When will the Church ordain women? When will women fully participate in Church ministry?
When will Catholicism enter the 21st Century?
These questions have not been answered or even asked out loud except in the closest circles.
But things are changing and the whole Church is starting to think about women in ministry within the boundaries of Catholic teaching and tradition.
Some even use the ‘O’ word—ordination.
Newsflash: the Catholic Church will not ordain women as priests, now or in the future.
However, it is beginning to remember its long tradition of ordained deacons — male and female.
The permanent diaconate, re-established following the Second Vatican Council, now numbers over 40,000 men worldwide serving the diaconal ministries of the word, the liturgy, and charity.
In Ireland, eight dioceses (Armagh, Dublin, Dromore, Elphin, Kerry, Kildare and Leighlin, Kilmore, and Waterford and Lismore) have offices for men enquiring about becoming deacons since the bishops’ conference initiated the programme in 2010.
What about women as deacons?
The early Church had both men and women deacons — men ministered to men and women ministered to women.
But by the 12th Century the diaconate had mostly died out in the Western Church, and few women deacons remained.
The evidence of women ordained to the diaconate — conciliar statements, early liturgies, even papal letters affirming bishops’ permission for women deacons — document history.
And what the Church has done, the Church can do again.
Conclave
Shortly before the conclave electing Pope Francis, several cardinals, including Argentinian Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, said the Church needed more women in positions of power and authority.
They echoed Pope Benedict XVI who in 2006 rhetorically asked Roman priests “is it not possible to offer more space, more positions of responsibility to women?”
How? How can women obtain offices restricted to the clergy? Answer: deacons are clerics.
And women were and can again be deacons.
Deaconesses
Two German cardinals, Karl Lehmann and Walter Kasper, presented opposing views: Lehmann said after a quarter-century of discussion, it was time to decide about ordaining women as deacons; Kasper suggested creating blessed (but not ordained) “deaconesses”.
Would “deaconesses” be clerics?
Would they formally belong to the bishops’ household?
Could they obtain clerical offices?
That is the split in Church ministry discussions today.
Many dioceses around the world have training and certification programmes for lay ministers.
In many countries, including Ireland, the cohort of formally-trained lay ministers is 75 percent to 80pc female.
Because women cannot be ordained as deacons some bishops do not ordain men to the diaconate, believing another layer of clerical authority would not be helpful.
Other bishops see both need and value for deacons.
All these facts and events bring hope to women who might be ordained as deacons and be charged by their bishops to celebrate the sacraments of baptism and marriage, to preach the word of God, and minister in works of charity on their behalf.
It’s not that hard.
But, it’s not that easy.
The important thing is to talk.