The Synod opens on the priesthood to married deacons
2019-10-26T19:36:31.251Z
The work of the Synod on the Amazon is over. The final document is courageous about opening to married priests (but going through the permanent diaconate), much less about the possibility of a female deaconate. Many people urge him, we read, but we expect the results of the study commission in the Vatican. These, from the beginning, were the two main nodes of an Assembly called to emphasize the urgency of the risk of a climate catastrophe in the lung of the world. Attention, however, since the Instrumentum Laboris, the preparatory document, has moved immediately to the pastoral question. In remote areas of the world, such as the Amazon, evangelization has become urgent. There are very few priests, many are religious and carry on entire communities. The proposal of the local bishops was to order 'viri probati', men of proven faith with priestly functions. The term disappears from the document, which refers to paragraph 111 to the priestly ordination of "men suitable and recognized by the community", who are however permanent deacons and therefore receive an "adequate formation for the presbyterate, being able to have a family" legitimately constituted and stable ", to support the life of the Christian community by preaching the Word and celebrating the Sacraments in the most remote areas of the Amazon region. Then, however, an unexpected phrase is added: "In this regard, some have expressed themselves in favor of a universal approach to the subject". Not therefore only for the Amazon region, but possibly, in the future, also for other areas of the world. In fact, it opens up to the priesthood for married deacons. The position on deacon women is much more prudent. In paragraph 103 it is admitted that in the many consultations carried out in the Amazon, the "fundamental role" of the religious was recognized, but also of the laity in the Church of the Amazon and their community, given the multiple services they provide. In many consultations, the permanent diaconate for women was "urged". But the Synod does not want to override the commission created by Pope Francis in 2016 which had precisely the task of studying this possibility. The body has achieved a partial result, describing the reality of the female diaconate in the first centuries of the Church and presenting current implications: "We would like to share our experiences and reflections with the Commission and look forward to the results". The bishops, with many difficulties, reached a compromise and handed over to the Pope the position shared by two thirds of the assembly. The definitive position of the Church will be established by Francis in an Apostolic Exhortation which should be there, but not before the end of 2019.
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26 October 2019The work of the Synod on the Amazon is over. The final document is courageous about opening to married priests (but going through the permanent diaconate), much less about the possibility of a female deaconate. Many people urge him, we read, but we expect the results of the study commission in the Vatican. These, from the beginning, were the two main nodes of an Assembly called to emphasize the urgency of the risk of a climate catastrophe in the lung of the world. Attention, however, since the Instrumentum Laboris, the preparatory document, has moved immediately to the pastoral question. In remote areas of the world, such as the Amazon, evangelization has become urgent. There are very few priests, many are religious and carry on entire communities. The proposal of the local bishops was to order 'viri probati', men of proven faith with priestly functions. The term disappears from the document, which refers to paragraph 111 to the priestly ordination of "men suitable and recognized by the community", who are however permanent deacons and therefore receive an "adequate formation for the presbyterate, being able to have a family" legitimately constituted and stable ", to support the life of the Christian community by preaching the Word and celebrating the Sacraments in the most remote areas of the Amazon region. Then, however, an unexpected phrase is added: "In this regard, some have expressed themselves in favor of a universal approach to the subject". Not therefore only for the Amazon region, but possibly, in the future, also for other areas of the world. In fact, it opens up to the priesthood for married deacons. The position on deacon women is much more prudent. In paragraph 103 it is admitted that in the many consultations carried out in the Amazon, the "fundamental role" of the religious was recognized, but also of the laity in the Church of the Amazon and their community, given the multiple services they provide. In many consultations, the permanent diaconate for women was "urged". But the Synod does not want to override the commission created by Pope Francis in 2016 which had precisely the task of studying this possibility. The body has achieved a partial result, describing the reality of the female diaconate in the first centuries of the Church and presenting current implications: "We would like to share our experiences and reflections with the Commission and look forward to the results". The bishops, with many difficulties, reached a compromise and handed over to the Pope the position shared by two thirds of the assembly. The definitive position of the Church will be established by Francis in an Apostolic Exhortation which should be there, but not before the end of 2019.
