Vatican Says NO to Female Deacons... Again

The Vatican's Latest Word on Women Deacons: A Door Closed, But Not Locked

 Introduction: Echoes from the Synod and a Long-Awaited Report

On December 4, 2025, the Vatican released a seven-page synthesis report from the Study Commission on the Women's Diaconate, a document that has been anticipated—and debated—for years. Addressed to Pope Leo XIV and dated September 18, 2025, this report represents the culmination of deliberations by a high-level commission established by Pope Francis in 2020. It arrives in the wake of the Synod on Synodality's final report, which urged continued discernment on the role of women in the Church, including the possibility of ordained female deacons. For many Catholic women and advocates for greater gender equity in ministry, the timing felt momentous, especially as the Church grapples with declining vocations, shifting cultural norms, and calls for renewal.

Yet, the report's conclusions are clear and, for some, disheartening: the commission voted against admitting women to the diaconate as a degree of the sacrament of Holy Orders. In a 7-1 vote during its July 2022 session, the 12-member body—comprising five women and seven men, including theologians, deacons, and canon lawyers—determined that current historical research and theological reflection "excludes the possibility" of proceeding in this direction. The decision, while strong, is not presented as definitive. Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi, the commission's president and Archbishop emeritus of L'Aquila, emphasized in the synthesis that "the purely historical perspective does not allow us to arrive at any definitive certainty," and that the ultimate resolution must rest on doctrinal grounds.

Importantly, this document is not magisterial. It does not carry the authoritative weight of an encyclical, apostolic constitution, or even a formal motu proprio. Instead, it is a study report—a tool for papal discernment—released at the request of Pope Leo XIV to foster transparency amid ongoing synodal conversations. As such, it does not bind the faithful to assent in matters of faith or morals. It is advisory, inviting further reflection rather than closing the book entirely. The commission itself recommends additional study and the development of new lay ministries for women, suggesting pathways for enhanced female leadership outside the ordained realm.

This report does not emerge in a vacuum. It builds on a 2016 commission under Pope Francis that similarly failed to reach consensus, as well as centuries of Church tradition on the diaconate. To understand its significance, we must delve into the history of female deacons—or deaconesses—in the early Church. Were they ordained in the sacramental sense we understand today? What roles did they play? And how does this ancient precedent inform the Vatican's cautious "no" in 2025? This blog post explores these questions, weaving together historical analysis, theological nuance, and contemporary implications. By examining the past, we can better appreciate why the Church treads carefully today—and why the conversation persists.

 The 2025 Report: What the Vatican Decided and Why It Matters

The Petrocchi Commission's synthesis is concise yet layered, summarizing sessions from 2021, 2022, and a revival in 2025 following the Synod's call for input. The group reviewed scriptural texts, patristic writings, conciliar decrees, and modern scholarship. Two theological positions emerged: one viewing the diaconate as primarily ministerial (potentially open to women), and another emphasizing the unity of Holy Orders with its nuptial (Christ-bride) symbolism, which precludes female ordination at any level. The majority aligned with the latter, echoing Pope John Paul II's 1994 apostolic letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, which definitively barred women from priestly ordination.

The report's non-magisterial status is crucial. Unlike Pope Francis's 2021 apostolic constitution Spiritus Domini, which expanded lay ministries but sidestepped the diaconate, this document lacks the pope's explicit endorsement as teaching. Vatican News described it as a "synthesis of the commission's work," not an official pronouncement. Pope Leo XIV, in authorizing its release, may intend it as a conversation starter rather than an endpoint. Reactions have been swift: women's ordination advocates, like the Women's Ordination Conference, decried it as a setback for equality, while traditionalists hailed it as fidelity to Tradition. Theologian Phyllis Zagano, a member of the 2016 commission, critiqued it for prioritizing doctrinal caution over historical openness.

Yet, the report leaves room for hope—or at least ambiguity. It supports "new ministries that could contribute to synergy between men and women" and notes limited global input (only 22 contributions from few countries). This underscores the synodal process's emphasis on listening, even if the answer, for now, is no. In a Church facing clergy shortages—particularly in regions like Europe and North America—the diaconate's revival for men (permanent deacons now number over 50,000 worldwide) has been a boon. Extending it to women could address pastoral needs, from preaching to social outreach. But the commission warns that equating historical deaconesses with modern ordained deacons risks conflating distinct realities.

