Blizzard warnings in Northwest Minnesota, winter weather advisories across the state

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

Pope Francis told a gathering of about 900 heads of women's religious orders that he supports studying whether women can become deacons. The step is seen as a possible turning point for the Roman Catholic Church, which does not allow women to serve in ordained ministry.

At Thursday's meeting of the International Union of Superiors General, Francis was asked why women are not allowed to be deacons and whether he would form an official commission to look into the issue. He responded, "I accept; it would be useful for the church to clarify this question. I agree."

NPR's Sylvia Poggioli tells our Newscast unit that women served as deacons in the early centuries of Christianity. She adds:


Referring to early female deacons, the pope told the gathering that "understanding about their role in the early Church remained unclear," 

 the official Vatican news network. It mentions "ample evidence" that there were female deacons in the early centuries of the church, including one named Phoebe 

 that Francis questioned whether the early female deacons were ordained and suggested that their primary role was assisting with baptizing other women.


More generally, Francis lamented that the "integration of women into the life of the Church has been 'very weak,' " according to the official news service. He said he hoped to see more women in decision-making roles.

At the same time, he appeared to rule out women preaching homilies, News.va reports:


Francis' willingness to consider the issue of female clergy sharply contrasts with the views of his recent predecessors. As the 

, "Pope John Paul II claimed in his 1994 apostolic letter 

that 'the Church has no authority whatsoever' to ordain woman as priests, citing Jesus' choosing of only men to serve as his twelve apostles."  Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Religion and Faith

The pontiff says he is willing to create a commission on the issue. It could signal a turning point for the Roman Catholic Church, which does not allow women to serve in ordained ministry.

Pope Francis says he's open to studying whether women can be deacons

Go Deeper.

Like this?