Vatican Commission Splits on Women Deacons as Current Answer Remains No

A Vatican commission has not reached a final conclusion on whether women may serve as deacons, but the current position remains negative, according to a document released Thursday.

The commission was created in 2020 by the late Pope Francis and led by Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi to study the question amid ongoing debate about women’s roles in a Church historically guided by men for two millennia.

Although the commission’s work took place privately, a letter from Petrocchi to Pope Leo XIV—written in September and published by the Vatican on Thursday—offers the first look into its discussions.

The letter shows that in July 2022, members voted 7-1 in favor of a motion that “excludes the possibility” of moving toward permitting women to enter the diaconate, though it stressed this was not a “definitive judgement.”

During its final meeting in February 2025, the commission reviewed input from the Synod, the global Church assembly where the topic of women deacons was also raised. That session ended in a 5-5 split on whether the requirement that those receiving Holy Orders be male is essential Church teaching.

In his message to the pope, Petrocchi urged prudence, noting the “intense” debate surrounding the issue and encouraging continued examination.

Deacons are ordained ministers who can preside over baptisms, weddings, and funerals, but unlike priests, they cannot celebrate Mass. Petrocchi also pointed out that some countries do not have deacons at all, and in regions where they do exist, their duties can overlap with those of lay ministers.

Why Pope Leo chose to release the document at this moment is not yet known, and the next steps remain uncertain.

However, the Women’s Ordination Conference, a group advocating for women’s rights in the Church, said Thursday it was “appalled by the Vatican’s refusal to open its doors to women, even a crack,” adding that “few will have the patience to excavate hope from the Vatican’s claim there is ‘need for further study’.”

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