"The Pope left the door open for the deaconate of women," he was going to say. Fernández

On Thursday afternoon, a gathering was held in Rome, attended by cardinals. Victor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery of religion Science. It was devoted to the function of women. The Cardinal wanted to talk to all the participants in the synod who are curious in this problem, especially in the aspect of the female deaconate. A akin gathering had already been held a week earlier, but without the Cardinal's participation. His absence then became the subject of criticism, hence yesterday's talks.

At the beginning of the Synod in October of this year, Cardinal Fernández announced that his Dycasteria would prepare a paper about women in the Church within a fewer months, but it should not be expected that he would make a decision to introduce the deaconate of women, especially in the sense of the sacramental diaconate. The Cardinal's announcement was accepted at the Synod with large discontent. As a result, the purple invited everyone to discuss the subject.

According to the German portal Katholisch.de, about 80 people attended the Thursday gathering behind closed doors. Cardinal Fernández assured that Pope Francis had not made any negative decision on the deaconate of women. In another words, the way to the introduction of a female deaconate in the Church would be open at all times.

Cardinal Fernández's words can be interpreted in 2 different ways.

It is possible that the Prefect of the Dicastery of the Doctrine of religion received from Francis the mission of pushing the subject of the deaconate of women into the future in specified a way as not to origin besides negative reactions of progressive environments. The Pope and Fernández in this communicative would so make a decision excluding the deaconate of women – sacramental or not – but due to the polarization in the Church they would not want to make it clear.

The second explanation says that Francis and the Cardinal are implementing a strategy of tiny steps. After the Amazon Synod, the pope introduced fresh services to the Church for women; he began introducing women into decision-making positions, besides in the Roman Curia. Francis would now let the subject of the women's deaconate to ripen until yet it becomes possible to introduce it without causing negative reactions from conservative environments.

This second explanation is supported by the statements of the most crucial synodical cardinals, Mario Grech and Jean-Claude Hollerich. Mario Grech announced a fewer months ago that the introduction of the deaconate of women in the Church would have been a “will of the Lord”. Jean-Claude Hollerich, on the another hand, spoke openly a fewer years ago about his support for the deaconate of women, and later began to talk out – in 1 of the interviews he explained that it was essential to proceed cautiously and slowly, due to the fact that then it would be possible to “go further”.

For the deaconate understood as a service, alternatively than a sacramental one, it does not see the essential contraventions of the most crucial cardinal from Africa, Fridolin Ambongo. As he claimed at the press conference on Tuesday, if the female sacramental deaconate would require a major theological discussion, then the deaconate understood as a specified ministry would be acceptable to bishops in Africa, if only the pope wished to introduce it.

Sources: Katholisch.de, PCh24.pl

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