Women Deacons

There is some historical evidence for the existence of women deacons in the Roman Catholic Church. In 2002 the International Theological Commission concluded a study of the diaconate that included commentary specific to women deacons. The question was raised again in May 2016, when Pope Francis promised to set up a commission to study the topic anew. The members of this commission were appointed in July 2016. Among them is the American scholar Phyllis Zagano, author of Holy Saturday: An Argument for the Restoration of the Female Diaconate in the Catholic Church.