Fishwrap (Aka National Schismatic Reporter) on the Yacod (Aka Yet Another Commission on Deaconettes)

The National catholic Distorter is horrified that there are actually CATHOLICS on the new 'commission'!

From Fr Z's Blog

The Fishwrap has an article replete with wailing and hand wringing.

In a nut shell (a pretty good description of what’s inside the wrap that is that publication) they lament that there are members of YET ANOTHER Commission on women deacons who

• aren’t in favor of ordaining women to the diaconate
• have published against doing so
• have not published about it at all
• work at places they don’t like.

For example, Fishwrap and Fishwrap‘s promotrix of deaconettes, Phyllis Zagano, are not happy at the appointment of an American woman who is a professor at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, Catherine Brown Tkacz (“tuh-kotch”).  Tkacz, a serious scholar, wrote an unfavorable review of one of Zagano’s books, calling it “flawed”, which in academic parlance is … one way to say it.

Fishwrap doesn’t like Fr. Manfred Hauke, who has written against the ordination of women.

Fishwrap doesn’t like Caroline Farey, who hasn’t written on the topic.  Apparently they don’t like women without a preconceived bias towards ordination.  I’ll bet they also don’t like the fact that she works for the Diocese of Shrewsbury, and the excellent Bishop there, at a place co-founded by Deacon Nick Donnelly.  Heh heh.

Fishwrap doesn’t seem optimistic.

At the end of the piece…

Zagano, a senior research associate in residence at Hofstra University who is also an NCR columnist, also said that the new commission “appears to include individuals against restoring women to the ordained diaconate.” [Imagine allowing such people to have a say in a Commission on the issue!]

“Since there has never been any Magisterial finding that women cannot be ordained as deacons, I can only hope and pray that this new commission does not present an argument that women are ontologically different from men or that women cannot image the risen Christ,” said Zagano.

There are really good reasons for why women cannot be ordained to any of the Holy Orders.

Firstly, men and women are different.

Also, women can’t “image” the risen Christ, who is male, in the same way that another male can “image” the risen Christ.  Can women “image” Christ!  Sure!  They are human beings made in God’s image and likeness.  But women are not men and Christ was and is still now a man.  Facts, like Christ’s maleness, are stubborn things.

Moreover, as the Second Vatican Council taught, though there is a distinction between the sacerdos (bishop and priest) and diaconus, the is a unity in the three grades of Holy Orders. If women cannot be ordained to the priesthood, they cannot be ordained to the diaconate.

In addition, as everyone pretty much knows, those who want women to be ordained to the diaconate are really angling for priesthood.  Obvious.

In any event, the YET ANOTHER Commission on Deaconettes (YACOD) seems fairly tame.

Bottom line: It’s not going to happen.  Eh-vur.