In 2016, Pope Francis gathered a commission to study the history of women deacons in the church. For the first time, Phyllis Zagano and Bernard Pottier, S.J., two members of the commission, speak about their life-long research on this topic. This Conversation with America is hosted by Michael O'Loughlin, national correspondent for America.
Watch the new episode of Faith in Focus live with Fr. James Martin! Journalist Krista Tippett is the host of the weekly radio program “On Being.” Krista brings thoughtful conversations to about life’s big questions to more than 400 radio stations. This month, Krista joins Fr.
The Catholic Journal Commonweal published an extensively reported piece dissecting a grand jury report released last summer, which alleges widespread sexual abuse by priests in Pennsylvania and a coverup of that abuse by bishops.
Listen carefully. The real take-away is the word' deacon' had more than one application in history, ie., the office, when applied to women, intersected but did not confer the same authority as was conferred by the ordination of men. Further, there's no confirmation by Catholic authority the conclusions of this woman scholar,likely heavily weighted with Feminist bias, are worthy of belief. Isolated instances of an aberrant practice do not make a practice 'Catholic'; however, there are many ways women could have served that wouldn't have required ordination. Baptism by women of other women occurred in some remote places where immersion was practiced, likely for the sake of modesty. This can still be done in emergency. There may also be room for witnessing Matrimony. I was taught to baptize in kindergarten. Sister explained, in event of a miscarriage,, we could baptize after we broke the sack. We, little kids in wooden chairs and semi circle, with teacups and baby dolls, solemnly practiced the words and actions Sister demonstrated. I never forgot it..The memory is precious.