To grasp this caution, we turn to history. The early Church's deaconesses were vital, but their ordination was not equivalent to the male diaconate's sacramental character. This distinction, rooted in patristic and conciliar evidence, shapes the 2025 decision.

 Biblical Foundations: Phoebe and the Seeds of Diakonia

The story of female deacons begins in Scripture, where the Greek term diakonos—meaning servant or minister—appears without gender specificity. Romans 16:1-2 introduces Phoebe: "I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, so that you may welcome her in the Lord as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well." Paul uses diakonos here, the same word for male deacons in Philippians 1:1 and 1 Timothy 3:8. Phoebe, likely a wealthy patron (prostatis), traveled as Paul's emissary to Rome, carrying his letter and advocating for the community.

1 Timothy 3:8-13 further outlines qualifications for diakonoi, transitioning to "the women" (gynaikas) in verse 11: "The women likewise must be serious, not slanderers, but temperate, faithful in all things." Early interpreters like John Chrysostom (c. 347-407) saw this as deaconesses, distinct from deacons' wives. Clement of Alexandria (c. 150-215) and Origen (c. 185-254) affirmed women's diaconal roles, citing Phoebe as evidence of apostolic precedent.

These texts suggest women exercised diakonia—service—in the nascent Church. As house churches grew amid persecution, women like Phoebe bridged communities, hosted gatherings, and extended hospitality. Yet, Scripture does not describe a formal ordination rite for them, nor equate their ministry to the Seven Deacons of Acts 6, chosen for table service but symbolizing broader apostolic aid. The biblical foundation is one of functional service, not sacramental institution.

 The Early Church: Emergence of Deaconesses in the Third and Fourth Centuries

By the third century, as Christianity spread in the Roman Empire, deaconesses (diakonissai) appear in Eastern texts like the Didascalia Apostolorum (c. 230), a Syrian church order. It instructs: "Appoint a woman for the ministry of women... for we stand in need of a woman, a deaconess, for many necessities." Their duties included anointing women at baptism (to preserve modesty during immersion), instructing female catechumens, visiting sick women, and distributing Communion to the homebound. Pliny the Younger's letter (c. 112) mentions two ministrae (deaconesses) tortured in Bithynia, confirming their early presence.

The Apostolic Constitutions (c. 380), a comprehensive Eastern manual, details an ordination rite for deaconesses: the bishop lays hands on the woman, praying for the Holy Spirit's descent, mirroring the male deacon's rite but adapted. "Eternal God... who didst fill with thy Spirit Miriam, Deborah, Anna, and Huldah... look down now upon this thy handmaid... and grant unto her the Holy Spirit." Chosen from widows or virgins over 50 (later 40), deaconesses wore veils and orarions (stoles), entering the sanctuary for cleaning but not liturgical presidency.

Patristic witnesses abound. Epiphanius of Salamis (c. 315-403) in Panarion describes deaconesses as ordained for service, not priesthood. Basil the Great (c. 329-379) and Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335-395) praised their charitable work. Inscriptions from Philippi and Tarsus name deaconesses like Sophia (c. 425), buried with clerical honors. Archaeological evidence, such as mosaics in Jordanian churches, depicts women in diaconal roles.

In the West, evidence is sparser. The Statuta Ecclesiae Antiqua (c. 500, Gaul) assigns baptismal prep to widows and religious women, not formal deaconesses. Councils like Nicaea (325, canon 19) count deaconesses as lay, barring their ordination under 40. Orange (411, canon 26) forbids ordaining them altogether, viewing it as innovation.

These roles were contextual: adult baptisms necessitated female assistants for propriety in segregated settings. As infant baptism rose (post-Constantine), deaconesses' baptismal duties waned, though charitable service endured.

