Women deacons, bishops’ authority and the church of tomorrow: Inside the 2024 Synod on Synodality

On this week’s episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen Dulle and Ricardo da Silva, S.J., interview Dr. Catherine Clifford, a professor of systematic and historical theology at St. Paul’s University in Ottawa, Canada, who served as an elected member of the 2024 Synod on Synodality’s drafting commission for the final document

They discuss the meetings on the discernment of women deacons that happened during the synod, as well as the document-drafting process and Dr. Clifford’s reactions to the final decisions the synod took.

More from this episode:

Pope Francis says he will not write his own exhortation on synod, publishes members’ final document

To teach faith and morals in a diverse church, we must recognize the doctrinal authority of bishops’ conferences

Vatican releases audio of meeting on women deacons between Cardinal Fernández and synod members

Pope Francis calls for a ‘church that gets its hands dirty’ at synod’s closing Mass

Synodality—and ‘controversial’ issues—are here to stay: Takeaways from the Synod’s final document

Synod Diary: The synod’s final document didn’t solve everything—and I’m grateful for that.

Jesuitical Podcast: Cardinal Tobin on the synod and the future of women deacons

Deep Dive: What just happened at the Synod on Synodality?

Deep Dive: Why Pope Francis is worried about seminaries and young priests with ‘authoritarian attitudes’