The following comes from an August 2 Catholic News Agency article by Ann Schnieble:
Pope Francis has instituted a new commission for the study of women deacons, the Vatican announced Tuesday.
Pope Francis further told journalists during the June 26 press briefing there was no change in the works to allow for the ordination of women to the diaconate.
The following comes from an August 2 LifeSiteNews article by Claire Chretien:
An American professor appointed to Pope Francis’ newly announced Special Commission for the Study of the Diaconate of Women subtly advocates for women’s ordination to the priesthood, and several other appointees have expressed questionable theological views.
One of the 12 commission appointees is left-leaning Hofstra University professor Phyllis Zagano, a well-known advocate for women’s ordination to the diaconate. She has spoken at events sponsored by organizations that promote women’s ordination to the priesthood.
Many scholars point to women in the early Church as non-ordained deaconesses, but some argue that they were actually ordained in this role. Zagano is one of the most prominent holders of this position, which opens a wide door to arguments for women’s ordination to the priesthood.
“There is overwhelming historical evidence that women were ordained deacons by bishops intending to perform a sacrament. If women were sacramentally ordained deacons and the diaconate shares in the sacerdotal priesthood … then women have already shared in the sacerdotal priesthood,” Zagano wrote for America magazine in 2013.
In September 2015, just days before Pope Francis’ visit to the United States, Zagano spoke at a Women’s Ordination Worldwide (WOW) conference in Philadelphia. WOW dissents from Church teaching that women cannot be ordained as priests. It also embraces and promotes the LGBT cause.
In May, Zagano spoke at a teleconference sponsored by FutureChurch, a group that rejects the Catholic Church’s teaching that Jesus ordained his disciples at the Last Supper. FutureChurch advocates for women priests.
Zagano’s appointment to the Vatican commission “can’t be necessarily viewed as an honorary post,” Michael Hichborn, the president of the Lepanto Institute, told LifeSiteNews. “Every debate requires someone to take the pro position and someone to take the con position. If Professor Zagano was appointed to act as a devil’s advocate, I can’t think of a better person to fill the role, provided that a competent individual with equal zeal for defense of orthodoxy were appointed opposite her.”
“The greater question truly is ‘why is this up for discussion?’” he continued. “St. Paul, speaking with the Holy Spirit, fully condemned an ordained female deaconate in both his letter to Timothy and his letter to the Corinthians. Specifically, St. Paul says, ‘I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man. She must be quiet.’ Ordained deacons read the Gospels in Mass, give sermons, and officiate weddings, funerals, and baptisms. If a female were permitted to be ordained as a deaconess, she would then have the authority to teach in Mass (as in a sermon), and she would have authority over men to confer three of the seven sacraments. All of this was condemned by St. Paul.”
What are the names of the other people appointed to the Commission by Pope Francis?
“There is overwhelming historical evidence that women were ordained deacons by bishops intending to perform a sacrament.” Zagano’s advocacy of women priests nullifies, at least to this reader, her interpretation of “ordination.” For if bishops admitted women to the clerical state, then why the objection to women priests? All of this makes sense only if this “ordination” was not to the clerical state.
Communion for cohabitants, homosexuals, divorced and remarried, now women priests, our Jesuit Pope Francisco does not cease to amaze. What next, the end of celibacy?
From CNS, 5/12/16: “Asked about deaconesses in the New Testament and the possibility of the modern church admitting women to the permanent diaconate, Pope Francis had said his understanding was that the women described as deaconesses in the Bible were not ordained like permanent deacons are. Mainly, he said, it appeared that they assisted with the baptism by immersion of other women and with the anointing of women.”
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Women did not receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Never did, never can, never will. When this commission wraps up its work, Phyllis Zagano’s scholarship will have been repudiated. So it’s good to have her on the commission in order to forestall future charges that the commission was stacked.
Probably.
What’s next is the anathematizing of preaching the Catholic Faith. The Gospel will be apologized for an put on the new list of forbidden books and the Church of Grins and Gaystopo will be in full force. Then the parade of those insisting that the Magisterium of Man over God is binding and must be obeyed at the risk of displeasing God. God who is forever hidden under a lead bucket lest He speak uncharitably in His own Church and to His people.
