A Vatican commission led by Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi has released its final report on whether women can be ordained as deacons in the Catholic Church. The commission says the Church cannot admit women to the diaconate as part of Holy Orders, but also says it is not yet possible to give a final judgment on the matter.
In its main conclusion, the report says, “The status quaestionis of historical research and theological investigation, as well as their mutual implications, rules out the possibility of moving in the direction of admitting women to the diaconate understood as a degree of the sacrament of Holy Orders. In light of Sacred Scripture, Tradition, and the Church’s Magisterium, this assessment is strongly maintained, although it does not at present allow for a definitive judgment to be formulated, as is the case with priestly ordination.”
This conclusion comes from the second commission appointed by Pope Francis and chaired by Cardinal Petrocchi. The seven-page report was sent to Pope Leo XIV on 18 September and is now being released at the Pope’s request.
What the commission studied
In its first session (2021), the commission found that the Church has used the titles deacon and deaconess for women in history, but not always in the same way, and not in a way that clearly connects to sacramental ordination. At that time, members agreed that studying the diaconate within the theology of Holy Orders raised questions about whether women could be ordained within that same sacrament. They also supported creating new ministries for men and women to serve together.
In its second session (July 2022), members voted seven in favor and one against to approve the main statement at the top of the story, which rules out ordaining women as deacons within Holy Orders, but still avoids any “definitive judgment.”
At the final session (February 2025), the commission reviewed contributions sent in after the Synod invited comments. Although many documents were submitted, they came from only 22 individuals or groups, and from only a few countries. Because of this, the commission said the submissions could not be considered representative of the Synod or of the wider Church.
Arguments for and against
The report also lists key arguments from both sides.
Supporters of ordaining women say the tradition of reserving Holy Orders for men appears to conflict with “the equal condition of male and female as the image of God”, “the equal dignity of both genders”, the teaching in Galatians 3:28 that “there is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female”, and modern expectations of equal opportunity.
Those opposed argue that “The masculinity of Christ, and therefore the masculinity of those who receive Holy Orders, is not accidental but is an integral part of sacramental identity, preserving the divine order of salvation in Christ. To alter this reality would not be a simple adjustment of ministry but a rupture of the nuptial meaning of salvation.”
This paragraph received five votes to keep it and five votes to remove it.
Broader agreement
By nine votes to one, the commission agreed that women should have greater access to ministries that serve the community, saying this would help recognize the “diakonia of the baptized, particularly of women,” and would be a strong witness in places where women still face discrimination.
Two major theological positions
Cardinal Petrocchi explains that the Church is currently navigating between two theological views.
One view says the diaconate is ordered to service, not priesthood, which could open the door to ordaining women as deacons.
The other view says the three degrees of Holy Orders (deacon, priest, bishop) form one united sacrament and share a “nuptial meaning” tied to Christ. This view rejects admitting women to the diaconate and says allowing women only to the first level of Holy Orders would make excluding them from the other levels impossible to explain.
Because of this tension, Cardinal Petrocchi says more careful study is needed, especially since the role of deacons varies widely across the world, with some regions having almost no deacons at all.
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