Veer Dusauchoit (pictured), 62, argued the refusal violated the Belgian Constitution. The court agreed, fining Archbishop Luc Terlinden and his predecessor Cardinal Jozef De Kesel €1,500 each.

The court however made the point that it does not have the authority to judge church matters.

Luc De Cleir, spokesperson for the Mechelen court, stated "The court considers that the archbishops made an error in assessing the application. It concerns only admission to training, not the question of actual ordination as a deacon".

The archdiocese is reviewing the ruling and might appeal.

The Catholic Church restricts the diaconate, a degree of Holy Orders, to men.

"It's not because she is a woman"

Father Tommy Scholtes, spokesperson for the Belgian bishops' conference, highlighted "a certain paradox in the court's decision which condemns while declaring itself incompetent to define who can be admitted to diaconal training".

Scholtes defended against sexism accusations, stating "It's not because she is a woman, but for now only men can be ordained as deacons. The bishops considered that since the person could not be ordained, it was inappropriate for her to undergo the training".

He added "We could just as well have been criticised for admitting someone to the training while knowing she could not complete it".

Scholtes suggested that the Belgian Church is relatively progressive regarding female deacons. "We have requested that a theological commission explore this question at the next session of the Synod". This is scheduled for October.

Ambiguity in the judgement

Louis-Léon Christians, a law and religion professor at the Catholic University of Louvain, believes the ruling will not set a legal precedent. He pointed out the ambiguity in the judgment, where the judge acknowledged religious freedom and the Church's internal affairs while ruling on compensation.

According to Mr Christians, two lessons can be drawn from this case. Firstly, the church would undoubtedly benefit from a better welcoming of individuals' requests, where the judge noted an "immediate refusal to consider".

Secondly, "there is a lack of a culture of credible conflict within the church" the Belgian canonist remarked. He added that "if the church were a little more concerned with its own law and procedures, the faithful would be more inclined to turn to it rather than to civil justice".

Pope Francis recently reiterated that the ordination of female deacons is not under consideration.

In an interview with CBS, the pontiff had said "If we are talking about deacons with Holy Orders, no. But women always have the function of deaconesses without being deacons". He highlighted the significant service women provide within the church without formal ordination.

Sources

La Croix International

CathNews New Zealand

After a meeting with delegates from a local gay working group last week, Cardinal Jozef De Kesel said he was concerned for their well-being and spoke of his respect for them.

He also spoke of gay couples' relationships, noting these are not the same as Christian marriage between a man and a woman.

At the same time, he acknowledged the personal encounter gay couples have.

De Kesel wants to respond to gay couples' requests when they are believers, involved in stable, lasting relationships and wish their relationships to benefit from the church's symbolic recognition.

However, this recognition won't be the same a religious marriage. Nor will it be an ecclesiastical blessing that too closely resembles the blessing of a marriage.

Nor would it involve an exchange of consent sealed by an exchange of rings.

Instead, if gay people want a Christian symbol of their proximity, a celebration of thanksgiving or prayer is more likely, De Kessel's spokesman Geert De Kerpel says.

"To the extent that the church has maintained a certain reserve on the issue, it is to preserve the great value of marriage and the family to the greatest extent possible."

Although Belgian media have suggested De Kesel is adopting a "revolutionary position," his stance reflects the Belgian Church has already taken on gay couples' relationships.

Source

• La Croix
• LifeSiteNews
• Image: LifeSiteNews

In an interview with ZENIT, the cardinal-designate expresses his belief that Christians must "accept wholeheartedly the culture in which we are to accomplish our mission: a pluralistic culture, a secularized society."

"This culture is also an opportunity," he says, because it enables one to "discover the freedom of the faith."

ZENIT: Your Eminence, did you expect this nomination?

Cardinal-designate De Kesel: I didn't expect it at all. I was at Monaco for the meeting of Presidents of the European Episcopal Conferences. It was the end, Sunday after Mass. I was already on the bus to go to the airport and all of a sudden bishops came to see me to congratulate me. I didn't know anything. I didn't even know that the Pope had the intention to publish the names. I couldn't believe it, I never even thought of it …

ZENIT: How do you see this new mission?

Cardinal-designate De Kesel: The "creation" will take place on November 19. I will see what is expected of me at Rome. Perhaps I must become a Consultor in a Congregation, but for the moment I don't know anything. This nomination is a sign of confidence on the part of the Holy See, not only for me but also for our Church in Belgium, which is living certain difficulties, confronted with a secularized culture.

ZENIT: What are your wishes as Archbishop for your diocese?

Cardinal-designate De Kesel: My wish here is to revitalize the Church somewhat. I think that we must accept wholeheartedly the culture in which we have to accomplish our mission: a pluralistic society, a secularized society. It is a profound conviction in me. This culture is also an opportunity, a grace for the Church. In fact, previously Christians were led by society itself.

This is no longer the case, but this new situation enables one to discover the freedom of the faith. As a pastor, I wish to encourage our Christian communities; I do not want to hold an anti-modern discourse. It's our society; it's in this society that we are called to accomplish our mission. We want a living Church open to the world, and a Church that is solidaristic, even if it's smaller than previously.

The joys, the pains and the anxieties of the men of today are also the joys, the pains and the anxieties of the disciples of Christ. I wish for a Church that accepts the culture in which she lives and that is open to the world, while remaining faithful to the treasure she has received from the Lord in the Gospel. Continue reading

Sources

• Zenit
• Image: Le Soir