Press Release: ACP Response to Vatican Decision on Women Deacons
11 Dec 2025
Association of Catholic Priests
The Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) expresses deep disappointment at the Vatican’s December 4th decision once again rejecting the ordination of women as deacons. Despite global Synodal consultations consistently identifying the role of women as one of the Church’s most urgent issues, the latest ruling—reached by a study group, with only one member voting in favour—stands in stark contrast to the convictions of most of the faithful.
The document’s claim that the decision is not definitive, coupled with yet another call for “further study,” repeats a long-standing pattern of postponement. This continued deferral, now by a third study group, suggests a serious lack of leadership and reduces the message from a firm “No” to a dispiriting “Not yet.”
Lay Catholics overwhelmingly support the restoration of women to the diaconate, and many also favour broader opportunities for women in ordained ministry. Yet the Church’s stated commitment to equality for women continues to be sidelined. If Synodality is truly to guide Church governance, it must recognise the Holy Spirit at work in all the baptised—not only in Vatican-appointed committees.
As Irish priests, we are especially disappointed that no Irish bishop has publicly addressed this development, even as many believe it will cause significant harm to Synodality and to the credibility of the Church. We urge Church leadership to listen attentively to the People of God and to show the courage and openness this moment requires.
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Synodality is going nowhere and will die a death. The ACP must hate the last supper. Jesus ordained men and men only. Not because he dislikes women but because he specifically willed the ordination of men to the priesthood. This is all about control and under the guise of synodality, the ACP wants to become protestant. When has the ACP supported men in vocations to the priesthood???????
Alan, you obviously want to see our Church continue to decline.
Some of us do not want that, hence we support the idea of synodality.
The Priestly Society of St. Pius X (founded by the man who confirmed me) has a waiting list for its Seminaries.
Please Let that Sink in.
I believe Paddy, that the Holy Ghost is trying to tell us something.
With Regard to Synodality, I suggest you Google the writings of H.E. Cardinal Zen on this topic.
He is very well respected and has truly suffered for the One, Holy, Catholic (non Synodal) and Apostolic Church.
If you consult “Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma ” by my favourite Theologian, Fr. Ludwig Ott, you will see that it is taught De Fide by Trent, that our Blessed Lord gave his Church a HIERARCHICAL Constitution. Fr. Ott quotes the following from Trent:
“If anyone says that in the Catholic Church there is no Hierarchy instituted by Divine Ordinance…let him be Anathema”.
In the latest edition of this book (Baronius Press MMXX), you can read the full detail of the Tridentine teaching on pp 296-297.
I’m with Trent and St. Pius V.
Leo XIV and his predecessor are pastorally undermining some teachings of Trent: crucially they haven’t abrogated any teaching from that noble and illustrious Council.
It appears that in regard to the hierarchical structure of the church, Trent was a modernizing council — it curbed the extravagances of medieval hierarchies which fantasized about ranks modelled on the celestial hierarchies of thrones, powers, dominations, etc., and it also curbed the excessive status given to the pope since the time of Gregory VII. This cleaning-up was no doubt in response to the promotion of the laity in Luther and Calvin. I don’t know any Catholic theologian who denies the hierarchical structure of the Church. The structure of bishop-presbyter-deacon is upheld by Karl Rahner, though it emerged clearly only in the second century; he calls it a matter of “divine positive law.” Ludwig Ott is a synthesizer of pre-1950 dogmatic theology, but to cite him as a supreme authority implies a rejection of Vatican II, which gives a broader and more integrated and more historically aware account of ecclesiology in Lumen Gentium. As a corrective to the rigidity and narrowness of Ott et al., I recommend reading Yves Congar, OP. whose input was so important in Vatican II. I note that as an ecumenical council Vatican II has far greater authority than Pius V. Popes Francis and Leo XIV are grounded in Vatican II, as indeed were Popes Paul VI, John Paul I and II, Benedict XVI. To constantly suggest that they are heretics because they have moved beyond Pius V is the path to sedevacantism and to an attitude to papal authority that would certainly not be approved of by Ludwig Ott!