NO MARRIED PRIESTS, NO DEACONESSES FOR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Believe it or not - and if we can believe it, thanks be to God - here's the breaking news from Rome:

'Dear Amazon': neither deaconesses nor married priests

By Fernando Beltrán | February 12, 2020

In the apostolic exhortation fruit of the Synod of the Amazon, 'Dear Amazon', Pope Francis dismisses the ordination of married men and the ordination of women.

Finally we leave doubts behind. Pope Francis has not yielded to the desires of certain sectors of the Church and will not touch ecclesiastical celibacy. Nor will it yield in relation to the ordination of deaconesses, although they doubtless saw that was more improbable.

As for the places lacking priests, the prayer for priestly vocations is proposed and to encourage those who show missionary vocation to enter the Amazon region. Therefore, nothing to order married men:

89. In the specific circumstances of the Amazon region, particularly in its forests and more remote places, a way must be found to guarantee this priestly ministry. The laity can proclaim the word of God, teach, organize communities, celebrate certain sacraments, look for different ways of expressing popular devotion and develop the multitude of gifts that the Spirit spills in their midst. But they need the celebration of the Eucharist because "it makes the Church." We can even say that "a Christian community that does not grow or depend on the celebration of the Holy Eucharist is not built." If we are truly convinced that this is the case, then every effort should be made to ensure that the Amazonian peoples do not lack this food of new life and the sacrament of forgiveness.

90. This urgent need leads me to urge all bishops, especially those in Latin America, not only to promote prayer for priestly vocations, but also to be more generous to encourage those who show a missionary vocation to opt for The Amazon region. At the same time, it is appropriate that the structure and content of initial and continuing priestly formation be thoroughly reviewed, so that priests can acquire the attitudes and skills required by the dialogue with Amazonian cultures. This formation must be preeminently pastoral and favor the development of priestly mercy.

And regarding the ordination of women we read:

Such reductionism would lead us to believe that women would be granted greater status and participation in the Church only if they were admitted to the Holy Orders.

100. This calls us to broaden our vision, so as not to restrict our understanding of the Church to its functional structures. Such reductionism would lead us to believe that women would be granted greater status and participation in the Church only if they were admitted to the Holy Orders. But that approach would in fact reduce our vision; it would lead us to clericalize women, diminish the great value of what they have already achieved, and make their indispensable contribution less effective.

103. In a synodal Church, those women who in fact have a central role to play in Amazonian communities should have access to positions, including ecclesial services, that do not imply sacred orders and that can better signify their role. Here it should be noted that these services imply stability, public recognition and a commission from the bishop. This would also allow women to have a real and effective impact on the organization, the most important decisions and the direction of the communities, while continuing to do so in a way that reflects their femininity.

https://infovaticana.com/2020/02/12/querida-amazonia-ni-diaconisas-ni-curas-casados/

This is published without comment - in the meantime - other than 'Deo gratias'. 

Bob Gill says:

Great news indeed! I have just lit a candle thanking Our Lady for her help in the matter.

Philippa O'Neill says:

Fantastic news... all those prayers - answered. This indeed is making my eyes leak! Thank you God. Thank you Pope Francis, Pope Benedict and Cardinal Sarah.

Bob Gill adds:

With two-thirds of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics living in the southern hemisphere, but two-thirds of the world’s priests residing in the northern hemisphere - as Bishop Eduardo Reyes pointed out during the Amazon Synod - perhaps Pope Francis now will consider a more even world priest distribution to help alleviate the Amazon shortage.

Bruce Tichbon says:

This is a landmark move in the papacy of Pope Francis.

I feel like the Church has dodged a bullet, for now.  This will make the orthodox Catholics happier, but will it change the direction of 'progressive' Catholics?  Is this move by Pope Francis theological or political, or both?

I will await the analysis of the senior theologians of the Church.