WOW Sounds the Alarm Over New Women Deacon Commission

Media Advisory: for immediate release – Thursday, April 9th

Women’s Ordination Worldwide (WOW) is sounding the alarm about this newly announced group who will study the question of women deacons yet again. 

The newly formed commission members represent an arch conservative, Vatican-approved line-up of theologians and scholars, some of whom have no obvious expertise and those who have published on the topic have overwhelmingly denied the possibility of women deacons. If one were to put together a commission to derail the discussion on the ordination of women deacons, or worse, this seems to be it. 

WOW is concerned not only by the lack of diversity of thought on the panel, but also the complete lack of representation from the global south or any representative for the Amazonian region, especially given the overwhelming outcry for women’s ordained ministries during the most recent Synod on the Amazon. 

Given how the decks are stacked against any recognition of the 1,000 years of evidence of women deacons, we fear these Curia approved scholars will soon be pronouncing that women should be shielded from "clericalism" and continue to champion yet more platitudes about our “special nature.”

At a time when the Church so urgently needs to reform its leadership structures and welcome women as equal and sacramental partners in ministry and decision making, the last thing we need is another commission.

WOW is calling on all Catholics who benefit and witness the ministerial and sacramental work of women around the world to protest this insulting step back in time. We refuse to support any commission whose mission is simply to arrive at a foregone conclusion, ignoring centuries of history, and the urgent pastoral needs around the world. We urge Pope Francis and these commission members to closely follow the work of the original commission, and listen to the cries of the people: ordain women now! 

Press contacts:

Kate McElwee: +39 393 692 2100; kmcelwee@womensordination.org

Miriam Duignan: +44 7970 926910; miriam.duignan@wijngaardsinstitute.com

Therese Koturbash: +1 204 648 5720; t.m.koturbash@gmail.com