The Vatican committee rejected the idea of reinstating the institution of female deacons on Friday, effectively confirming the traditional practice of the Catholic Church, according to which only men can be clergy.
After lengthy discussions, a commission of 12 experts, including five women, concluded that the available historical and theological data “do not allow” for the possibility of ordaining women as deacons at this stage. At the same time, the group’s participants recommended continuing to study the issue, emphasising that the topic requires further scientific and ecclesiastical analysis.
The debate surrounding the role of female deacons — the lowest level of church ministry, which allows them to preach, perform baptisms, weddings and funerals, but not to administer the Eucharist — has been actively ongoing for more than ten years. It began during the late Pope Francis’s papacy and remains one of the most contentious issues within the Catholic community.
Supporters of reform point out that women did indeed serve as deacons in the early Church. The Epistle of Paul mentions the deaconess Phoebe, which, according to researchers, testifies to the existence of a female diaconate in the first centuries of Christianity. Opponents argue that the functions of those ancient deaconesses differed from those of today and cannot serve as a basis for ordination.
The commission’s decision has already been sent to Pope Leo XIV, who has previously refrained from making public statements on this issue. According to observers, the pontiff’s final word could be a key signal for church structures and set the direction for further discussion on the role of women in the Catholic clergy.
Many experts believe that the current rejection will not close the issue definitively. Against the backdrop of widespread discussions about women’s participation in church life, as well as a growing shortage of priests in some regions of the world, pressure on the Vatican to review its practices is likely to intensify.
