The ancient deaconess was not the same as the ordained deacon. The office of deaconess was not sacramental like that of deacon. Her role was to assist in the baptism of women for the sake of modesty. Deaconesses never performed the role of the deacon at the Mass. The office of deacon, on the other hand, grew out of the office of presbyter (priest) and is part of sacrament of Holy Orders. This was instituted by Jesus Christ and was restricted by him to men.
All of this is known by any trained theologian. The attempt to reinstitute the office of deaconess is a dishonest attempt to blur the distinction between deacon and deaconess and as a prelude to the ordination of women as priests.
God created man as male and female and gave each their own proper characters and roles. To recognize and honor the differences between the roles of men and women is not a case of unjust discrimination. The modern denial of the reality of the proper distinctions between men and women is a revolt against God’s order of creation and should have no place with believing Christians.
great and spot on analysis. I am in Formation and couldn’t have said it better. (btw, Deacons don’t have to be married men, but if married, once ordained, cannot remarry if their wife predeceases them)
Exactly correct. The ancient sources are very clear that “deaconesses” didn’t receive Holy Orders, and didn’t do the things we associate with modern deacons, like preaching at Mass, officiating at baptisms and weddings, or proclaiming the Gospel reading in the liturgy.