In an interview for “The Shepherd: Struggles, Reasons, and Thoughts on His Papacy,” Pope Francis confirmed that holy orders will remain for men only.
A Hierarchical Nature
The revelation was a disappointment to many progressive Catholics, who’d been advocating for the ordination of women as deacons. The pope said this would be difficult, however, due to the hierarchical nature. The diaconate is a role that comes before being a priest and bishop.
A Crucial Role
Pope Francis made sure to say that women hold a crucial role, just in a different way. He said: “The fact that the woman does not access ministerial life is not a deprivation because her place is much more important. I think we err in our catechesis in explaining these things, and, ultimately, we fall back on an administrative criterion that does not work in the long run.”
Cultural Issues vs. Structural Issues
Progressive advocates often say that ordaining women would bring in more followers – but the pope disagreed. “Lutherans ordain women but still few people go to church,” he said, claiming that growth problems stem from cultural issues, not structural issues.
The Decline of Organized Religion
The pope’s comments are likely to please conservative Christians, who he’s been in hot water with since outing himself as someone who doesn’t entirely despise gay people. Regardless, his refusal to accept the archaic nature of excluding women in this way perfectly reflects the reasons behind organized religion’s decline.
Francis on Gay Priests
“If they accept the Lord and have goodwill, who am I to judge them? They shouldn’t be marginalized. The tendency is not the problem… they’re our brothers,” Pope Francis once said when asked whether or not gay men should be allowed to be priests.
A Step in the Right Direction
While the aforementioned statement is a step in the right direction, it’s definitely not perfect. The pope was likely saying that same-gender sex is a sin, not same-gender attraction, so a gay priest – in theory – shouldn’t be a “problem” at all. Regardless, the revelation that he doesn’t think of LGBTQ+ people as evil turned many conservatives against him. Perhaps he’ll win some of them back with the announcement that he’s in favor of outdated, sexist structures.
The Internet’s Response
News of the pope’s remark about women was shared across the internet and, unsurprisingly, reactions were mixed. Overjoyed conservatives praised him for staying true to tradition. Disappointed progressives condemned him for being stuck in the past.
A Crash Course in Church History
One commenter said: “Perhaps the pope needs a crash course in Church history. We not only have at least a single deaconess in scripture, but we also have the writings of multiple Fathers – Clement of Alexandria, Origen, John Chrysostom, Gregory of Nyssa – and early Church documents – the Didascalia, the Constitutions of the Holy Apostles, and legal writings by two Byzantine emperors who were intimately connected to the Church) – that attest to the existence of a female diaconate.”
A Historical Record
The commenter continued: “Not only that, but we have a record of the practice running from about the second century to the 14th century in the East, only stopping after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople. It’s being brought back in the East, now officially being performed in four different patriarchates. Funny how women cannot be ordained as deacons now but the Pope of Rome had no issue with this for 800 years before the Schism.”
Contradicting History and Scripture
The commenter concluded: “It’s one thing to say that women may not be priests, out of fidelity to the apostles. It’s a different thing to say that women cannot be deacons, which contradicts the historical practice of the faith and scripture itself.”
A Long Debate
Plenty of people argued about the matter. “Not a big deal. The leader of the sermon isn’t superior to the people listening. We’re all just children of God at the end of the day,” one individual said. “If it’s not a big deal, why not allow women to do it?” another hit back.
The New Testament
“He should really read the New Testament. I forget which book but there is absolutely a mention of a woman deacon,” another person wrote. “He’s the pope. I’m pretty sure he’s read the New Testament,” another replied. “Yet chooses to ignore it,” the original commenter hit back.
Speaking With Clarity
Another commenter, supporting the pope’s statement, wrote: “It is truly refreshing to hear the pope speak with clarity on the maintenance of established practice. Credit when credit is due.”
Archaic, Bigoted, and Outdated
Plenty of people weren’t surprised in the slightest: “Ah, the pope reminds the world that organized religion is archaic, bigoted, and outdated. I can’t say I’m surprised but hopefully this makes Christianity fall even faster.”
We Believe in Science Now
Echoing the aforementioned commenter, another individual said: “Who cares? Give it 50 years and Catholicism, along with the rest of Christianity, will be all but gone. It’s 2023 and we believe in science now.”
A Different Role
Another person said: “To anyone saying this is misogynistic – it’s not. He literally said that women have an important role, just a different role. This isn’t about men being better than women. It’s about following Jesus.”
Reasons for Different Roles
Another commenter wrote: “Usually, and I know this might be too Protestant, people are fine with different roles when there are reasons for the distinction. Moses wasn’t good at public speaking, Aaron was – no one would cry bigotry or prejudice when Aaron was called to be the speaker. It made sense.”
A Capable Leader
The commenter continued: “So I would ask, what is the reason that all women – with their wide range of talents, passions, and capabilities – are not meant to lead? What makes a man, just by his sex, a more capable leader than a woman?”
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