Pope Francis said he is open to creating a commission to study whether women can be deacons in the Catholic Church. The announcement, however, came as a bit of a surprise.
Joshua McElwee of the National Catholic Reporterwas there when Pope Francis indicated he would create a commission to study the issue. The Pope was meeting with 900 Catholic nuns when one of the sisters asked if he would be willing to create such a commission.
McElwee said the idea of women deacons is not a new one.
"There’s been a lot of talk about this subject over the last decade, actually," said McElwee. "There’s pretty good evidence according to most church historians that women in the first centuries of the church."
During his 75-minute meeting with the “women religious,” McElwee reported the Pope said the church needs to treat them with more respect, adding that their vocation is for service to the church — but not of servitude.
