Will the Roman Catholic Church soon have female deacons?
A female scholar from the United States will be part of the commission formed by the Vatican under the instructions of Pope Francis tasked to answer this question, which can possibly change the course of church history.
Phyllis Zagano of the Hofstra University in Long Island, New York has long studied and held the belief that women can and should be ordained deacons by the Roman Catholic Church. It is no wonder that she felt very honoured to be part of the 12-member panel of scholars who will study whether women were ordained as deacons in the early days of the church.
"I got an email. That's it. I came into my office at 8:30 this morning and there were a number of emails congratulating me and I got to the one with the press release announcing that I was on the commission... I feel like I've won the Academy Award," Zagano told Religion News, recalling her initial reaction on her inclusion in the Vatican-formed panel.
She added that she feels like she is the perfect fit for the commission, having a good grasp of women's roles as deacons in the early Church.
"My work has focused on women in the diaconate, period. I've never gotten mixed up in the women in the priesthood debate. And I think that is my strongest credential. I don't see the two ministries as connected. The diaconate is one that women have historically participated in," Zagano said.
"I have done a significant amount of speaking on the topic, including internationally. I wrote academically and in the popular media. I've also had discussions with various church leaders to say this is a matter of discernment, that this is something that the Lord has left his church to decide," she added.
The American scholar also said that the formation of the panel is an important first step into allowing women's greater role in the Church.
"The fact that it's being discussed is the important thing because it will create a discussion among the whole church. And that's what is important, the discussion," Zagano said.
