THE GRADUAL DEMISE OF THE ORDINATION OF DEACONESSES

A Research Paper

Submitted to

Fr. Ron Bagley

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements in

Church and Mission

Theo 248

By

Maria Nouelle B. Ibit

2017
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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

The contributions of women to the life of the Church is deep yet the hierarchical structure

of the Catholic Church is still among men. Though on August 2, 2016, Pope Francis created a

commission for the study of the female diaconate in the Roman Catholic Church. And the

commission had their first meeting last November 2016.1 It is a big step for the Church to be

open to discuss and study the possibility of ordination of permanent women deacons.

These paper will present historical evidence that was gathered by different individuals

with regards to the existence of ordination of deaconesses in the different Christian churches and

identify the reasons behind its demise in the Universal Church.

Other issues regarding the validity of the ordination of deaconesses are not be covered in

this paper. Further research would be needed to prove or disprove the validity of the ordination

of the deaconesses in the eastern churches.

1
Hitchen, Philippa. "Vatican \ Activities: Vatican commission on female diaconate holds first
meeting." Vatican Radio. November 25, 2016. http://en.radiovaticana.va (accessed November 4, 2017).
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CHAPTER II

HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE ROLE OF WOMEN

Women have important roles in the ministry of the Catholic Church. The ministry of

Jesus begun in the wedding feast at Cana wherein Mary the mother of Jesus reminded Jesus of

the task at hand that despite Jesus’ reluctance he still did what was asked of him. As Jesus

ministry begun together with His apostles some women assisted them within their needs.

After this, he journeyed through towns and villages preaching and proclaiming the good
news of the kingdom of God. The twelve accompanied him, and also some women who
had been cured of evil spirits and maladies: Mary called the Magdalene, from whom
seven devils had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and
many others who were assisting them out of their means.2

On the above Gospel passage from Luke, we can see that some women during the time of

Jesus were already helping in the ministry. During the time of Jesus’ passion and death, those

who remained faithful to him and were at the foot of the cross were women.

Many women were present looking on from a distance. They had followed Jesus from
Galilee to attend to his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother
of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.3

Jesus first appeared to women after his resurrection as narrated in the Gospels of

Matthew, Mark, and John.4 Then after the ascension, the apostles together with some women

and Mary the mother of Jesus stayed in an upper room.

2
Lk 8: 1-3 (NAB)
3
Mt 27: 55-56
4
Kroeger, Catherine. "Christian History: The Neglected History of Women in the Early Church."
Christianity Today. 2017. http://www.christianitytoday.com (accessed September 2, 2017).
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Role of Women during in the Early Christian Communities

Women’s role in the continuing the ministry of Jesus is included in Peter’s discourse

during the Pentecost.

‘It will come to pass in the last days, says God,

    that I will pour out a portion of my spirit on all mankind:
Your sons and daughters shall prophesy,
    your young men shall see visions,
    and your old men shall dream dreams.
Yes, even on my servants and my handmaids
    I will pour out a portion of my spirit in those days,
        and they shall prophesy.
 
I will work wonders in the heavens above
    and signs on the earth below:
        blood, fire, and a cloud of smoke.
 
The sun shall be turned to darkness,
    and the moon to blood,
        before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
Then shall everyone be saved who calls on the name of the Lord.’ 5

The community of followers of Jesus Christ grew and women were part of it and

likewise, they were also part of those who were persecuted during the time of Saul.

Then Saul was converted and became one of the apostles. Paul converted a woman

named Lydia who after she was baptized offered her house for them. 6 Prominent

women from Thessalonica were also converted by Paul and Silas.7 It is possible that

these prominent women helped the mission of Paul and Silas in building the Church.

5
Acts 2:17-21
6
Acts 16:14-15
7
Acts 17:4
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It is mentioned in Acts of the Apostles that Philip, the evangelist, has four

daughters with the gift of prophecy.8 Thus, in fact, support what Peter had proclaimed

“Your sons and daughters shall prophesy...”9. This indicates that there were truly

women who prophesy during the early Christian communities.

In Romans 16 Phoebe was described “a deaconess of the church in Cenchreae”

which has been the topic of discussions and interpretations by different individuals in

the different Christian Churches. In the essay of Fr. Corrado Marucci SJ, he stated three

possible logical points of view about the feminine term διάκoνoς:

(1) it [διάκoνoς] has a noble meaning, but not ministerial in a technical sense; it means
more or less “who is at the service”; (2) the noun mirrors an ecclesial situation where a
ministerial significance of the diaconate, and, furthermore, precisely of a diaconate of
women, is outlined; (3) finally, Romans 16:1 is the first evidence of a true and proper
female diaconate, parallel to the male diaconate (testified to in Phil 1:1; 1 Tim 3:8-12; 4:6;
Titus 1:9), even though in a basic form, as for the other ministries that emerge in the
New Testament (bishops, presbyters, deacons, true widows, teachers, etc.). 10

