"Diaconate for Women Not Enough"/ German Catholic Women's Association Say Proposed Diaconate Falls Short

http://www.thetablet.co.uk/latest-news/5278

The Catholic Women's Association in Germany (Katholischer Deutscher Frauenbund, KDFB), which has around 220,000 members nationwide, has questioned a proposal for a special deacon's office for women.

Last week Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, president of the German bishops' conference, floated the idea of an office for women that would not require ordination.

That "is not enough", the KDFB said.

KDFB spokeswoman Ute Hücker told Germany's newspaper in English, The Local: "Catholic women in Germany want to see deacons who are women. We want the full office and the training that goes with it," she emphasised. "Eighty per cent of the active members of the German Church are women," she said. She noted that women were already voluntarily doing the work done by deacons such as visiting the sick.


Bridget Mary's Response:
A diaconate without ordination would be a sham- mere window dressing to satisfy the growing demand for full equality of women in the church. The Vatican knows full well that you cannot separate ordination from the diaconate. Deacon, Priest, and bishop are related and require ordination. It is time for the Vatican to follow the example of Jesus in the Gospels and embrace full equality of women in the church. I like the idea of opening up leadership positions like Cardinals  to women and calling for real reform of the Vatican Curia with women leaders in decision-making roles. The international Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement is leading the way toward  justice and equality for women in the church with a renewed priestly ministry in an inclusive, empowered communityof equals. Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP, www.arcwp.org