MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The decision comes after Pope Francis, in May, indicated his intention to review the matter of female representation within the Church. Currently, all deacons within the Catholic Church are male.
“After intense prayer and mature reflection, His Holiness has decided to set up the commission to study women deacons,” the press release reads.
24 December 2015, 16:51 GMT
According to the statement, the commission, comprising seven men and six women, is set to study the issue, focusing on the role of female preachers in the early years of Catholicism.
The statement, however, ruled out the possibility of female priests, the religious rank one step higher than a deacon.
