Vatican City – A special committee in the Vatican has refused to grant women the rank of Catholic deacons in the church,
confirming that this position will remain restricted to men according to established church traditions.
This decision comes after a lengthy study on the role of women in senior church positions.
This comes amid a global debate about increasing women’s participation in church administration.
The committee explained in its official report that the rank of deacon is
a historical position associated with serving the church and administering the holy sacraments.
She pointed out that canon law and papal traditions did not specify the possibility of granting this rank to women.
Rules cannot be modified
The committee considered that changes in this area needed
a broader review at the level of the global Catholic Church.
But at the moment the existing rules cannot be changed.
This decision comes amid growing demands from Catholic women’s groups
and from supporters of women’s equality within the Church.
Those who saw in the Vatican study an opportunity to promote the role of women in official church positions.
However, the Vatican indicated that women will continue to play important roles within the Church community.
This includes education, social activities, and spiritual services,
without obtaining the rank of deacon.
Church religious identity and traditions
The Pope had previously called for a greater presence of women in the Church.
However, he stressed that this does not include positions that require
a traditional succession from deacons to bishops.
He considered this framework to be part of the church’s religious identity and its inherited traditions.
This decision confirms the continued careful balance between the desire
to modernize women’s ecclesiastical roles and to preserve long-standing religious traditions.
This comes amid close monitoring by the international community
and religious institutions of the Vatican’s position on the future role of women.