Exactly Right. Prophetically, the last chapter of Malachi Martin’s book, ‘The Jesuits: The Society of Jesus and the Betrayal of the Roman Catholic Church’ (1987) is entitled, “On Fire to Build Man’s World.”
Really, Ann Malley. You stoop that low?
One must meet people where they are, no?
And with our shepherds seemingly intent on stripping down Faith and Morals to bare dirt, there we are. Really.
He’s a Jesuit. Anybody who knows the Jesuits is not surprised. They run and adhere to an alternative religion of their own making, some weird confluence of Marxism, feminism, and homosexualism with selected Catholic symbolism for effect. Hardly a week goes by without CCD exposing scandal at Jesuit schools with the cursory attendant outrage, of course. Does it need to be said that the Jesuit schools are not independent of the Jesuits? The Jesuits are the problem, people. Connect the dots.
Do you think it is time for Pope Francis to retire if this is nowt his thinking?
Spare us O Lord!
YES! Someone asked that question not long ago. Francis said, ‘he never thinks about ‘retiring and giving up his responsibilities’. (Probably a rebuke to Pope Emeritus Benedict.) And the rest of us wanted to say, WHY NOT? Deliver us O Lord.
Just as allowing girls serving on the altar drove out the masculine boys, – it surely did with our five sons – will this not drive out the masculine men? Men NEED and :LIKE to have their segregated offices, spaces, especially with the aggressive assertion of feminism since the early 1960’s.
Woe is us if this is allowed by The “holy” Father.
What Father would not allow his sons to have the space to be masculine? This is especially true as related to holy offices which are related to the actions of our masculine Christ.
Women being ordained would constitute spiritual lesbianism. The ordained perform as Christ Who gave up His life for His bride the Church.
Would all ordained women have to be lesbians or would straight and bisexual women be able to sign up too?
The false ideology of feminism, the denial of the differences between the sexes, is ultimately hostile to heterosexuality itself. This is why the moral descent of America can be tracked through the Supreme Court decisions of Griswold v. Connecticut (contraception), to Roe v Wade (abortion), to Obergefell v Hodges (homosexual ‘marriage’). So, ironically, your sarcasm bears far too much truth to be clever. It’s easy to predict that this distorted idea really would result in a overwhelmingly lesbian female deaconate.
You left out Lawrence v. Texas, which struck down Texas’ law making sodomy illegal. It provided precedent supporting the path through the courts to legalize the absurdity of same sex marriage. Only a few months later the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled same sex couples have a right to marry, and the Lawrence decision was cited in the count’s opinion.
The Lawrence decision would have been unthinkable if society and the courts recognized that homosexuality is a pathology and that, therefore, sodomy is not a protected activity to which someone has a right. Indeed, the Supreme Court had previously upheld sodomy laws before PC became legal rationale on the Left.
A small error in the beginning becomes an enormous error at the end…
Yet another massive crack appears in the wall of Orthodoxy. Once again our “progressive Pope” is moving the Church in his goal of turning the Catholic Church into just another Protestant sect where anything goes and nothing is forbidden. God save us.
WARNING! WAKE UP and smell the latest paralyzing perfume scent being sprayed on a Trojan Horse! Before adding more feminists, the Church needs a great housecleaning of the many, who already think that they are God!
Taken from Rorate Caeli Website: “Let us never forget to whom the merit belongs: if “deaconesses” are ever “ordained”, we must do justice and call it The Vangheluwe Reform, in honor of confessed nephew-molester Bp. Roger Vangheluwe, who led the charge in favor of this move. ”
https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2016/08/deaconesses-pope-establishes-special.html#more
What a surprise…..not. I smell a progressive Argentinian. Another confusing idea off the cuff of the chair of Peter. God deliver us from all the destroyers that idle away their time in the church causing confusion and chaos. Forgive me Lord if you are not offended by these constant exhortations for change VS running a steady course, in your church. Help me accept you Holy Will in everything, reject those that lead me astray and give me the wisdom to know the difference. Amen.
