Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
Pope Francis Is Acting All Papal Again – To Me This Triggers No Alarms

Pope Francis Is Acting All Papal Again – To Me This Triggers No Alarms

Last updated on: August 4, 2016 at 3:46 pm by Michael Pezzulo

Pope Francis Is Acting All Papal Again – To Me This Triggers No Alarms 2016-08-04T15:46:03-04:00 Michael Pezzulo

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

the-eleventh-hour-758723_1280

(Image via Pixabay)

By now everyone has probably heard the news that Pope Francis is establishing a committee to study the possibility of the ordination of women to the diaconate. Reactions have been similar to the reactions we saw when Pope Francis mentioned the idea earlier this year. A seminarian acquaintance of mine simply re-shared an article from a couple months ago which, while civil in tone, had the apparent purpose of predetermining the work of the committee, PRIOR to the formation of any such committee. Elsewhere on Patheos Catholic a similar effort to do the committee’s work for it is already underway. Despite the sincerity and good will of those offering such opinions, I suspect this approach is over-eager and less helpful than it is intended to be. Back in May, Mary wrote, “I figure that Rome will decide who can and cannot be a deacon, and I am not Rome despite my zesty Italian surname.” While I share that sentiment, and gave her that surname, I do think the formation of the committee is a good time to add a few more thoughts.

If the news leads you to cheers, or if it just makes you feel jarred or shocked, that is not, as such, good or bad. But there could be good and bad reasons for either reaction- if you believe that the ministry of the diaconate is something God intended for women and you want to cheer, this news seems a good reason. But if you see this discussion as some kind of stepping stone for the ordination of women to priesthood, expect to be disappointed. The Church fundamentally does not see priestly ordination as a matter of power. Justice demands not discriminating in the distribution of power on a male/female basis, but this fact is considered entirely separate from the question of whom should be, or even could be, admitted to priestly ordination.

Now, if you are shocked simply because change in matters of religion seems off or a change in how things should be, that isn’t wrong. Even natural and unavoidable change can be jarring- as in aging, ailing, death, etc. But if that feeling were translated further into a claim that one was being threatened, or into fear of losing what one would considers one’s own, that would be a move into the realm of a dubious selfishness. Especially in this case, as what is under discussion is not change, but the question of whether or not change is reasonable. A judgment that it is reasonable would be a judgment that admitting women to what is today termed “ordination to the diaconate” would in fact be the same thing as the patristic custom described in similar terms, prior to the historical and theological evolution of the meaning and application of those terms. Those who would be bothered by such a judgment on the interpretation of the Fathers should remind themselves of what Trent said about the consensus of the Fathers and recognize that the Roman Pontiff has a certain amount of authority in interpreting that consensus.

As I understand it, the real questions here have to do with whether the diaconate as such should be more associated with its theological roots, as an ordination to service, or in accord with its later trappings of custom, as akin to priesthood. The historical evolution of the term “ordination” – a subject I haven’t studied enough to gloss for you- is significant here.

On the whole, then, I find myself in agreement (not for the first time) with the statement of Archbishop Cupich:

“From the earliest days of the church, women rightly served in key leadership roles. Still, the church must do better. Women deserve to be brought more fully into the decision-making of the church. I look forward to learning more about the work of the commission, composed of an equal number of men and women, as they bring their considerable talents to bear on this important subject in the life of the church.”

Of course, there is a way of reacting to this news that would be completely wrong.

Fr. Dwight Longenecker

Rebecca Bratten Weiss

Standing On My Head

Suspended in Her Jar

women's ordination

Previous Post

August 3, 2016

Please Read

Next Post

August 3, 2016 You'll Never Believe What Catholic Bloggers Do

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category abortion Abuse Advent America American Christianity angel angels Annunciation Appalachia apparition apparition chaser apparition chasers apparition culture art art review babies baby baby Jesus Bad Lip Reading bad statue contest bath beauty Bible story blog blogkeeping blood book review Brandon Sanderson breastfeeding bus Catholic catholic conspiracy alarmism Catholic Oppositional Disorder Charismatic Renewal Charlie the Cat chastity Christ Christian idenitity Christianity and Judaism Chronic Illness clean clothing COD piece comedy compassion conscience conspiracy theory conversion cop-on-black violence Crucifixion cry of the poor culture Daesh Daily Saints death death penalty devotional diaconate diaper diapers dirty disability Donald Trump Dorothy Day dream drugs Eastern Catholicism Eastern Christianity education election election update Elsewhere on Patheos empathy environment Fear feminism film review fish flashback fluffy buns food Franciscan University of Steubenville Friendship Room fun Gabriel gardening gospel hair-splitting Heaven hell heresy Hillary Clinton history Holly the Witch Holy Spirit holy war Homeschooling homosexuality horror human dignity humor Icon idol immigrants infection inter-religious dialogue Interpretation of Scripture Islam Jesus Jihad Joseph joy laity and lay vocations lamb dinner laundry lent lgbtq literature love manners Mary Medicine and Science Meditation mercy mess milk misogyny Missouri monasticism monster motherhood mourn with those mourn movies movis music mystery nature neurodiversity New Pro-Life Movement news nonsense nostalgia O antiphons obituary objectification Ohio Valley Ordinary Time ordination Ordo Amoris parable paradox Passover peanut butter personal beliefs pets philosophy Planet Charismatic poetry politics polls poop Pope Francis Pope Leo power in the Church prayer prayer request prayers preferential option for non-violence president presidential election priest primary private revelation pro-life prophecy Public face of Catholicism Pure Flix Q and A race racism random rape rape. sexuality reader's request Reckoners refugee religious trauma ressurrection Right to life Saints saints and celebrations same-sex same-sex marriage satire scandal secular feasts seder Seven Joys Seven Last Words sex sexual ethics sexuality silencing six months skid row slavery social justice Speculative fiction spiritual abuse spoon stain story suffering suffrage suffragette Sunday Gospel temple Tenebrae Responsories Terror the exorcist The Friendship Room The New Pro-Life Movement Things I Learned on the Internet tin cup traffic true story tv review Uncategorized USCCB vice and temptation violence Virtue virtue and vice war Way of the Cross whimsy whole life women's ordination work of mercy Year A

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does the name "Samuel" mean in Hebrew?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Chosen one Servant of the Lord Heard by God The Lord is my salvation