"Step by step". Do the Vatican progressives make public opinion for the introduction of women's diaconate?

"The deacon of women will not be – for now". On the PCh24.pl portal, we described the communicative served by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery of religion Science. At this point we would like to deepen the problem of time, which clearly strikes in Fernández's speeches – and not just him. In another words, does the Vatican categorically reject the deacon of women, or is it planning to introduce it, but not in the future?

The issue of the deaconate of women is 1 of the most widely discussed during the full pontificate of Francis. The Holy Father has already set up 2 expert committees on this matter, which have not yet reached any conclusions (first in 2016, second in 2020). In 2019, he convened the Amazon Synod, and its participants called on the Pope to consider allowing women to the deaconate. The Pope did not decide to do so, but did not stay passive: he introduced changes in the church services of the acolytate and the tutor, allowing women to do so; he besides created a fresh service of the catechate, immediately open to secular both genders. Furthermore, as a consequence of pressures and discussions on the function of women in the Church, Francis began to powerfully increase the participation of women in various Vatican institutions and bodies. The most vivid example of this is the Synod itself about Synodality – in the October synod session in 2024 women participate with the full right to vote.

In the summertime of 2023, a group of 5 cardinals asked Pope Francis a question in the form of a dubious question about whether he agrees that – as John Paul II announced in "Ordinatio sacerdotalis" – the Catholic Church has no authority to give priestly ordination to women. In his answer to the dubia, Francis stated that this teaching should be regarded as mandatory, but stressed that there was inactive a debate or a pope's ruling Wojtyla was infallible or not. In this way, Pope Bergoglio mildly suggested the “temporaries” of the categorical message from “Ordinatio sacerdotalis”. John Paul II, as we know, wrote about the exclusion of women from the presbyterate, without speaking about the Deacon itself.

Little wonder, then, that already at last year's Synod session on Synodality the discussion about the deacon of women was highly intense; it seemed that Francis had approved it. The October Synod Session of this year, however, began with a strong accent from Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, who announced in a communication of 2 October that the Dicastery of the Doctrine of religion would release a paper next year on the function of women in the Church, but there would be nothing in it about the sacramental deaconate. In Fernández's text, however, he did not mention to "Ordinatio sacerdotalis" nor did he at all argue theologically; he simply pointed out that "currently" the issue of women's deaconate is not at all burning and there is no request to deal with it.

Fernández fell from the progressive environments of harsh criticism, but the cardinal did not change his mind. During the Synod Press Conference of 21 October, he ordered the Vatican press services to read another message in which he upheld the erstwhile decision, explaining that the pope felt that the issue of women's deaconate was inactive "unripe" and that this should not be dealt with at this stage, due to the fact that the precedence for the intent of a greater "inclusion" of women in the decision-making structure in the Church is something completely different. He pointed to specified matters as allowing women to acolytate or catechate or entrusting women with parish management.

During the same press conference, different synod representatives spoke about the case; again, no of them argued theologically. Rather, the problem was moved around, as if avoiding the open admission that the Church has no authority to let women to deaconate, as the Deacon is part of the three-step structure of the sacrament of holiness.

In a alternatively amazing way, she spoke about it. p. Nathalie Becquart, Vice-Secretary of the Synod of Bishops. By translating Cardinal Fernández's position She said that a fewer years ago many things would have been completely unthinkable in the Church, and present – see – how many things have changed. She besides utilized a distinctive phrase: in her opinion, the Church is moving forward “step by step”.

That phrase reminded me of the words that the cardinal said a fewer months ago. Jean-Claude Hollerich, Secretary General of the Synod on Synodality. Hierarch in an interview with Swiss writer Jacqueline Straub stated that the Holy See simply cannot introduce the deaconate of women, Because... it would origin besides much opposition in conservative environments. According to Hollerich, if you had decided to do so today, there would have been a immense outbreak of opposition, and many people would have considered the deacon of women to be any progressive invention. Therefore, he said, you gotta decision forward slowly, in tiny steps, and then you will be able to accomplish more.

A fewer weeks later, Cardinal Mario Grech spoke about the deaconate of women. At 1 of the press conferences on preparation for the October synod session, he said that the introduction of a female deaconate would be an answer to the Lord's will... Mario Grech is the head of the Synod of Bishops and the main organizer of the Synod on Synodality, so I presume that he knows what the atmosphere on the Vatican's “mountain” is.

Step by step p. Becquart, tactics of tiny card steps. Hollericha, the will of God of the cardinals. Grecha...

With this in mind, let us now read the last paragraph of Cardinal Fernández's message of 21 October:

"Friends and friends, I am convinced that we can go step by step, coming to very circumstantial things, realizing that in the nature of a female there is nothing that prevents her from being able to hold very crucial positions in the leadership of the Church. What truly comes from the Holy Spirit is unstoppable.”

If 1 thinks that with this year's Synod of Synod of Synodality the effort to introduce into the Catholic Church female deacons will end – nothing more wrong. Progressors – those who want to "go forward" – now want to prepare the ground so that, erstwhile the substance matures, there is no more excessive resistance...

Paweł Chmielewski