Expert: Sal - 3/23/2005

Question
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Followup To
Question -
Hi Sal,

Is it true that there are female prophets and deaconesses in the New Testament?  I don't believe I can find evidence for that view.  Also, it is correct to refer to St. Paul as an apostle?  Is it not better to call him a disciple?

Thank you,

Les

Sal,

If there were deaconesses in the early church, why doesn't the Catholic church have any today?
Answer -
Dear Les:

Nice to hear from you again.

Deaconess & prophetess are mentioned in the New Testament. Phoebe is said to be a deaconess in Romans 16:1. Anna is a prophetess in Luke 2:38. Phillip the Evangelist had four daughters who were prophetesses (Acts 21:9).

St. Paul may be rightly called an apostle with a small “a”. Apostle means “sent out”. God sent St. Paul out as His servant; therefore, St. Paul is an apostle. Apostle with a capital “A” is one of the original Twelve chosen by Jesus during his earthly ministry. St. Paul refers to himself as an apostle quite often. For example see Romans 1:1, 5; I Corinthians 1:1, 15:9; II Corinthians 1:1; Galatians 1:1, etc. Also Barnabas is called an apostle along with St. Paul in Acts 14:14. Two other persons are referred to as apostles in Romans 16:7.

Thanks for the question my friend!

God Be With You & Guide You,
Sal


Answer
Hello Les:

Another good question on your part!

Firstly, the Catholic Church does not have deaconesses because the Church has infallibly determined that women cannot be priests. John Paul II has written, “Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church's divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Lk. 22:32), I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful” (Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, May 22, 1994, no. 4). Since the office of deacon is a step toward the priesthood it would be meaningless for women to take this step in view of the infallible statement above.

Secondly, women may not be ordained and deacons are ordained. The Code of Canon Law (1983) states, “Only a baptized male validly receives sacred ordination” (no. 1024). Therefore, women cannot be validly admitted to the deaconate.

So why did the early Church have deaconesses? If the Church had them then, why not now? The answer is really very simple. The deacons/deaconesses of the early Church were not ordained. They were simply servants or helpers. Over the years the role of deacon/ deaconess has changed to the point where women could no longer function under that title. Therefore, the office of deaconess disappeared. The Fathers of the First Council of Nicaea (325 AD) stated that deaconesses were never ordained, therefore, “they are certainly to be numbered among the laity” (Canon 19). So there you have it the meaning of the word deacon/deaconess has changed from the time when the early Church had deaconesses.

Thanks for the question. I hope that I gave you a clear answer.

God Bless You,
Sal