Cardinal Fernandez proposes ‘step-by-step’ approach to women’s role in the Church

By Vatican News

Addressing the Synod Assembly on Monday morning, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, explained that his absence at a meeting of Synod delegates last week on the topic of female diaconate was due to a medical procedure undergone by a colleague responsible for coordinating the group.

His absence had raised questions in some of the press that suggested it showed a lack of interest in the topic.

The Cardinal addressed the issue as part of a broader communication and apologized for what he called a “misunderstanding,” stating that he will be present, together with the study group’s coordinator on October 24 meeting to discuss the study group’s work and address the concerns raised by the participants.

A delicate Issue

According to Cardinal Fernandez,  Pope Francis has expressed that “at this moment the the question of the female diaconate is not ripe”.

"The commission studying the topic has reached partial conclusions, which will be made public at the appropriate time he explained, adding that the commission, chaired by Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi, will continue its work and those who wish to submit proposals or reflections on the topic are encouraged to do so.

While the question of female deacons remains unresolved, Cardinal Fernandez stressed that the Pope is deeply concerned about enhancing the role of women in the Church.

The Holy Father, he said, has asked the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith to explore ways to elevate women's leadership within the Church without focusing exclusively on the Sacrament of Ordination.

A broader vision for women's leadership

Cardinal Fernandez argued that focusing solely on the female diaconate would not address the broader issue affecting millions of women in the Church.

He pointed out that several steps toward increasing women's roles could already be implemented, and the Church has not fully embraced them.

One such example is the ministry of the catechist. After the creation of this new ministry, the Dicastery for Divine Worship sent a letter to episcopal conferences outlining two ways to implement the ministry. One option involved catechists leading the teaching of the faith, while the second aligned with Pope Francis' vision in Querida Amazonia, where women lead communities in the absence of priests, taking on roles of leadership and responsibility. However, Cardinal Fernandez noted, only a small number of episcopal conferences chose this second option.

Similarly, he added, the ministry of acolyte, now available to women, has been granted in only a small percentage of dioceses, and he said this was often due to local priests' reluctance to nominate women for the role.

He also criticized the limited adoption of the male diaconate in many parts of the world, noting that, in some places, deacons are perceived merely as "ordained altar boys."

These examples, he said, illustrate that rushing to ordain women as deacons is not the most pressing solution to promoting women's participation in the Church.

Instead, Cardinal Fernandez emphasized the need for deeper, more inclusive reflections on how women can assume leadership roles in the Church without being restricted by the traditional understanding of priestly power.

Listening to the voices of women

As part of his call for greater inclusion of women, Cardinal Fernandez urged synod members, especially the women, to share testimonies and proposals with the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

He asked for stories of women who have assumed leadership roles within their communities, not as a result of imposed structures, but because of the needs of the people and the prompting of the Holy Spirit. “Reality is superior to the idea,” he remarked, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and affirming women's existing contributions to Church life.

Thus, the Cardinal pledged to gather and listen to these contributions, and he committed to facilitating a discussion on the role of women in the Church during Thursday’s assembly, and he reassured participants that concerns about the procedural aspects of the synod would also be addressed during that session, along with more information about the Vatican study group's members.

A step-by-step approach

In his concluding remarks, Cardinal Fernandez expressed confidence that the Church can make concrete progress in promoting women's leadership roles through a step-by-step approach.

"There is nothing in the nature of women that prevents them from holding very important positions in the leadership of the Church," he affirmed, adding that what comes from the Holy Spirit cannot be stopped.