 The Patristic and Conciliar Era: Honor, Restrictions, and Decline

The fourth and fifth centuries mark deaconesses' zenith and constraints. The Council of Chalcedon (451, canon 15) affirms ordination by laying on hands but limits it to post-40 virgins or widows, rejecting younger candidates to curb scandal. Laodicea (c. 360, canon 11) prohibits women near the altar, reinforcing boundaries.

John Chrysostom, in homilies on Timothy, lauds deaconesses' dignity but subordinates them: "This text teaches... that even women are instituted deacons in the Church." Yet, he notes their exclusion from preaching or Eucharist. Theodore of Mopsuestia (c. 350-428) interprets 1 Timothy 3:11 as deacons' wives, minimizing female orders.

In the East, deaconesses thrived in monastic contexts. Olympias of Constantinople (c. 361-408), ordained by Gregory of Nazianzus, oversaw 250 nuns, funded churches, and aided the poor. Her epitaph calls her "deaconess in name and deed." Hagia Sophia's staff in the sixth century included 40 deaconesses.

Western resistance grew. Nimes (394) reproved women's levitical roles; Epaone (517) banned consecrating self-styled deaconesses. By the sixth century, deaconesses merged with widows or abbesses. The Rule of Caesarius of Arles (c. 512) assigns diaconal tasks to nuns without ordination.

The decline accelerated post-seventh century. Trullo (692, canon 14) notes deaconesses' obsolescence, linking it to reduced adult baptisms. Byzantine civil laws (e.g., Justinian's Code) ranked them below male deacons, associating them with charity over clergy. By the 11th century, Balsamon of Antioch lamented the order's disuse, though titles lingered for nuns.

This era reveals deaconesses as blessed ministers, not sacramentally ordained like men. Their cheirotonia (laying on hands) was dedicatory, not configuring to Holy Orders' indelible character. As Aimé-Georges Martimort notes, no evidence shows deaconesses progressing through minor orders (porter, lector, etc.), unlike male deacons—a hallmark of clerical formation.

 Medieval to Modern: Fading Echoes and Revival Attempts

Medieval sources are faint. The Pontifical of Guillaume Durand (c. 1295) recalls deaconesses historically, without rites. In the East, Michael the Syrian (1166-1199) notes: "In ancient times, deaconesses were ordained... but as baptism shifted to infants, this function was abolished." Western councils like Orleans II (533) excommunicated remarried "blessed" deaconesses, equating it to lay status.

The 19th-century revival, amid social reforms, saw Protestant and Anglican deaconess orders (e.g., Kaiserswerth, 1836). Catholics experimented: Leo XIII's 1897 Conditae a Christo praised deaconesses as lay, not ordained. Pius XII's 1957 address to the Union of Superiors General clarified: deaconesses' ancient blessing was not sacramental ordination.

The 20th century's theological commissions echoed this. Paul VI's 1972 survey found no consensus for revival. John Paul II's ITC (2002) in From the Diakonia of Christ concluded deaconesses were "not purely or simply equivalent to deacons," their rite a "serious and sacramental" blessing, not Holy Orders.

Francis's commissions (2016, 2020) revisited amid synodality. The 2016 group split; 2020's, per the 2025 report, voted against, citing Tradition's unity.

 Theological Reflections: Why Not Holy Orders?

The core issue: Holy Orders imprints an ontological change, configuring recipients to Christ the Servant (deacon), Priest (priest), Shepherd (bishop). Male-only reservation, per Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, stems from the nuptial mystery (Eph 5:25-32). Deaconesses' service was vital but parallel, not integrated—addressing gender-specific needs without altar access.

Historians like John Wijngaards argue for equivalence, citing identical rites. But Martimort and the ITC counter: rites evolved differently; deaconesses lacked clerical privileges (e.g., no confession hearing). The 2025 report aligns here, prioritizing doctrine over history.

 Contemporary Implications: Beyond the "No"

The 2025 report's "no—for now" invites creativity. It endorses lay institutes like the Daughters of St. Paul for evangelization. In Africa and Asia, women lead parishes de facto. Permanent deacons' growth (restored 1967) shows diaconate's flexibility—why not analogous female roles?

