St. Pope John Paul II in 1994 decreed “the reservation of priestly ordination to men alone” and wrote that “the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women”. He issued the decree so “that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance.” The Holy Father did not address the matter of ordination of women as deacons. Last year Pope Francis established a commission to study that matter. There is some scriptural and historical documentation suggesting there were women deacons in the early days of the Church. There is not timeline for the Study Commission to issue its report. In the meantime, we need to do more to promote the role of women in leadership in the mission of the Church.