Corrado Marucci gathered the works of ecclesiastical writers on Romans 16:1-2

namely by Origen, Ambrosiaster, John Chrysostom, Pelagius, Cyril of Alexandria,

Theodoret of Cyrus, John of Damascus, Sedulius Scotus, Attone, Peter Abelard, Peter

Lombard, Thomas Aquinas, W. Estius. (Marucci 2016) One of his conclusions on the

exegesis of Romans 16:1 is, “Among the three alternatives I have presented, there is no

8
Acts 21:8-9
9
Acts 2:17
10
Marucci, Corrado. "The “Diaconate” of Phoebe (Rom 16:1-2) According to Modern Exegesis."
Chap. 1 in Women Deacons? Essays with Answers, edited by Phyllis Zagano, translated by Carmela
Leonforte-Plimack, & Phyllis Zagano, 1-12. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2016.
 6

uniform or prevailing position among the exegesis.”11 Thus it determines that there is

no final interpretation on the meaning of deaconess in Romans 16:1.

In Pope Benedict XVI’s General Audience of 14 February 2007: Women at the

service of the Gospel, his holiness mentioned the contribution of Paul with regards to

the dignity and ecclesial role of women:

He begins with the fundamental principle according to which for the baptized: "There is
neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female;
for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3: 28), that is, all are united in the same basic
dignity, although each with specific functions (cf. I Cor 12: 27: 30).

The Apostle accepts as normal the fact that a woman can "prophesy" in the Christian
community (I Cor 11: 5), that is, speak openly under the influence of the Spirit, as long as
it is for the edification of the community and done in a dignified manner. 12

It can be concluded that during the early Christian community women have

specific functions and one these is that of prophesy as proclaimed by Paul.

In the First Epistle of Paul to Timothy, he included women in the identification of

the qualification of various ministers in Chapter 3. Which is discussed further in the

essay of Jennifer H. Stiefel, Women Deacons in 1 Timothy: A Linguistic and Literary Look at

“Women Likewise…” (1 1 Tim 3:11). She stated these “women “ can be identified as one

11
Ibid., 12
12
XVI, Pope Benedict. "General Audience: Women at the service of the Gospel." The Holy See Web
site. February 14, 2007. http://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/audiences/2007 /documents
/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20070214.html (accessed October 30, 2017).
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of the following: Generic Women, Wives of Deacons, A Separate Group of Women

Ministering to Women, or Women Deacons Jointly Ministering with Men Deacons. 13

In her conclusion, she stated that there is strong evidence that 1 Timothy 3:11 can be a

diaconal ministry of women, although it is not definite. 14

In the Second Epistle of John, the letter is addressed to a Lady and her children.

This could mean that the leader of this Christian community is a woman. But if you

read the introduction it is stated that:

The Second Epistle is addressed to “a Lady who is elect and to her children.” Since the
contents of the letter are scarcely appropriate to an individual, scholars assume that the
elder was using an accepted literary device by personifying a Christian community as a
woman.15

Thus the translators of the New American Bible have already provided an

interpretation to the phrase based on their own research and studies. I believe that

there is still a possibility that the phrase just literally mean the Lady is the elect leader of

the Christian community.

The Decline of the Ordination of Deaconesses in the Christian Churches

As the apostles and other disciples went out to different places to proclaim the

Kingdom of God, the Christian communities became numerous. In each local church

13
Stiefel, Jennifer H. "Women Deacon in 1 Timothy: A Linguistic and Literary of "Women
Likewise..."." In Women Deacons? Essays with Answers, edited by Phyllis Zagano, 22-26. Collegeville,
MN: Liturgical Press, 2016.
14
Ibid., 29
15
The Second Epistle of John (NAB)
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there came the development of their leaders. In Acts, Paul and Barnabas installed

presbyters in each church they found during their first mission. While in Philippians the

leaders that were addressed by Paul in his epistle were overseers and deacons.16 There

was a variety of the structure in the Christian churches.

According to Pietro Sorci, the only texts showing women ministry are the

Shepherd of Hermas and the letter of Pliny to Trajan during the second century, though

there were “women presiding over the Eucharist” that was only documented around

235.17 He stated in the essay that “the first document informing us about a diaconal

ministry entrusted to women in the region of Eastern Syria is the Didascalia apostolum,

compiled in Syria in the first half of the third century.” 18

Also included in the essay of Pietro Sorci is the Ordo of the Churches of Chaldea

and Persia that contains “the threefold functions of deaconesses; anointing women

during baptism, guarding the doors of the church, and having responsibility for the

education of women.”19 He also mentioned that in the Monophysite Churches of Syria

in the mid-fifth century the “Testament of our Lord Jesus Christ” was composed. And

in this testament, it includes the ordination of widows that is similar to the ordination of

Prusak, Bernard. Centuries, The Church Unfinished: Ecclesiology through the Centuries. New
16

York: Paulist Press, 2004.