Critics like Kate McElwee lament inequality; supporters see fidelity. Pope Leo XIV might expand ministries via motu proprio, echoing Spiritus Domini.

 Conclusion: Listening in Hope

The Vatican's December 4, 2025, report reaffirms no to female deacons in Holy Orders, non-magisterially, while urging study. History shows deaconesses as blessed servants, not ordained clerics—pioneers of mercy in a segregated world. Their legacy challenges us: expand women's roles without diluting Tradition. As synodality unfolds, may the Spirit guide toward fuller inclusion.

 Sources

1. Vatican News. "Petrocchi Commission says no to female diaconate, though judgment not definitive." December 4, 2025.

2. America Magazine. "Vatican report says no to ordaining women deacons—for now." December 4, 2025.

3. The New York Times. "After Years of Debate, Vatican Says No to Women Deacons, at Least for Now." December 4, 2025.

4. Catholic News Service (via USCCB). "Papal commission votes against ordaining women deacons." December 4, 2025.

5. Reuters. "Vatican commission says 'no' to women as Catholic deacons." December 4, 2025.

6. Catholic Women Deacons. "History of Catholic Women Deacons." Accessed December 5, 2025.

7. Wikipedia. "Deaconess." Last edited November 17, 2025.

8. Women Deacons Organization. "The History of Women Deacons." Accessed December 5, 2025.

9. EWTN. "History of Deaconesses." Accessed December 5, 2025.

10. Christian History Magazine. "The Neglected History of Women in the Early Church." Issue on Early Church Women.

11. Oxford University Press. "Women Deacons in Ancient Christian Communities: Leadership and Ordination." From Patterns of Women's Leadership in Early Christianity, 2021.

12. Catholic Encyclopedia (New Advent). "Deaconesses." Accessed December 5, 2025.

13. Catholic Answers Magazine. "Deaconesses? Sure. ‘Women Deacons’? Not So Fast." October 8, 2019.

14. International Theological Commission. "From the Diakonia of Christ to the Diakonia of the Apostles." 2002.

15. Aimé-Georges Martimort. Deaconesses: An Historical Study. Ignatius Press, 1986.

Did the Catholic Church Ordain Women Deacons?

Catholic Deaconesses in the Early Church and Why They Were Not Ordained Deacons

Deaconesses were women who served the Church in various ways, such as assisting in the baptism and anointing of women, distributing communion to sick women, teaching and catechizing women converts, and caring for the poor and the widows. They were not, however, ordained deacons in the same sense as men who received the sacrament of holy orders and participated in the ministry of the word, the altar, and the governance of the Church.

The term "deaconess" comes from the Greek word diakonos, which means "servant" or "minister". In the New Testament, this word is used in a general sense to refer to anyone who serves Christ and his Church, such as Paul, Timothy, Phoebe, and even the civil authorities (Romans 13:4). It is also used in a specific sense to refer to those who are appointed to a special service in the Church, such as the seven men chosen by the apostles to assist in the distribution of food to the widows (Acts 6:1-6).

The only woman in the New Testament who is explicitly called a diakonos is Phoebe, whom Paul commends as "a deaconess of the church at Cenchreae" (Romans 16:1). However, this does not necessarily mean that she was ordained to a specific office or function since the word diakonos was still used in a very general sense at that time. Moreover, Paul does not mention any specific tasks or duties that Phoebe performed as a deaconess, except that she was a "benefactor" or "patron" of many people, including Paul himself (Romans 16:2).

In the early centuries of the Church, there is evidence that some women were appointed or consecrated as deaconesses by bishops, especially in the Eastern churches. The most detailed source for this practice is the Apostolic Constitutions, a collection of ecclesiastical laws and liturgical texts compiled in Syria around the fourth century. According to this document, deaconesses were to be chosen from among mature and reputable women, preferably widows or virgins, who had dedicated themselves to God. They were to be consecrated by the bishop with the laying on of hands and a prayer of blessing, similar to that used for deacons. However, they were not to receive the imposition of hands on their heads, as this was reserved for those who received holy orders. They were also not to wear any distinctive garment or insignia that would indicate a clerical status.

