There are still several months left (in October of this year) for the Synod of Synodality to end and everything points to the fact that the great revolution that could come out of it is the approval of the female diaconate.
Not long ago, an important cardinal pointed out to this media that it was something that could happen since it is a debate that is not closed. "John Paul II closed the issue on the priestly ordination of women but said nothing about the diaconate," this cardinal with positions of responsibility pointed out to InfoVaticana.
The truth is that Rome seems to be stepping on the accelerator so that this idea will take hold and not catch anyone out of the blue. Within the Vatican there is a certain obsession to "find" the place that corresponds to women within the Church. While it is true that Francis has stated on some occasions that he cannot change the Church's teaching on female ordination, he would be more willing to look for a middle way, which could be to accept the female diaconate.
This week, the Pontiff invited two female theologians and an Anglican "bishop" to the Council of Cardinals to reflect on the role of women in the Church. Some of the participants have spoken to the media and their statements only confirm that Rome is working to explore this avenue.
The Pope "very much in favor of the female diaconate".
Italian theologian Linda Pocher was one of those who participated in this meeting and assured that the Pontiff "is very much in favor of the female diaconate," although she specifies that at the moment it is not on the table to ordain women priests.
"There is no reflection on the priestly ordination of women in the Catholic Church," Pocher said. In declarations to Europa Press, he pointed out that "the diaconate was also discussed. We already know that the Pope is very much in favor of the female diaconate, but it is still something we are trying to understand how to put into practice".
He also affirmed that the Council of Cardinals - of which Omella is a member - was "very willing to listen" although some cardinals "were more open" and others "less" depending "also on the culture".
Who also shared her impressions of the meeting with the Pope and the cardinals was Anglican "bishop" Jo Bailey Wells.
In an interview with Vida Nueva, she notes that she was asked to speak about the experience of women's ordination in the Church of England and in the Anglican Communion. This Anglican "bishop" also noted that the cardinals "were welcoming, attentive and I would even say curious."
"I know that on Pope Francis' part there is a willingness to explore, to take risks, to exercise imagination in terms of the possibilities for change," Bailey Wells reveals.
