Women in the Vatican further excluded - hope for reform disappointed!

Women in the Vatican further excluded - hope for reform disappointed!

women in the Catholic Church continues to be denied access to important offices. Neither priests nor deacons can be ordered, as the result of the recently ended world synod in the Vatican under the direction of Pope Francis shows. In the 45-page explanation, which was adopted by over 360 bishops, the question of receipt of women remains open to diaconate, which disappointed many reformers. Almost 100 bishops voted against this vague wording.

Pope Francis, who emphasizes that the time for such changes has not yet been ripe, has reduced the influence of European voices since taking office in 2013. The fate of the women's diaconate divides the Catholic community. While some German bishops criticize the results as insufficient, Irme Stetter-Karp from the Central Committee of German Catholics sees it as a confirmation of the German Way. The global discussion about women and offices in the church remains tense and complex, while the Catholic world community now has more than 1.4 billion believers. Details on this topic can be found in a report at www.lippewelle.de .