Catholic scholars of varying stripes tend to agree that women did serve in some sort of deacon-like role in the early church. The controversial question, however, is whether women leaders were ordained or if they assisted ordained priests and deacons.
Those who support the notion of women deacons frame the argument as readmitting women to the diaconate rather than expanding the ministry to include women. On the other side, those opposed say that deacons today are understood to be part of the church’s ordained ministry—a role that is thus closed to women.
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