The main role of deaconesses was to assist in the baptism of women, since this involved full immersion in water and anointing of the whole body with oil. Deaconesses were also responsible for instructing and preparing women catechumens for baptism and confirmation. In addition, they could distribute communion to sick women who could not attend the liturgy, visit and comfort women prisoners and martyrs, and perform works of charity and mercy for the needy.

Deaconesses were not, however, authorized to preach, teach, or exercise any authority over men in the Church. They were also not allowed to serve at the altar or touch any sacred vessels or objects as a deacon would. However, they would function like altar girls/women.  They were subordinate to the bishop and his presbyters (priests) and deacons, who alone possessed the sacrament of holy orders and exercised the threefold ministry of Christ as prophet, priest, and king.

The institution of deaconesses gradually declined and disappeared in both the East and the West by the Middle Ages. Several factors contributed to this development, such as:

- The change in the mode of baptism from immersion to infusion (pouring), which reduced the need for deaconesses to assist in this sacrament.

- The rise of monasticism and religious orders for women, which offered alternative ways for women to dedicate themselves to God and serve the Church.

- The reform of the clergy and the restoration of celibacy for deacons in both lungs of the Church.

- The opposition of some bishops and priests to deaconesses, who saw them as a threat to their authority and influence.

Today, some Christian churches have revived or introduced the ordination of women as deacons or deaconesses. However, this practice is not accepted by the Catholic Church, which teaches that only men can receive holy orders as bishops, priests, or deacons (see: Sacerdotus: Why the Catholic Church Cannot Ordain Women). This teaching is based on:

- The example and will of Christ, who chose only men as his apostles and entrusted them with his authority and mission.

- The constant tradition and practice of the Church, which has always reserved holy orders to men alone.

- The magisterial teaching of the Church, which has definitively declared that the Church has no authority to ordain women to holy orders.

In 2002, the International Theological Commission, a body of theologians appointed by the pope to advise him on doctrinal matters, issued a document on the history and theology of the diaconate. In this document, the commission concluded that deaconesses in the early Church were not equivalent to deacons and did not receive holy orders. Therefore, the commission stated, "it is not possible to see in the diaconal ministry of women as it was developed in the ancient Church a clear basis for a possible sacramental ordination of women deacons in the future." (From the Diakonia of Christ to the Diakonia of the Apostles, n. 88)

The commission also suggested that the Church could consider other ways of enhancing the role and participation of women in the Church, without ordaining them to holy orders. For example, the commission proposed that "the ministries already accessible to women — whether in direct collaboration with the priestly ministry or in the many activities of charity and assistance — could be more clearly defined and more intensely promoted, so that they may be more highly valued and appreciated." (Ibid., n. 89)

In conclusion, deaconesses were women who served the Church in various ways in the early centuries, but they were not ordained deacons in the same sense as men who received holy orders. The Catholic Church does not ordain women as deacons or priests, because this is contrary to the will of Christ and the tradition of the Church. However, the Church recognizes and appreciates the many contributions of women to the life and mission of the Church, and encourages them to use their gifts and talents for the glory of God and the good of his people.

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## References

- History of Deaconesses | EWTN - EWTN Global Catholic Television Network https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/history-of-deaconesses-4813

- The Order of Deaconesses in the Early church - Women Priests https://womenpriests.org/articles-books/hannon3-the-order-of-deaconesses-in-the-early-church/

- Deaconesses? Sure. ‘Women Deacons’? Not So Fast. https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/deaconesses-sure-women-deacons-not-so-fast

- Should Women Be Ordained Catholic Deacons? - Boston University https://www.bu.edu/articles/2022/should-women-be-ordained-catholic-deacons/

- From the Diakonia of Christ to the Diakonia of the Apostles http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/cti_documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20020222_diaconate_en.html

Sacerdotus: Pope Francis & Deaconesses

Sacerdotus: Deaconess Commission

Deaconess Commission

The Vatican has recently announced that Pope Francis has instituted a new commission to study the possibility of women deacons in the Catholic Church. This is the second time that the pope has created such a commission, following a request from the International Union of Superiors General in 2016. The new commission consists of 10 members, five men and five women, from seven different countries. They will examine the historical and theological role of women deacons in the early Church and the implications for today.

