Speaking to the German catholic journal Communio, Kasper noted that after considerable thought, he believes it "theologically possible and pastorally sensible" for women to be admitted to the permanent diaconate.

"Each local church would be free to decide whether it wants to make use of this possibility or not" he added, referring to national bishops' conferences.

According to Kasper, the argument favouring ordaining women as deacons is that the Western and Eastern churches were familiar with this ministry in the early centuries.

"The fact that - as far as I know - the ordination forms for deacons and deaconesses were the same, also speaks against this" Kasper added.

Question "remains open"

Kasper's statement comes as the Catholic Church faces renewed debates over the role of women, particularly following the recently concluded Synod on Synodality.

Cardinal Kasper's position has surprised some observers, as he has recently adopted a more conservative stance. He is particularly critical of Germany's Synodal Path, a local reform process seeking structural and doctrinal changes within the Church.

The synod did not make a definitive decision on women deacons but acknowledged that the question "remains open". Many had expected Pope Francis and the bishops to explore the topic more thoroughly, but a binding stance was not reached.

Massimo Faggioli, a theologian at Villanova University, suggested that Kasper's comments reflect a growing realisation within the Church that the role of women in ministry is a central issue for its future.

Open for discussion

Meanwhile, Cardinal Victor Fernández, head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, announced that the question of women deacons will undergo more intensive study.

Speaking to synod members, Fernández clarified that, while Pope Francis believes the topic is not yet "mature", it remains open for discussion.

The cardinal noted that many women seek to serve and lead in the Church according to their charisms rather than through ordination, suggesting that a nuanced approach to women's roles could strengthen community leadership.

Sources

Religion News Service

English Katholisch

Catholic News Agency

CathNews New Zealand

The announcement came from Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, head of the Vatican's Doctrine Office.

It came after a year-long study by a specially appointed unnamed synod group.

"We have concluded that there is still no room for a positive decision by the Magisterium regarding the access of women to the diaconate, understood as a degree of the Sacrament of Holy Orders" said Fernández, speaking to the Synod of Bishops.

Synod study group's secrecy raises questions

After last year's synod gathering the Vatican formed ten study groups to address various theological matters.

The group focusing on the potential for women deacons was the only one that remained shrouded in secrecy, with no official disclosure of its members.

Unlike other groups which identified participants with photos and names during presentations, the women's diaconate group was represented by only two group photos.

While the report did not dismiss the possibility of further study, it echoed concerns previously raised by Pope Francis.

"We know the public position of the Pope, who does not consider the question [of women deacons] mature" said Fernández.

In May, when CBS journalist Norah O'Donnell asked Francis if women will ever have "the opportunity to be a deacon and participate as a clergy member in the Church", the Pope said "No".

"If it is deacons with Holy Orders, no" the Pope said.

Discernment, not rushed decisions

The Vatican reiterated the need for "discernment" before making decisions on expanding roles for women in the Church.

Fernández noted that rushing into the ordination of women deacons would be premature and could detract from the broader debate on women's ministries in the Catholic Church.

"The opportunity for a deepening remains open, but in the mind of the Holy Father, there are other issues still to be deepened and resolved before rushing to speak of a possible diaconate for some women" he said.

"Otherwise, the diaconate becomes a kind of consolation for some women and the most decisive question of the participation of women in the Church remains unanswered."

Patience test for some churches

Before the Synod convened for a second time, theologian Tomáš Halík urged caution against expecting swift synodal reforms in the Church.

"It is unrealistic to anticipate visible, mainly external, institutional changes immediately following the two synod meetings in Rome" Halík wrote in the October issue of "Herder Korrespondenz".

According to Halík, synodal reform is a "more profound and demanding task" than merely transforming a rigid clerical structure into more open communication within the Church.

The notion that major changes should come primarily from the hierarchy reflects a form of clericalism and an overestimation of the hierarchy's role, Halík argued.

While the synodal reform does not undermine the competence and responsibilities of official authorities like bishops, it seeks to broaden the involvement of other Christians in the decision-making process, which he believes is essential before any significant decisions can be made within the Church.

Halík suggests there will be a "significant test of patience" for some local churches that await change.

Other study groups

Announced by the synod's organisational team in March, the synod study groups have been assigned the following subjects:

• The relationship between the Eastern Catholic Churches and the Latin Church
• Listening to the Cry of the Poor
• The mission in the digital environment
• The revision of the Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis in a missionary synodal perspective
• Theological and canonical matters regarding specific ministerial forms
• The revision, in a synodal missionary perspective, of the documents touching on the relationship between bishops, consecrated life and ecclesial associations
• Some aspects of the person and ministry of the bishop (criteria for selecting candidates to episcopacy, judicial function of the bishops, nature and course of ad limina apostolorum visits) from a missionary synodal perspective
• The role of papal representatives in a missionary synodal perspective
• Theological criteria and synodal methodologies for shared discernment of controversial doctrinal, pastoral and ethical issues
• The reception of the fruits of the ecumenical journey in ecclesial practices.

Sources

• America
• Crux
• ETWN
• NCR
• USCBC
• Katholisch

The Vatican's document, signed by Pope Francis and Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, was published on the Holy See's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith website on November 8.

Currently, the translation is available only in Italian and Portuguese.

