My initial reaction to the statement from the Vatican ruling out the possibility of women being eligible for the diaconate in the Catholic Church was one of great sadness.
This development has something of the same feel for me as the papal document, Humanae Vitae, of 1968 declaring that the use of artificial means of contraception was a serious sin. One of the great problems with that document was that it emerged from a ‘shadowy’ group of male clerics in the Vatican — largely nameless – and that it went against what was then the developing consensus among the members of the Church.
This present statement has again come from a ‘shadowy’ body – apparently ten members appointed by the Curia, but names are not revealed.
If the 1968 document went against a developing consensus, this one is much more problematic in this area. We are now in the middle of a Synodal Process in the Church, which is based on the notion of giving a voice to all the baptised. That voice has so far been clear and strong on its view of the need for equality for women in all aspects of Church life and ministry; in this country a survey a couple of years ago recorded that 96% of church going catholics were in favour of women being ordained, not just as deacons, but also as priests.
So once again the Vatican, with its secretive methods, has dismissed the views of the faithful, even in the midst of much hyped synodality.
The consequences of this could be serious for the Church. I know that the large majority of women, especially in the western world, will reject it, and the exodus of young women from the Church will increase.
Can Synodality survive this development? At the very least it will be damaged. How can people be expected to continue to give their time and energy to the significant amount of work involved if they know that a secret Vatican ‘cabal’ can dismiss the findings with the stroke of a pen? Does Pope Leo not realise that?
So, in my view, this is a bay day for the Catholic Church.