Let’s remember that Pope Francis was elected by the Cardinals from outside the walls of the Vatican who knew, and know, that the place needed a thorough cleaning out. The Church needed to get back to helping the people in their daily struggle to survive, to rid itself of clericalism, to get Bishops out of their palaces and into the parishes and charity organizations. Once again the Church had to throw wide open the windows. Its possible that Pope Francis is doing exactly what the Cardinals wanted him to do, in which case he is doing it well. If not, then shock may be an understatement.
If our dear Bishops keep saying NO to married priests, (in most cases) NO to women deacons, and certainly NO, NO,NO, to women priests, NO to Sunday communion services and the Holy Spirit says NO, or “not yet” to our prayers for vocations to the priesthood, what are we to do?
…we’ll do what we’ve always done, C&H. Keep the Faith.
Same path as the Anglican Church. First deacons, then priestesses, then bishops.
JP, Can it really be Francis is attempting to follow the Anglicans? Please say it’s only a wild thought. How long did that unholy process take, do you remember?
Except the Holy Spirit will preserve the one, true Catholic Church from error in this matter, which pertains to the constitution of the Church herself, so the Catholic Church cannot follow the same path as the Anglican ecclesial community.
I believe the commission will agree with the International Theological Commission’s 2002 conclusions that deaconesses in the early Church were not comparable to deacons and did not receive Holy Orders.
Perhaps Pope Francis will surprise by issuing an apostolic letter titled “Ordinatio Diaconorum” in which he pronounces it is to be definitively held that because the diaconate is the first order in the Sacrament of Holy Orders, which is oriented toward priesthood, women are excluded from its…
John Patrick, this is sadly true! A true Christian ignores the “baloney” and falseness of the secular world, and follows only Christ! Our Church, like many other churches– has abandoned Christ, and embraced the Evil One, the Devil, who is King of the “fallen secular world!” These bad clergy leaders all want worldly, political power, with embracing secular “feminism,” and they want prideful ego power, money, and prestige, in the hopes of falsely filling their churches with worldly, “anti-Christian” worshippers, and conducting “pagan,” worldly liturgies, and embracing IMMORAL , “pagan” beliefs! instead, they should abandon all of this– for Christ! They are NOT TRUE CHRISTIANS!!
Many of our false clergy leaders, all seek false gods, instead of our True God, Who is Christ! They certainly are not BRAVE, like the Early Christians, who gave their lives for Christ! What good is worship of the false god of secular power and egotism and prestige– in so-called “feminism?” It certainly will NOT GET A WOMAN CLOSER TO GOD, NOR ENTRANCE INTO HEAVEN, AT LIFE’S END!!! It is also a mis-quote– that “true peace is found only in social justice!!” True peace is always found– ONLY in TOTAL ACCEPTANCE OF CHRIST!! The secular world is ruled by the Evil One, always! It must be “Christianized!”
Rubbish! Read what you have said, Linda Maria. IF you truly believe what you have said, you need to reconsider. Perhaps a Spiritual Director would be helpful! Why do you assume that women are not going to heaven? If they are free of sin at the time of death, they will go to heaven. Christ died on the cross to justify those who believe in him and live in His ways. We are all the “many”.
Bob One– NEVER tell others, whom you DO NOT KNOW– to seek Spiritual Direction! Do you really know what Spiritual Direction truly is?? It is to help a soul to become holy, and Christ-like! Now, to become holy and Christ-like, one must leave behind the false gods of the world– the human ego, power, prestige, money, the evils of “the world, the flesh, and the Devil,” as St. Paul says. One must embrace Christ Alone!! One must learn, like all the Saints– to become very little, unseen, pure, humble, and good, filled with Christ Alone!! Now– is that what you had in mind?? For yourself?
P.S. Bob One, where in the world did you get the crazy idea, that I said that “women do not go to Heaven??” This is untrue!! I would NEVER say such a CRAZY and untrue thing!!
