Women’s Ordination Debate

The Vatican released a synthesis on Dec. 4, 2025 from a second study commission led by Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi concluding women should not be ordained as deacons, while suggesting creation of new lay ministries and leaving room for further study. The document, which unusually included members’ votes on theological questions, follows Pope Francis’s 2016 and 2020 directives to examine historical and doctrinal issues, and drew criticism from U.S.-based advocacy groups that want ministerial recognition for women.