Phyllis Zagano on Synodality and Women

Phyllis Zagano

Phyllis Zagano was the Scottish Laity Network's companion for the third event of our Towards a Synodal Church journey. She began the evening began by stating the reality of the current situation of women in the Catholic Church - 'they are the mainstays of pastoral ministry but are increasingly frustrated by the Church's response to requests for an increased professional presence of women in Ministry'.

Whose voice will be heard in the Synodal Process

Reflecting on the 2019 Amazon Synod that had asked for increased roles for women, plus the process for consultation the Synod of Bishops have scheduled for October 2023, she felt that some people in frustration are saying 'will the talking ever end'.

Whilst the Synod Documents emphasize that the marginalized must be included, specifically young people and women, the question is how that participation will be enabled. Within some dioceses there is the spectre of Bishops simply going to the usual suspects, choosing from among the people he knows and who are in agreement with him.

The Synod Office wrote, May 2021, to every Bishop in the world asking for the name of the person or persons who would be the contact person for the Synod Process (which is to begin in October 2021). Responses so far seem to very dependent on the individual bishop and this, Phyllis felt, raises a serious question about the whole process.

On the other hand there are many groups who are seeking to positively engage in the synodal process. Indeed such groups are specifically mentioned in the Synod documents that state that in addition to dioceses and parishes participating it wants to engage with other groups of women and men. It says that even individuals should have their voice.

If individuals and groups find ways of raising their voice then the next task is to ensure that it is heard at the Synod. We need to find creative ways to ensure that our promptings of the Spirit are not sieved out through a process in which the Bishops are key, both at diocesan level and then at Bishops' Conference level.

The Synod itself - will women vote?

In terms of the Vademecum - the way things will happen - Phyllis reflected on the position of Nathalie Becquart, a Xavierian sister from Paris and an undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops. It is said she will have a vote but at a recent press conference Cardinal Grech would not state whether anyone else would have a vote. However the issue of Nathalie having a vote is actually unclear because if the 2023 Synod is an ordinary session of the Synod of Bishops that normally means only bishops voting. Phyllis said the question is 'whether we are talking about a position or a person voting'.

Referring to the fact that laymen voted in Amazon Synod Phyllis emphasised that that was a special Synod session of the Synod of Bishops and the lay people who voted were actually part of the group named by the Union of Superior Generals [UISG]. However the women who attended from the UISG didn't vote but the men who attended did. Interestingly most of the women were heads of women's religious orders and there could be an argument that they are the equivalent to the abbesses of old and therefore the equivalent to Bishops.

Women and Ministry

Addressing the question of women's ordination Phyllis felt that we need to split the issues between women as priests and women as deacons. It is her understanding that the Synod office is very strong on the fact that doctrinal issues will not be discussed and so the key point therefore is: is the doctrine that women cannot be ordained priest doctrine that is unchangeable? She has urged not arguing for women as priests, but rather trying to understand the level of the doctrine, the level of the teaching.

We are not going to discuss the notion of the Trinity. We are not going to discuss the humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ. We are going to discuss, and we should be able to discuss, church practice and church discipline.

For her, priesthood is a non-starter for it has been declared a doctrinal issue, however whilst you can't discuss priesthood, you can discuss the diaconate.

History of the Diaconate

Phyllis briefly outlined the history of women as deacons and said that the question of women in the diaconate has been a question since the Council of Trent.

The diaconate was revised and revivified with the Second Vatican Council and in 1992, the International Theological Commission took up the question of women deacons and produced a positive paper but the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Joseph Ratzinger, who was also was the president of the International Theological Commission, refused to promulgate it. The question was then given to a new subcommittee, 1997-2002, and they broadened its scope and whilst it doesn't have a lot of information about women deacons it does state that women and male deacons had different tasks and duties and different appointment ceremonies. They also clearly stated that the diaconate is not the priesthood: they are two separate orders. Their conclusion was that the decision of restoring women to the diaconate states is up to the 'ministry of discernment that the Lord has left his Church'.

However any discernment had to wait until May 2016 when the International Union of Superiors General said to Pope Francis: 'We are doing the work of women deacons, why can't we be ordained as deacons?' Francis said, 'That's a good idea' and in August 2016 named the Pontifical Commission for the Study of the Diaconate and Women. Phyllis was a member of this commission and they met four times and made a report to the Holy Father however Phyllis has not seen the final copy of the final report. Then came Amazon Synod and nine of the twelve language groups asked for women deacons which appeared to result in Pope Francis, in April 2020, naming a completely new Commission that met for the first time this week and we simply have to wait to see to see what will happen.

Principal Objection: Women Cannot Image Christ

Phyllis asked what do deacons do now, that a woman cannot do? Women can now be formerly instituted or installed as lectors, as acolytes and the new ministry of catechist but, despite ancient and medieval liturgies documenting that women were ordained as deacons by their Bishops, the current thinking is that women cannot receive the sacrament of order because they cannot image Christ.

Does the Second Vatican Council's decision to restore the Diaconate as a permanent vocation show a way forward? The Council noting that men already functioned as Deacons felt it was only right to strengthen them, 'by the imposition of hands that they may carry out their ministry more effectively because of the sacramental grace of the diaconate'.

Looking towards the Synod 2023 is it possible that women functioning as deacons receive the sacrament of order whilst recognising that the diaconate is not the priesthood.

Phyllis concluded by stating:

And women can image the Risen Lord.

I think to say anything else is tantamount to heresy.

The link to Phyllis's session is: https://youtu.be/iQcwpxdSmJc