About the possibility of women deacons, Francis pointed out that the diaconate “is the first degree of holy orders in the Catholic Church, followed by the priesthood and finally the episcopate.”

He said he formed commissions in 2016 and 2020 to study the question further, after a study in the 1980s by the International Theological Commission established that the role of deaconesses in the early Church “was comparable to the benedictions of abbesses.”

In response to a question about why he is “against female priesthood,” Francis told Argentine journalist Sergio Rubin and Italian journalist Francesca Ambrogetti, the authors of the book, that it is “a theological problem.”

“I think we would undermine the essence of the Church if we considered only the priestly ministry, that is, the ministerial way,” he said, pointing out that women mirror Jesus’ bride the Church.

One of the hot-button topics for the Synod on Synodality is female ordinations. Yesterday's press conference here in Rome treated it this way. But the secret is out: This Synod will not approve of the ordination of women. And in his October 9, 2023 Remnant Underground, Michael Matt predicted as much:

"Oh, they want to make women priests," [you say], but you know what? They're not going to do that one. That's the one where we're all going to go, "Look! The Synod came and went and they didn't have anything to say about ordaining women! In fact they said they're NOT going to ordain women to the priesthood! Phew!" ...While they're blessing gay unions and letting unrepentant public adulterers go to communion!  [See his video (minute 17:30) here]

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