The question of women deacons has been debated for decades, especially in regions where there is a shortage of priests and where women already play a significant role in pastoral and social work. Deacons are ordained ministers who can perform many of the same functions as priests, such as presiding at weddings, baptisms, and funerals, and preaching. They cannot celebrate Mass or hear confessions. Currently, only married or celibate men can be ordained as deacons.

Supporters of women deacons argue that there is evidence that women served as deacons in the early Church and that ordaining women would give them more voice and recognition in the Church's ministry and governance. Opponents contend that allowing women to be deacons would undermine the male-only priesthood and the Church's teaching on the complementarity of the sexes.

The first commission that Pope Francis established in 2016 failed to reach a consensus on the issue and did not produce a definitive report. The pope said that the commission's research was inconclusive and that further study was needed. Some members of the commission claimed that there was no clear evidence of sacramental ordination of women deacons in the early Church, while others argued that there were different forms of diaconal ministry for both men and women.

The issue was revived during the 2019 synod of bishops in the Amazon region, where many bishops called for the ordination of women deacons to address the pastoral needs of the local communities. Pope Francis agreed to reconvene the commission and perhaps expand it with new members. The new commission includes some members of the previous one, as well as some new experts.  The new commission consists of 10 members, five men, and five women, from seven different countries.

The pope has repeatedly affirmed the Church's teaching that only men can be priests, citing the example of Jesus who chose only male apostles. However, he has also expressed his desire to enhance the role of women in the Church and to promote a more synodal and inclusive model of the Church. He has appointed more women to leadership positions in the Vatican and has encouraged more participation of women in decision-making processes.

It is not clear how long the new commission will take to complete its work or what kind of recommendations it will make to the pope. The pope has said that he is open to listening to what the Spirit is saying to the Church through this commission. He has also asked for prayers for the commission's work and for discernment on this important matter.

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Sources:

- Vatican to again study whether women can be deacons in the Catholic Church | CBC News 

- Pope institutes new commission to study women deacons - Vatican News 

- Francis to create commission to study female deacons in Catholic church | National Catholic Reporter 

- Pope Francis establishes new commission to study women deacons | Catholic News Agency

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Study_Commission_on_the_Women%27s_Diaconate

https://www.ncronline.org/spirituality/news/francis-creates-new-women-deacons-commission-naming-entirely-different-membership

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/44137/pope-francis-establishes-new-commission-to-study-women-deacons

https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2019/05/07/pope-francis-says-commission-women-deacons-did-not-reach-agreement

Pope Francis & Deaconesses

During a question and answer session at the International Union of Superiors General meeting, the Pope made comments that got the media to explode with rumors on television and the internet with reports that the Pope is allowing women deacons or is opening up a commission to study the allowance of them.

What is the truth?

Well, let us see what he actually said in response to a question on the role of women in the Church:

"This question tends toward “doing”: Consecrated women already work very much with the poor, they do so many things… toward “doing.” And it touches on the issue of the permanent deaconate. Someone might say that the “permanent deaconesses” in the life of the Church are the mothers-in-law [he laughs; they laugh]. In fact, this existed in ancient times: there was a beginning … I remember it was a topic that interested me somewhat when I would come to Rome for meetings and stay at the Domus Paulus VI; there was a Syrian theologian there, a good man, who did the critical edition and translation of the hymns of St. Ephrem, the Syrian. And one day I asked him about this, and he explained to me that in the early days of the Church there were some “deaconesses.”
But what are these deaconesses? Were they ordained or not? The Council of Chalcedon (451) speaks about it, but it is somewhat obscure. What was the role of deaconesses at that time? It seems — that man told me, who is dead; he was a good professor, wise, erudite — it seems that the role of the deaconesses was to help with the baptisms of women, the immersion, they were baptizing them, for the sake of decorum; also to anoint the bodies of women in baptism. And also something curious: when there was a marriage trial, because the husband was beating his wife, and she went to the bishop to complain, the deaconesses were charged with looking at the bruises left on the body of the woman from her husband’s beatings and informing the bishop.
This, I remember. There are a number of publications on the diaconate in the Church, but it is unclear what it was like. I think that I will ask the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to inform me about the studies on this topic, because I have responded to you based only on what I heard from this priest — who was a scholarly and true researcher — about the permanent diaconate. And also I would like to set up an official commission to study the issue: I think that it will be good for the Church to clarify this point; I agree, and I will speak, to do something of this kind.
Therefore, on the deaconate, yes, I accept, and a commission that clarifies this well seems useful to me, especially regarding the early days of the Church."

