Female Deacons and Religious Sisters

[katherineH]

Hypothetically speaking, if the commission formed by Pope Francis to review the issue of female deacons recommends that women be able to be deacons (whether it's an actual ordained position, or a title) and Pope Francis moves forward with it, how do you think it would affect female religious communities? Do you think that communities would allow their sisters to discern a vocation as a deaconess? I know that some sisters already support a female priesthood so I imagine that it wouldn't be an issue for them and that they would jump on the opportunity, but what about the others? I could see it being an issue if a sister is ordained as a deacon giving her more spiritual authority over her superior.  

This question isn't meant to trigger a discussion on deaconesses, just to consider the impact on religious life  

[Nunsuch]

In her magisterial work 3-volume work on the theology of religious life, Dr./Sr. Sandra Schneiders, IHM, explicitly opposes ordination for members of women's religious communities, because it might create the same stratification we see in men's mixed communities (of priests and brothers). Interestingly, outside of religious life, she is in favor of women's ordination. I don't know that she has explicitly addressed the question of the diaconate. [She doesn't in these volumes.]

One advantage of having deacons in women's congregations is that they could officially preside at funerals, and also preach at liturgies. [The latter happens a lot, of course, but is designated as "reflection."] Both of those might be appreciated....

[Sister Leticia]

I know some Anglican sisters. In each of their congregations they have members who are priests and deacons. Some are women who were already ordained before discerning a call to religious life (in the same way that some RC diocesan priests join religious orders). Others discerned a call to priesthood after entering.

I'm not aware of any problems around authority within their "mixed" communities, but this could be because I've never thought to ask. I do know ordained sisters don't automatically become superiors, and they would accept the authority of whoever their superior/NM is.

I know there are difference between RC and Anglican theologies of priesthood, but we have here a model of religious orders which were not set up to include both clerical and lay, somehow managing to incorporate the two.

[Nunsuch]

Sr. Letitia, according to canon law, in men's "mixed" communities, only the ordained can be major superiors. There was hope (especially among brothers) at the 1994 Synod on Religious Life--which I attended--that this provision would be changed, but it was not. I don't know what church law the Anglican communities operate under, but this is the policy for Catholics. Of course, the Code didn't exist in St. Francis's day, but that is the generally accepted explanation as to why he became a Deacon (he was never a priest, nor was Benedict)....

[NadaTeTurbe]

31 minutes ago, Nunsuch said:

Sr. Letitia, according to canon law, in men's "mixed" communities, only the ordained can be major superiors. There was hope (especially among brothers) at the 1994 Synod on Religious Life--which I attended--that this provision would be changed, but it was not. I don't know what church law the Anglican communities operate under, but this is the policy for Catholics. Of course, the Code didn't exist in St. Francis's day, but that is the generally accepted explanation as to why he became a Deacon (he was never a priest, nor was Benedict)....

I know a mixed communitiy made of sisters, brothers, priest, and lay people (living together in monastery setting), and the major superior for the whole community is a woman, a sister. How is this possible ? This community is a public association of the faithfull who want to become an "Ecclesial family of consecrated life", but I think the branch with the sisters and brothers is of papal right. 

[Nunsuch]

Nada, I'm not familiar with what you are referring to. Perhaps you could private message me with its identity if you feel comfortable doing so? I do know that that the canonical impediment I referred to was not changed at the Synod--not sure about the kind of organization you are referring to. I'm a historian and not a canonist, so I would be hesitant to make any claims in that regard.