In a newly released statement, a study commissioned by the Vatican has declared that the ordination of women to the office of deacon, while unlikely, is an issue that remains open to further study.
The president of the study commission, Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi, who authored the statement, explained the situation in this way:
“From my point of view, it is justified to maintain a prudent approach on the subject of the diaconate.”
The statement, previously commissioned by Pope Francis, is consultative in nature. It does not attempt to define the Church's official teaching about this topic; it simply offers its findings to the Church, leaving it to the Magisterium to teach and define.
The report states that the meaning of “deacon” varies in its theological, ecclesial, and pastoral contexts. At the same time, the Commission acknowledges that women should continue to play a vital role in the life of the Church.
