The Vatican group studying the question of women's ministry, including the ordination of women to the diaconate, will expand its consultative phase to include women who do not serve as consultors to the dicastery in charge of the study group, synod officials announced.

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith which is in charge of the study group, announced in a message to synod members Oct. 9 that in addition to receiving input from the dicastery's appointed consultors, the dicastery will consult other women as well as receive input from participants in the Synod of Bishops. It was not specified who the outside women consultors are.

Among the 27 consultors to the dicastery listed in the Vatican yearbook, four are women, and among the 28 new consultors appointed by Pope Francis Sept. 23, six are women.

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In his message to synod members, read to journalists at a news conference Oct. 9, Cardinal Fernández said the dicastery would also receive input from all members and theologians of the Synod of Bishops in the coming months. Among synod participants, 82 non-member experts are participating in the synod as theologians, facilitators and communicators.

Additionally, synod members voted to have a dialogue with leaders of the 10 study groups assigned to study complicated topics Oct. 18, and Cardinal Fernández said two people from his dicastery will receive written and oral input from synod members on the topic of women's ministry in the church.

In a written report delivered to synod members Oct. 2, Cardinal Fernández had said that at this point, his dicastery "judges that there is still no room for a positive decision by the magisterium regarding the access of women to the diaconate, understood as a degree of the sacrament of holy orders."

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At the Vatican news conference Oct. 9, Belgian Deacon Geert De Cubber, the only synod member who is a permanent deacon, said that incorporating more input from deacons would benefit the synod proceedings and members' understanding of how the role of deacons can fit into service of the church.

Referencing a criticism of last year's synod assembly that not enough attention was given to the reality of parish priests, and the Vatican's response of inviting more than 200 parish priests to Rome to offer their input for the drafting of the working document for the synod assembly, Deacon De Cubber said, "It could be a good idea to bring together some deacons."

"Inevitably, you have to consult deacons on the diaconate," he said, but also, "you have to involve their wives, you have to involve their kids."

Deacon De Cubber said the church needs to have a larger discussion about vocations in the church, one which includes analysis of the role of priests and bishops, since, for him, the diaconate is "not at all a preparation for becoming a priest."

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He added that the topic of women deacons did come up during synod discussions despite the topic being assigned to a study group.

Archbishop Luis Fernando Ramos Pérez of Puerto Montt, Chile, noted that there are more permanent deacons in his archdiocese than diocesan priests, and he said that deacons offer an "extraordinary service" to the church and should not be confused with "junior priests."