Sorci, Pietro. "The Diaconate and other Liturgical Ministries of Women." In Women Deacons:
17

Essays with Answers, edited by Phyllis Zagano, 60. Collegeville: MN: Liturgical Press, 2016.
18
Ibid., 63-64
19
Ibid., 66
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deacons and the presbyters. And he added that the Testamentum also mentions

deaconesses though it has a lower rank than the widows. 20

As Pietro Sorci also mentioned that “starting from the mid-fifth century… the

progressive disappearance of adult baptism deaconesses’ powers are restricted, and

little by little ordination ends up being reserved for superiors of female monasteries.” 21

He also included in his essay a detailed description of the Chaldean rite of ordination of

a deaconess that also states the role of a deaconess which is not similar to that of the

deacons.22 While, in the Byzantine rite for the ordination of a deaconess is equated to

that of the deacons, though the functions are limited. 23

There was also ordination of deaconesses in the Armenian Church that can be

found in the manuscripts of St. Lazarus 199 (323).24 While in the Maronite church there

are no sources available nevertheless in the Synod of Mount Lebanon in 1736 canon 2

and 3 text enumerates the task of deaconesses.25

Though it also stated by Pietro Sorci that ”Like the traditio Apostolica, the letter of

Pope Cornelius to Fabian of Antioch, which in 251 and 253 considers the ministries of

the Church of Rome, completely ignores the existence of a female ministry.” 26 Likewise,

20
Ibid., 67-68
21
Ibid., 68
22
Ibid., 69-71
23
Ibid., 78-79
24
Ibid. , 84
25
Ibid., 85
26
Ibid., 86
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it is also the same in the Churches of Gaul. The ordination of women to the diaconate

was condemned by the bishops gathered in the council of Nimes. 27

Lastly, in the conclusion, Sorci mentioned that “The New Testament roots of the

female diaconate, after all, are attested to the Byzantine, Armenian, and Georgian

liturgies, which recall Romans 16:1-2 and 1 Timothy 3:11 in describing the function of a

deaconess.”28

27
Ibid., 87
28
Ibid., 93
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CHAPTER III

CONCLUSIONS

The of the role of women in the ministry of the Church is evident throughout

history. Historical documents from the Eastern churches thus verify the ordination of

deaconesses and likewise, the opposition to the ordination of women from the western

churches proves its existence.

It is mentioned that one of the main functions of a deaconess is to assist in the

baptism of adult women which was then by immersion thus the decline in adult

baptism in the Eastern churches is one of the reasons for the gradual demise of the

ordination of deaconesses.

The unification of the of the Christian Churches that led to the centralized

authority of the Universal Church in Rome can also be one of the reasons that led to the

demise of the ordination of deaconesses.

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APPENDIX

Bibliography
Hitchen, Philippa. "Vatican \ Activities: Vatican commission on female diaconate holds first
meeting." Vatican Radio. November 25, 2016. http://en.radiovaticana.va (accessed
November 4, 2017).

Kroeger, Catherine. "Christian History: The Neglected History of Women in the Early Church."
Christianity Today. 2017. http://www.christianitytoday.com (accessed September 2,
2017).

Marucci, Corrado. "The “Diaconate” of Phoebe (Rom 16:1-2) According to Modern Exegesis."
Chap. 1 in Women Deacons? Essays with Answers, edited by Phyllis Zagano, translated by
Carmela Leonforte-Plimack, & Phyllis Zagano, 1-12. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical
Press, 2016.

Prusak, Bernard. Centuries, The Church Unfinished: Ecclesiology through the. New York: Paulist
Press, 2004.

Sorci, Pietro. "The Diaconate and other Liturgical Ministries of Women." In Women Deacons:
Essays with Answers, edited by Phyllis Zagano, 60. Collegeville: MN: Liturgical Press,
2016.

Stiefel, Jennifer H. "Women Deacon in 1 Timothy: A Linguistic and Literary of "Women

Likewise..."." In Women Deacons? Essays with Answers, edited by Phyllis Zagano, 22-26.
Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2016.

"The History of Women Deacons." Catholic Women Deacons Web site. n.d.
http://catholicwomendeacons.org/explore/explore-historydetails (accessed September
2, 2017).

XVI, Pope Benedict. "General Audience: Women at the service of the Gospel." The Holy See Web
site. February 14, 2007.
http://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/audiences/2007/documents/hf_ben-
xvi_aud_20070214.html (accessed October 30, 2017).

Zagano, Phyllis. Women Deacons? Essay with Answers. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press,
2016.