A Question of Female Deacons: Let’s Not Get Ahead of the Church.

Well, It Seems as if They’ve Already Made Up Their Minds!

Honestly, I’ve gotten this from both camps, both those who are fearful, and those who are excited. It simply isn’t true. “But, Phylis Zagano is on the commission and she is ardently in favor of ordaining women!” Then she is the best person to have on the commission. She has studied the question extensively, and represents the best argument in favor of female ordination. And we want the best arguments. No, really. We do.

We want the best argument, because if the Church is going to rule against the idea of female ordination, we don’t want to knock down easy arguments that are mere caricatures, we want to hear the best argument so that the Church can say, “Even in light of these arguments, no.” And if the Church is going to rule in favor of the idea of female ordination, we need to hear the best arguments for it. There is no scenario where her voice won’t be invaluable to the conversation.

But Pope Francis is Ruining EVERYTHING.

Ok. Really. Stop it.

Who is guiding the Church? Say it with me. “The Holy Spirit.” Yes. Thank you. Christ himself promised us that the Gates of Hell would not prevail against the Church. He promised the Apostles that the “Spirit will guide you into all truth.” Are you doubting the promise of Christ? Are you doubting the presence of the Holy Spirit?

A pope may legitimately be corrupt (we’ve had a few – Pope Francis ain’t one of them – but we’ve had a few), and may even hold incorrect beliefs, but we have been promised that when something is defined as a belief of the Church, we can count on it.

What am I saying? Just this. Don’t get ahead of the Church. Don’t define something she has not defined. You can’t really say that the Church will never ordain female deacons, because the Church hasn’t said it. (You can say it about the priesthood all you want, The Church has spoken there.) The Children of Israel were led through the desert by a pillar of fire by day and cloud by night. Don’t get ahead of the pillar. What is our pillar? 1 Timothy 3:15 tells us that the Church is the Pillar and Foundation of Truth. Don’t get ahead of the pillar.

To pronounce as true something she hasn’t definitively said can be just as dangerous as denying or contradicting something that she has definitively said. Don’t risk it. Don’t get ahead of the pillar.

For more on this, listen to my interview with Deacon Greg Kandra below.