As you can see, the Pope is not saying that he is allowing women deacons. He is sharing a story of what a priest-professor told him and showed own his ignorance on the history of deaconesses. Moreover, he suggested he would have a commission study it only to CLARIFY the role of the deaconess, not to institute it. The media once again took the Pope's words and ran to the wind with them with all kinds of conclusions.  The Pope clearly stated that he answered the question based on what a priest told him and said "I think that I will ask the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith to inform me about the studies on this topic." The "I think' tells us that it is not something set in stone that he will ask for of the CDF.  Look at his words again:

"There are a number of publications on the diaconate in the Church, but it is unclear what it was like. I think that I will ask the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to inform me about the studies on this topic, because I have responded to you based only on what I heard from this priest — who was a scholarly and true researcher — about the permanent diaconate. And also I would like to set up an official commission to study the issue: I think that it will be good for the Church to clarify this point."

The Pope clearly is not an expert on everything, no Pope is. Moreover, the deaconess role in the early Church is in fact obscure, but definitely not part of Holy Orders. This role is described more like a religious sister than a deacon in the sense of a male who is ordained a deacon. These women assisted the clergy and other women receiving the Sacraments during baptisms and anointing so that the clergy would not see the women in the nude etc. The deaconesses helped the clergy almost like an altar server in a sense. They did not perform liturgical functions.  In fact, the Council of Chalcedon in 451 stated this:

Canon 15
A woman shall not receive the laying on of hands as a deaconess under forty years of age, and then only after searching examination. And if, after she has had hands laid on her and has continued for a time to minister, she shall despise the grace of God and give herself in marriage, she shall be anathematized and the man united to her.
Source: http://www.earlychurchtexts.com/public/chalcedon_canons.htm

The word 'diakonos' did not always mean 'deacon' in the clerical sense. In the wedding of Cana in the Scriptures, the word is used to refer to the waiters.  In fact, one of the meanings of 'diakonos' is waiter according to Strong's Concordance see: http://biblehub.com/greek/1249.htm.  There is no evidence that the deaconesses in the early Church were clergy.  The case of Phobe in Romans 16:1 shows that the word 'diakonos' was used in reference as a servant or helper.  Moreover, there is no word for 'deaconess in Greek. This developed centuries later. The document From the Diakonia of Christ to the Diakonia of the Apostles states:

"At the beginning of the second century a letter from Pliny the Younger, governor of Bithynia, mentioned two women who were described by the Christians as ministrae, the probable equivalent of the Greek diakonoi (10, 96-97). It was not until the third century that the specific Christian terms diaconissa or diacona appeared." Source - http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/cti_documents/rc_con_cfaith_pro_05072004_diaconate_en.html

Moreover, the same document makes it clear that the deaconesses mentioned in the early Church were not deacons in the sense of male clergy:

"The deaconesses mentioned in the tradition of the ancient Church - as evidenced by the rite of institution and the functions they exercised - were not purely and simply equivalent to the deacons."
source -http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/cti_documents/rc_con_cfaith_pro_05072004_diaconate_en.html

