on this, “without focusing on the sacred order,” the cardinal also states in his letter.
According to Fernández, “we cannot work in another direction, but I must say that I totally agree,” before adding that “thinking about the diaconate for a few women does not resolve the question of the millions of women what’s in the Church“.
“Hasten to ask for ordination of deaconesses is not the most important answer today to promote women“the prefect insisted.
Already at the beginning of the assembly of bishops, the special secretary of the XVI Synod of the Bishops, Giacomo Costa, assured that “this is not the time to take a decision“about him diaconate feminine, “but it’s okay to be go deeper on the subject.”
Costa explained that the question of whether women They can provide some services of the Church will not materialize in decisions during the meeting and recalled that Cardinal Fernández had already given “a very clear perspective” at the opening of the meeting, where he assured that for the dad before “there are other issues to explore and resolve.”
In any case, “where we were at the beginning and where we are now is completely different,” said the first women with vote in the synod, Nathalie Becquart, deputy secretary general of the assembly, on the question of the women in the Church.
He Synodwhich will conclude next Sunday, enters its final phase this week, with the presentation of the final document with the conclusions of the meetings that are being held in Rome throughout this month of October and in which issues such as reinforcing the presence of women in the Church.
In this second session of Synodafter which took place in October 2023, 368 members participate, including 53 women and about sixty cardinals. Last year, for the first time, the women voted in a synodal assembly of the Church Catholic.
