Posted on 10/06/2015 1:47:49 PM PDT by markomalley
Archbishop Paul-Andre Durocher of Gatineau said, where possible, women should be given higher positions in the Church
Canadian Archbishop Paul-Andre Durocher of Gatineau, Quebec, said the synod should reflect on the possibility of allowing for female deacons as it seeks ways to open up more opportunities for women in Church life.
Where possible, qualified women should be given higher positions and decision-making authority within Church structures and new opportunities in ministry, he told Catholic News Service on Tuesday.
Discussing a number of proposals he offered the synod fathers to think about, he said, “I think we should really start looking seriously at the possibility of ordaining women deacons because the diaconate in the Church’s tradition has been defined as not being ordered toward priesthood but toward ministry.”
Currently, the Catholic Church permits only men to be ordained as deacons. Deacons can preach and preside at baptisms, funerals and weddings, but may not celebrate Mass or hear confessions.
Speaking to participants at the Synod of Bishops on the family on October 6, Archbishop Durocher said he dedicated his three-minute intervention to the role of women in the Church — one of the many themes highlighted in the synod’s working document.
The working document, which is guiding the first three weeks of the synod’s discussions, proposed giving women greater responsibility in the Church, particularly through involving them in “the decision-making process, their participation — not simply in a formal way — in the governing of some institutions; and their involvement in the formation of ordained ministers.”
Archbishop Durocher, who recently ended his term as president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, told CNS that much of his brief talk was focused on the lingering problem of violence against women, including domestic violence.
He said the World Health Organisation estimates that 30 percent of women worldwide experience violence by their partner.
He reminded the synod fathers that in the apostolic exhortation, Familiaris Consortio, in 1981, St John Paul II essentially told the Church that “we have to make a concerted and clear effort to make sure that there is no more degradation of women in our world, particularly in marriage. And I said, ‘Well, here we are 30 years later and we’re still facing these kinds of numbers.'”
He said he recommended one thing they could do to address this problem was, “as a synod, clearly state that you cannot justify the domination of men over women — certainly not violence — through biblical interpretation,” particularly incorrect interpretations of St Paul’s call for women to be submissive to their husbands.
In his presentation the archbishop also noted that Benedict XVI had talked about the question of new ministries for women in the Church. “It’s a just question to ask. Shouldn’t we be opening up new venues for ministry of women in the Church?” he said.
In addition to the possibility of allowing for women deacons, he said he also proposed that women be hired for “decision-making jobs” that could be opened to women in the Roman Curia, diocesan chanceries and large-scale Church initiatives and events.
Another thing, he said, “would be to look at the possibility of allowing married couples — men and women, who have been properly trained and accompanied — to speak during Sunday homilies so that they can testify, give witness to the relationship between God’s word and their own marriage life and their own life as families.”
Not true. Deacons may indeed hear confessions. They just can't give absolution.
Don’t these people have better things to do with their time? Dust the cathedral or something?
Good point!
I didn’t know that. Is there something in the catechism about it? And who would want to confess to a Deacon and not get absolution? Isn’t that the whole point? As in persona Christi?
And this silliness is pertinent to a synod on the family in WHAT way?!
Take it to the Episcopal Church, Archbishop. They’d love to have you.
Whatever Franky’s intentions may be, he’s certainly having the effect of bringing all the looneys out of the woodwork. There’s some value in that.
Won’t happen. Did Christ have any female deacons? No, he chose men.
Qui nunc it per iter tenebricosum illuc, unde negant redire quemquam.
Go join the Anglicans. They love this sort of heresy.
bkmk
Then it really isn’t the sacrament of confession is it? It isn’t confession without absolution. I could hear anyone’s confession but that doesn’t make it a sacramental confession.
I don’t even like the idea of alter girls. The church should be encouraging the young boys to contemplate becoming priests by participating in the mass in a significant way.
**alter girls**
Do you mean altar girls?
They are NOT approved or spoken of in the General Instructions of the Roman Missal.....only altar boys and acolytes are mentioned in the GIRM.
I thought when a man becomes a deacon he receives the sacrament of Holy Orders just as a priest does. He isn’t fully a priest at that time since many are married and have children, but when their spouse dies they will not remarry and may become priests who at that point will be able to administer the sacraments.
lol, yes altar girls. Unfortunately in our parish we do have altar girls.
Oh yeah..... wasn’t there a Durocher manager in baseball some years back .... uh, called Leo the Lip? Maybe a relative.
Jesus Christ created only one sacrament of Holy Orders which he limited to men. The division into three orders of bishops, priests and deacons was latter by the authority of the Apostles. Therefore, our Lord’s action of restricting Holy Orders to men is equally applicable to deacons as it is to bishops and priests.
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