Is It Time for the Catholic Church to Ordain Women as Deacons?

Open to Debate

News, Society & Culture, Education

4.5 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 12 August 2025

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Pope Leo XIV’s accession could mean a new opportunity to reform the Catholic Church by allowing women as ordained deacons. Those advocating for this change argue that allowing women would represent a return to early Church tradition and showcase an evolving Church ready for modernity. Those against this argue that it would blur theological lines and that women already play substantial leadership roles within the Church. Now we debate: Is It Time for the Catholic Church to Ordain Women as Deacons? Arguing Yes: Casey Stanton, Co-director of Discerning Deacons Arguing No: Pia de Solenni, Theologian; Former Chancellor of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange in California Nayeema Raza, Journalist and Host of "Smart Girl Dumb Questions", is the guest moderator. Visit OpentoDebate.org to watch more insightful debates. Take our podcast listener survey here: https://bit.ly/opentodebatesurvey Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed on our curated weekly debates, dynamic live events, and educational initiatives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:27.2	that because I work here. Get started today at banta.com. This is open to debate. I'm John Donvan.
0:33.3	Hi, everybody. Today I'm handing off the microphone to Naima Raza, our frequent guest moderator,
0:38.0	who is also the host of her own show, Smart Girl, Dumb Questions, which is so worth to listen.
0:42.8	But in this episode of Open to Debate, Naima is investigating a conversation that's taking place
0:47.4	within the Catholic Church that focuses on women and leadership and power structures. Here's Naima to tell you more.
0:54.0	Welcome to Open to Debate.
0:55.0	I'm your moderator, Naima Raza,
0:57.0	and today the late Pope Francis is going to help me introduce the topic.
1:01.0	Here he is in a 60 Minutes interview last year,
1:04.0	and he was just asked whether a little girl growing up Catholic
1:08.0	could ever dream of being in the clergy.
1:10.0	No.
1:16.2	I understand you have said no women as priests, but you are studying the idea of women as deacons.
1:18.1	Is that something you are open to?
1:23.3	If it is deacons with holy orders, no.
1:24.6	So a flat, no.
1:27.3	But as you may have heard, there's a new pope in town. And if we can have a
	...

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