The document is a clarification that came in response to inquiries from Brazilian Bishop Jose Negri of Santo Amaro.

In July, before the recent Synod on Synodality, Negri posed six questions to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith regarding the role of LGBT individuals in church sacraments.

Life of faith open to all

The document states that "A transgender person, even if they have undergone hormone therapy and sex-reassignment surgery, can receive baptism under the same conditions as other faithful, if there are no situations in which there is a risk of generating a public scandal or disorientation among the faithful."

The dicastery also reiterated the church's position that children of gay or transgender couples can be baptised, provided there is a well-founded hope they will be raised in the Catholic faith.

The same applies to transgender children and adolescents.

"In the case of transgender children or adolescents, they can receive baptism if they are well prepared and willing."

Echoing the words of Pope Francis, the document stresses that "the Church is not a customs house, but the fatherly home where there is room for every person with his or her difficult life."

Not satisfied with merely opening the door the document keeps the door wide open, stating that "another person in the family circle" other than the godparents, can also "vouch for the proper transmission of the Catholic faith to the person to be baptised."

The document shows that there are many rooms in the Father's house and states that baptism cannot be prevented "even if doubts remain about a person's objective moral situation." It recommends applying "pastoral prudence" in each circumstance.

LGBT+ Ministry

The document also emphasises that there is no current universal canonical legislation that prevents transgender individuals from serving as witnesses at a Catholic marriage.

While the responses encourage pastoral prudence and the need to prevent scandal and confusion among the faithful, the document underlines God's unconditional love and the church's openness to all people.

The document notes that while gay individuals in a relationship akin to marriage, particularly if known in the community, should probably not serve as godparents, they may be invited as witnesses to a baptism.

Again "pastoral prudence" applies.

Context

In July, speaking with a transgender person, Francis reached out saying "Even if we are sinners, he (God) draws near to help us. The Lord loves us as we are, this is God's crazy love."

Then during World Youth Day in Portugal Francis told the crowd there is room in the Church for everyone.

"In the Church there is room for everyone, everyone" he told hundreds of thousands of young people gathered in a large park in Lisbon. "Everyone, everyone, everyone!" he said several times.

"That is the Church, the Mother of all. There is room for everyone."

"This (document) is an important step forward in the Church seeing transgender people not only as people (in a Church where some say they don't really exist) but as Catholics" said Fr James Martin on X (Twitter). He is a prominent Jesuit priest and supporter of LGBT rights in the Church.

Sources

• Reuters
• OSV News - via UCANews.com
• NBC News
• La Croix International

The comments come from the Vatican's new doctrinal chief, Cardinal Victor Fernández.

However, he is not ruling out the possibility of future change.

Fernández says that those who fear unorthodox doctrinal shifts or hope for sweeping changes will be disappointed.

According to Fernández, this year's Synod on Synodality is not designed to bring about immediate changes.

Speaking of possible changes, Fernández comments: "Not this year, at least.

"Afterwards, we will see what emerges and next year we will see what happens but, for this synod, this year, we cannot expect too much."

The newly elevated cardinal did however indicate that the Synod could lead to a greater self-understanding within the Church.

Commenting on what the Church can expect, Fernández suggests there will be a "deepening of our self-awareness, of what we are as Church, what the Lord is asking of us and what the world of today expects as well, and how we can better reach people with the same message we have always had".

If we can gain a guiding light for our future role in serving both the faithful and the broader world, that in itself would be a significant achievement, even if it doesn't make headlines" he noted.

"If we manage to attain a light that guides us, that orients us, for the future of what we have to be before the people of God and before the world, I think that would already be immense but it will not attract anyone's attention. You can't make a headline out of it," he commented.

Fernández is the former archbishop of La Plata, Argentina.

Since mid-September, he heads the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith whose responsibility is to promulgate and defend Catholic doctrine.

Source

• CNA

This change reflects a departure from his previous practice of responding directly through social media channels such as Facebook.

"I was used to responding directly through Facebook, but now I have to take a little more care of how I move," commented Fernández.

Cardinal Fernández, known for his close association with Pope Francis, addressed journalists after receiving his cardinal's hat alongside 20 other prelates.

When questioned about how he intends to handle direct queries, even from those who may disagree with his theological views, Fernández emphasised the new process.

Decisions not made unilaterally

Questions of various kinds, whether theological, doctrinal or related to doubts (dubia), now follow a structured path within the DDF.

"If queries arrive to me or questions…I cannot respond to them directly. I have to ask that they send them formally to the dicastery so that they follow their course," he said. "I am going to say that it can call the attention of some people but there is a very democratic system for dealing with those issues."

The queries go through a series of steps starting with the department's team followed by weekly meetings, a review by a team of member-bishops and finally submission to the pope himself.

This new process ensures that decisions are not made unilaterally by the prefect.

Cardinal Fernández expressed his belief that this new structure, established as part of Pope Francis's reform of the Roman Curia, is functioning effectively. It allows for more comprehensive consideration of matters that arise within the department.

In his comments to journalists, Cardinal Fernández highlighted the increased frequency of meetings within the doctrinal section, allowing for a deeper exploration of various issues and a more considered response to queries.

Sources

Crux Now

CathNews New Zealand