As a little girl, my first desire was to be an altar boy, and so I asked my mom why I was a girl, and why a girl could not be an altar boy. I was just a little tot! My mother explained to me the different roles God gave us, on earth. A boy grows up to imitate Christ, and a girl’s Role Model, is Our Blessed Mother!! Pretty soon, I learned in church, to be still, and to imitate Our Lady– and I was so thrilled to discover — that little girls have the BETTER ROLE, in imitating Our Blessed Mother, the Queen of Heaven— Christ’s holy Mother, and ours!! And each gender has what is right!! I developed a deep love for Our Lady, the Mother of God!!
It is a very wonderful thing, to be very still, and close to God, at Mass, imitating Our Blessed Mother! And it is especially beautiful, when Christ comes to the altar, at Transubstantiation! What a thrill!! But if you are busy with external duties, like the altar boys— it is much harder to be still, prayerful, and close to God!! The holy and blessed moment is lost!! Except– each one, boy and girl– is given their very special, appropriate roles, in the church, and in society!!
Rubbish!
Rubbish is the only reply to the truth that spiritual “directors” would have Catholics dismiss, Bob One. Spiritual direction is a very particular charism and not to be entrusted to those with social justice agendas that negate actual Church teaching.
That said, Bob One, you’ve posted before how you were an altar boy and yet didn’t know anything about what was going on “up there” (up there being the altar.)
Seems you missed out on a lot which is why you don’t understand what Linda Maria said.
No, Bob One!! You do not understand a word of what I wrote! Very tragic!!
Bob One– Worldly notions of secular SOCIAL JUSTICE were always REJECTED by Christ!! He knew the Truth — that there is only one kind of peace, and true justice— and it is NOT found in the secular world!! It is found only in CHRIST!! Judas Iscariot, and many other shallow Jews of Christ’s era— badly wanted social justice, during the misery of the Roman occupation of Israel. And many wanted Christ to assume a role of powerful, worldly, secular Jewish leadership, to put an end to their miserable situation, with Rome!! And Christ said “No!! My Kingdom is not of this world!””
John Patrick is so correct in what he says. Hold on to your hats….here it comes…Bishop Margaret Whatever…….and Fr. Cynthia Look at Me Now
We need a new Pope– one who is SERIOUS about the Catholic Faith! People who are crazy radicals, all need to be discouraged, by a good Pope, and wisely told, what the Catholic religion is— and is not! Encourage them all to go study the True Faith, and next– don’t have time for any more foolishness! A good Catholic Pope should be busy, teaching and preaching the Catholic Faith, worldwide, eagerly inviting all to follow it! He should be a good catechist, similar to Abp. Fulton J. Sheen!
Since the Anglican churches began to abandon their true Christian beliefs, and destructively “modernize” their liturgy, adopt unChristian, worldly “hippie leftist” immorality, (i.e. heterosexual promiscuity, gay sex and gay “marriage”), and ordain women “priestesses”– their churches have all been falling apart! True Christians simply DO NOT ACCEPT SIN, NOR LEAD SINFUL LIVES!! To try to change your church to SIN, and FALSE, SINFUL, PAGAN BELIEFS, to attract worldly, anti-Christian worshippers– will NEVER work! Instead– the Devil will simply DESTROY your church! Same with our Catholic Church, which contains the True Faith, from Christ! We must return to Christ– and then, all will be well!
Linda Maria… Just an aside, you seem interested in the Hippies. my Mom hated the Hippies when my Dad was in Vietnam and would get into shouting arguments with them but later decided they were right that the war was wrong.
Even a broken clock is right two times a day, C&H. So while teasing out the particulars of the war is good as conscientious objection can be, the hippie culture with its unrestrained rebellion sex, drugs, patriotism, authority, etc is not good.
C&H– What I said has nothing at all to do with anti-war beliefs, of the hippies. Many hippies also were EXTREMELY VIOLENT!!!
The Church has been afflicted with bad Popes before, but She has survived, Christ and faithful remnant will defend Her against the Destroyers who would see Her changed to fit their agenda. Things are bad now, but Christ will triumph .Please send us a Holy Pope who will defend and advance your Holy Church.