Cardinal Víctor Fernández: the female diaconate will be studied more vigorously

Cardinal Víctor Fernández has announced that the female diaconate will be the subject of a more in-depth study, driven by the proposals sent to the commission assigned to said work. He also stated that this issue, although Pope Francis considers it not “ripe,” is not a “closed issue.”

Delve into the differences between the sacred order and power in order to entrust the laity with leadership functions in the Church: this is, according to Cardinal Víctor Fernández, the objective of the work of the group he leads in the Synod of Synodality to reflect on the role of women in the Church, at the request of the Holy Father.

This was indicated by the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith during a meeting on Thursday afternoon with nearly a hundred members, guests and experts participating in the Synod to hear their questions and proposals related to the work of group 5 .

This meeting was called at the initiative of Cardinal Fernández after the indignation of some members due to his absence at a meeting scheduled for last week.

According to reports and to the audio shared after the meetingthe cardinal stressed that the majority of women want to “be listened to and valued,” they ask to “have authority” and to be able to develop their charismas without specifically requesting the female diaconate, since they do not want to be “clericalized.”

“I think of women theologians who in some places in the world have no possibility of development or real freedom for theological work (…) of women who have gifts to lead communities (…) or of women who have great ability to advise like the best of consultants or spiritual directors, but they are not accepted because they do not have sacred order,” he added.

The cardinal was also asked about the possibility of this issue being the main topic of the next Synod. “I don’t know what the procedures are for proposing the next topics, it is not my job, but perhaps it will be one of the topics proposed” at the end of this Synod, he responded.

Likewise, he stressed that “the experience of the Amazon” is “very important” for this study due to the existence, he assured, “of an experience of communities led by women without any priest.”

“This experience is very important for us and we have already consulted some women” who belong “to lay groups that constantly visit the communities.”

The idea of ​​ministries, he continued, “is not a decision of the bishop who chooses a friend for an important position, but rather there is a need in the community and there is in some people a gift that responds to that need.”

“We must be careful with this so as not to create a structure that ultimately remains dependent on authority,” he said.

In this sense, the prefect of the DDF affirmed that it is possible to “have a significant consensus” regarding the leadership roles of women in the Church, while pointing out that “very concrete” steps will be taken in this regard.

“If it turns out that in the past women preached during the celebration of the Eucharist or exercised power without having been ordained deacons, does this count for less?” asked the cardinal before the members of the Synod.

With the aim of carrying out a more open consultation following a “synodal style”, the Argentine cardinal renewed his invitation to send contributions and proposals to the Vatican Dicastery.

“Honestly, we need to receive ideas and proposals because we try to interpret the needs and possibilities that women envision, but I am not in their flesh, no. So we need to understand where we can go on these concrete paths of women’s empowerment.”

For this, the cardinal stated that “the help of concrete proposals with which we can take real steps forward is really needed.” What I heard today seemed very interesting to me and has opened my mind a little to other ideas.”

“I’m not known in the Church for being a closed-minded medieval, am I? So you can be sure that I have an open heart to see where the Holy Spirit takes us and we move forward,” he added.

The female diaconate will be studied “more strongly”

Although the female diaconate has been removed from the central debates of the Synod, the cardinal insisted that those who “are convinced that it is necessary to delve deeper” into this issue, may also send their considerations to the commission chaired by Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi to delve deeper into it. the topic.

He specified that this body, established by the Holy Father in 2020, will resume its work even with “more strength”, driven by the proposals sent by the members of the synod assembly and from other parts of the world.

Likewise, regarding Pope Francis’ position on the issue of the diaconate, which he stated is “not mature,” Cardinal Fernandez pointed out that this does not mean that Francis wishes to “close the issue.”

This reflection will also continue, according to the cardinal, because “the conclusions of the commission’s work are not univocal and there are historians according to whom in the past there were cases of women ordained deaconesses,” while other historians affirm, however, that It was “a blessing and not a true ordination.”