"II. Towards the Disappearance of Deaconesses
After the tenth century deaconesses were only named in connection with charitable institutions. A Jacobite author of that time notes: "In ancient times, deaconesses were ordained. Their function was to look after women so that they should not have to uncover themselves before the bishop. But when religion spread more widely and it was decided to administer baptism to infants, this function was abolished."108We find the same statement in the Pontifical of Patriarch Michael of Antioch (1166-1199).109When commenting on can. 15 of the Council of Chalcedon, Theodore Balsamon, at the end of the twelfth century, observed that "the topic of this canon has altogether fallen into disuse. For today deaconesses are no longer ordained, although the name of deaconesses is wrongly given to those who belong to communities of ascetics." 110Deaconesses had become nuns. They lived in monasteries which no longer practised works of diakonia except in the field of education, medical care, or parish service.
The presence of deaconesses is still attested in Rome at the end of the eighth century. While the Roman rituals had previously not mentioned deaconesses, the sacramentary Hadrianum, sent by the pope to Charlemagne and spread by him throughout the Frankish world, includes an Oratio ad diaconam faciendum. It was in fact a blessing, placed as an appendix among other rites of first institution. The Carolingian texts often combined deaconesses and abbesses. The Council of Paris of 829 contained a general prohibition on women performing any liturgical function.111 The Decretals of Pseudo-Isidore contain no mention of deaconesses; and neither does a Bavarian Pontifical from the first half of the ninth century.112 A century later, in the Pontifical Romano-Germanique of Mainz, the prayer Ad diaconam faciendum is to be found after the ordinatio abbatissae, between the consecratio virginum and the consecratio viduarum. Once again, this was merely a blessing accompanied by the handing over of the stole and veil by the bishop, as well as the nuptial ring and the crown. Like widows, the deaconess promised continence. This is the last mention of "deaconesses" found in the Latin rituals. In fact the Pontifical of Guillaume Durand at the end of the thirteenth century speaks of deaconesses only with reference to the past.113
In the Middle Ages, the nursing and teaching religious orders of nuns fulfilled in practise the functions of diakonia without, however, being ordained for this ministry. The title, with no corresponding ministry, was given to women who were instituted as widows or abbesses. Right up until the thirteenth century, abbesses were sometimes called deaconesses." Source -http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/cti_documents/rc_con_cfaith_pro_05072004_diaconate_en.html

So there you have it. Pope Francis was simply speaking about what he knew based on what a priest told him. He suggested that he might ask the CDF to clarify the role, not institute any female version of the diaconate in the sacramental sense. Do not be deceived by the media.  I started a poll on Twitter and here are what some think on the issue:

Should there be women deacons in the #Catholic Church? #trcot #Catholicfollowchain #Poll

— Sacerdotنs (@Sacerdotus) May 12, 2016

 




Source:

http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/it/speeches/2016/may/documents/papa-francesco_20160512_uisg.html

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/05/pope-francis-opens-possibility-women-serving-deacons

http://aleteia.org/2016/05/13/complete-transcript-of-pope-francis-remarks-on-women-deacons/

http://www.catholic.com/blog/deacon-jim-russell/what-should-i-know-about-pope-francis-and-%E2%80%98women-deacons%E2%80%99#.VzTn4NtYe9k.twitter

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-francis-says-hes-open-to-studying-the-female-diaconate-94916/?platform=hootsuite

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3587058/That-ecumenical-matter-Pope-Francis-announces-study-allow-women-serve-deacons-Catholic-Church.html?ito=social-twitter_mailonline

http://ncronline.org/news/vatican/francis-create-commission-study-female-deacons-catholic-church

http://religion.trendolizer.com/2016/05/pope-francis-says-hes-open-to-studying-whether-women-can-be-deacons.html

http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2016/05/pope-francis-mulls-opening-door-female-deacons-church/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2016/05/12/pope-francis-will-reportedly-study-the-possibility-of-female-deacons/?tid=sm_tw

http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/12/world/pope-women-deacons/index.html?sr=twCNN051216pope-women-deacons0656PMStoryGalPhoto&linkId=24448430

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pope-francis-women-deacons_us_5734bf08e4b060aa7819932a?

http://www.seeker.com/pope-francis-signals-openness-to-female-deacons-1793520489.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2016/05/12/pope-francis-will-reportedly-study-the-possibility-of-female-deacons/?tid=sm_tw

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/cti_documents/rc_con_cfaith_pro_05072004_diaconate_en.html

http://biblehub.com/greek/1249.htm