7 December 2025

In 2016, Pope Francis set up a commission to explore the possibility of ordaining women to the diaconate. It failed to reach a consensus. In 2020, another  commission was appointed. It reported on Thursday. By a majority of 7:1, the commission decided not to ordain women to the diaconate.

Interestingly, the decision was not made on theological grounds nor historical research but because ‘there are two currently irreconcilable schools of theological thought on the question, requiring  the Vatican to take a prudential approach.’ said Cardinal Petrocchi. Division seals the status quo.

Almost a fifth of the world are Roman Catholic so what it says about women is significant. More than half of the Church’s membership are women. What message does this send to the Taliban and all those other misogynistic dynasties who continue to malign, abuse and brutalise women?

And what does this say about the unity of the Church? We are all one in Christ Jesus, says St. Paul. But that isn’t true whilst the biggest denominations in the Christian Church treat women as second class citizens. Like St. John, men need to learn how to decrease and let women  increase.

Our witness as a global Church is seriously compromised for we cannot challenge these abusive regimes with confidence nor courage for we know that within our own systems of belief and service, we are seriously deficient. And our disunity is the biggest stumbling block to world peace.

The ministry of decreasing to let Christ’s light increase is a paradox which the world cannot readily understand, conceive nor celebrate. But it’s the only way in which our joy will be fulfilled, the wolf shall dwell with the lamb  and  a little child shall lead us all into God’s peaceable kingdom!