NCR's Josh McElwee reported today that Pope Francis will create a commission to study the possibility of allowing women to serve as deacons in the Catholic church. Below is a wrap-up of recent content on NCRonline.org on women deacons and women's ordination. Read more coverage at our Women deacons feature series page.
News
Women share struggles at Vatican event, skirting issues of ordination, governance A dozen women from around the world shared compelling and sometimes harrowing stories of their struggles for peace, education and equality during a Vatican event March 8, 2016, with some calling for better representation and women's leadership at the highest levels of the Catholic church. (Joshua J. McElwee, March 9, 2016)
Archbishop: Synod should reflect on possibly allowing female deacons Canadian Archbishop Paul-Andre Durocher said the synod should reflect on allowing for female deacons as it seeks to open up more opportunities for women. (Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service, Oct. 6, 2015)
Priests offer support for women's ordination Priests explain their diverse journeys in support of women's ordination at WOW conference in Philadelphia. (Thomas C. Fox, Sept. 19, 2015)
Catholic activists raise ordination issue as pope's U.S. trip approaches Some 500 Catholic activists from around the globe will converge on Philadelphia for a three-day conference Sept. 18-20, 2015, to press for women's rights in the church. They will meet one week before Pope Francis is set to step foot into the city. The U.S.-based Women's Ordination Conference (WOC) is hosting the Women's Ordination Worldwide meeting. (Thomas C. Fox, Sept. 11, 2015)
Opinion
Editorial: We need fearless discussion on women's ordination We say: Many people in the church are prevented of speaking on women's ordination in fear of losing their livelihoods and careers. Those of us with the freedom to speak up, should. (NCR Editorial Staff, Nov. 15, 2015)
The church is not a museum "The Church is not a museum." Those are the words of Pope Francis opening the family synod in Rome this week.One can hope the delegates begin to understand. (Maureen Fiedler, Oct. 8, 2015)
Women's ordination: Can we be public? (Global Sisters Report commentary) In mid-April of this year, I was one of 38 Catholic leaders from 22 different Catholic reform organizations that met in Limerick, Ireland, in a four-day conference to discuss the state of the church. We spoke about the need to revitalize the church and the issue of authority as key in that revitalization. We spoke about the need of the Vatican to decentralize in favor of strengthening the local churches. (Jeannine Gramick, July 14, 2015)
Are things looking up for women in the church? A plethora of conferences about women have popped up all over Rome in the last three months. The Vatican's former hard-line freeze on discussing women's roles may at last be thawing out. (Christine Schenk, May 7, 2015)
Despite what opponents say, women deacons are for ministry The Cleveland-based activist group FutureChurch has organized its members nationwide to pay pre-ad limina calls on bishops. The FutureChurch brief includes restoring women to their traditional place in the diaconate. (Phyllis Zagano, Jan. 18, 2012)
