Did you remember that the Pope formed a Committee to study the question of female deacons? Deaconettes?
Right. Not exactly on the top of the list of things to think about.
Archbishop Francisco Ladaria Ferrer, the Secretary of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith is the one who is running, at the behest of the Pope, the Committee on Deaconettes. He is rather retiring, so this interview at ZENIT is interesting, to say the least.
There were questions on other topics, but this one requires special attention.
INTERVIEW: Feminine Diaconate: ‘Only Study, No Decisions Right Away,’ Says Archbishop Ladaria
[…]
ZENIT: One last question. We know that the Pope recently appointed the President of the Commission of Study on the Feminine Diaconate. Can this rediscovery eventually foster the ecumenical dialogue or rather hurt it?
Archbishop Ladaria: In my opinion, at this moment the Pope wants to make an objective study, not to come to a decision, but to study how things were in the early times of the Church. This study doesn’t pretend to have an ecumenical scope. The desire is to give the Holy Father some elements of judgment and nothing more. The Pope has said that “this aspect should be studied, especially in the early times of the Church.” It must be a serene reflection without pressures and without the urgency to come to a decision in a short time.
Soon…. they are going to, you know, take some time and turn all the rocks over and looooook underneeeeeeeeath them, and then study the results and write about their observations. Then they will send their papers in to be collated. That’ll take a while. Then they will need time to read and to reflect on what everyone else is saying. In turn that will drive them back to studying the question again, with new points of consideration. They will reeeeeeeead and thiiiiiiiink…. and refleeeeeeeeecct….
Yep. Nope. This is going nowhere, folks. Nowhere verrrrrry sloooooowly.
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“how things were in the early times of the Church”
Hmm. Would that be a criterion for validity of doctrine or practice?
Wouldn’t it be “rigid” to look backwards to make decisions now?
Or is the far past (i.e. Tradition) only relevant if convenient?
I read that the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria unfortunately is going to approve deaconettes.
If I substitute the words “communion for the divorced and civilly remarried” for “female diaconate” in this passage, I get an overpowering feeling of deja vu.
Ladaria’s words about “serene reflection” are totally reminiscent of the early stages of the current Amoris laetitia fiasco.
It’s comin’….
[Noooooo…. not.]
Anthony J, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria is not approving them to have the same roles as men. Not even close, in fact. My understanding is they will minister exclusively to women.
This is not important. The Pope is addressing hostility in our world and Church, which is far more critical than Church structure.
Don’t worry. Women can take care of themselves. We get done what needs to get done– with or without the Church’s blessing.
[It’s important only … only… to those who want it soooooooo much because it might lead to other things!]
” the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria is not approving them to have the same roles as men”
Yes, there was seemingly a clarification that it was the ancient “lay office” of deaconess that is being revived’ not the creation of “female deacons.”
The Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch has always had deaconess, they are blessed as singers in the choir for the Divine Liturgy and other Liturgical celebrations. They are also bound to pray the daily office, and commit to the Church and their bishop, as well as the Patriarch.
.
“…but to study how things were in the early times of the Church.”
Well, in my early days, I had pimples – I can’t really see the selling point.
The Chicken
The following comment from a learned Anglican theologian, Eric L. Mascall (1905-1993), writing in 1972 when the rumblings for women’s ordination in Anglicanism had greatly intensified, seems very much on point:
At least Pope Francis is clear that study does not portend an “overnight upset.” But I expect that some Catholics will do exactly what Mascall was warning Anglicans not to do, i.e. jump to the conclusion that “study” is a face-saving precursor to an inevitable (if dubiously justifiable) change. They have the example of us Anglicans to justify that erroneous fear/hope. We always fall for it when our leaders “study” things that they fully intend to change.
Hey, y’all, it only took Pope Bergoglio three years, from the announcement of the Synod on the Family to the leaking of his letter to the Argentine bishops, to undermine an unbroken tradition dating back to apostolic times. How long do you think it will take him to institute a change with genuine historical, albeit it sacramentally ambiguous, precedent? I’m going to make most of you angrier than hornets by agreeing with the feminists on this point: it’s not on his agenda. He has no real desire to cede any of his tyrannical power, even to the women whose cause he professes to advance by readmitting their philandering husbands to the Sacraments. I’d have had more respect for the man if he had chosen this path to worldly acclaim than that of contradicting the express words of Our Lord on marriage and of St. Paul on receiving the Blessed Sacrament.
A note suggesting the Alexandrian Greek Orthodox are also embarking upon study:
http://aleteia.org/blogs/deacon-greg-kandra/breaking-orthodox-patriarchate-moves-to-restore-female-deacons/
Since Pope Francis closed the door rather tightly on women priests, how can anybody pursue this any longer with any real energy?
Absit invidia: the spiritual powers never tire in their assaults. We do not battle against flesh and blood.
Sounds like ” so we’ll get back to you in a couple of hundred years on this” One of the reasons I love Holy Mother Church. I think it will die a natural death.
My local secular newspaper had a two-page spread on this. It may not go anywhere, but it can still waste lots of our energy in the process.
Sorry, Fr. Z. My gut reaction is the same as kiwiinamerica. Placate, divert, then ambush.
There are two kinds of studies. Those that actually objectively study an issue, and those that are merely a cover to justify a predetermined outcome. We don’t know which one this is yet.
JonPatrick says:
There are two kinds of studies. Those that actually objectively study an issue, and those that are merely a cover to justify a predetermined outcome. We don’t know which one this is yet.
There’s a third kind of study–bureaucratic delay. This is especially effective for a pope who is 80 yrs old.
I remember when I was growing up, I would ask my mom for something. Her “yes” meant “yes” and her “maybe” meant “no”. She didn’t want a confrontation right then, and wanted to kick the can down the road a little.