“The current state of historical and theological research, considered in their reciprocal implications, precludes the possibility of proceeding toward the admission of women to the diaconate, understood as a degree of the sacrament of Holy Orders. In light of Sacred Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium of the Church, this assessment is sound, although it does not allow for a definitive judgment to be made today, as in the case of priestly ordination.” This is the conclusion reached by the second commission chaired by Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi, Archbishop Emeritus of L’Aquila, which, at the behest of Pope Francis, examined the possibility of ordaining women deaconesses and concluded its work last February. This is stated in the seven-page report that the Cardinal sent to Leo XIV on September 18 and which is now being made public at the Pope’s request.

In its first working session (2021), the commission concluded that “the Church has recognized the title of deacon/deaconess for women in different times, places, and forms, attributing to it, however, a non-univocal meaning.” Also in 2021, the theological debate unanimously concluded that “the systematic study of the diaconate, within the framework of the theology of the sacrament of Holy Orders, raises questions about the compatibility of the diaconal ordination of women with the Catholic doctrine of ordained ministry.” The commission also unanimously expressed its support for the institution of new ministries that “could contribute to synergy between men and women.”

In the second working session (July 2022), the commission approved (with 7 votes in favor and one against) the formulation that appears in full at the beginning of this article, which excludes the possibility of proceeding with the admission of women to the diaconate as a degree of the sacrament of ordination, but without formulating today “a definitive judgment”.

Finally, at the last working session (February 2025), after the Synod’s instructions allowed anyone who wished to submit a contribution, the commission examined all the material received. “Although numerous submissions were received, only twenty-two individuals or groups submitted their work, representing just a few countries. Consequently, while the material is abundant and, in some cases, skillfully argued, it cannot be considered the voice of the Synod, much less that of the People of God as a whole.”

The report summarizes the pros and cons. Those in favor argue that the Catholic and Orthodox tradition of reserving diaconal ordination (but also priestly and episcopal ordination) only for men seems to contradict “the condition of equality between man and woman as the image of God,” “the equal dignity of both genders, based on this biblical fact”; the declaration of faith that: “there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28); and social development “which provides for equal access, for both genders, to all institutional and operational roles.”

On the opposing side, the following argument has been put forward: “The masculinity of Christ, and therefore the masculinity of those who receive ordination, is not accidental, but rather an integral part of sacramental identity, preserving the divine order of salvation in Christ. Altering this reality would not be a simple adjustment of the ministry, but a rupture of the nuptial meaning of salvation.” This paragraph was put to a vote and received 5 votes in favor of confirming it with this wording, while the other 5 members voted in favor of its removal.

With 9 votes in favor and one against, the desire was expressed to expand “women’s access to ministries instituted for the service of the community (…), thus also ensuring adequate ecclesial recognition of the diaconate of the baptized, particularly women. This recognition will be a prophetic sign, especially where women continue to suffer situations of gender discrimination.”

In his conclusions, Cardinal Petrocchi emphasizes that there is “an intense dialectic” between two theological orientations. The first affirms that the ordination of a deacon is for ministry and not for the priesthood: “this factor would open the way to the ordination of deaconesses.” The second, on the other hand, insists “on the unity of the sacrament of Holy Orders, along with the spousal meaning of the three degrees that constitute it, and rejects the hypothesis of a female diaconate: it also points out that if the admission of women to the first degree of Holy Orders were approved, their exclusion from the others would be inexplicable.” Therefore, according to the Cardinal, a rigorous and comprehensive critical examination of the diaconate itself—that is, of its sacramental identity and its ecclesial mission—is indispensable for continuing the study, clarifying certain structural and pastoral aspects that are not currently fully defined. In fact, there are entire continents where the diaconal ministry is “almost non-existent” and others where it operates with activities that often “coincide with the functions of lay ministries or ministers in the liturgy.”

Full text in Italian