The Vatican and Women Deacons - Free Book Talk

Congratulations to Phyllis Zagano on the publication of her new book, The Vatican and Women Deacons (Orbis Books, May 2026).

This thoughtful and timely work invites you into one of the Catholic Church’s most meaningful ongoing conversations. The question of women in the ordained diaconate, first raised at a Synod of Bishops in the early 1970s, has been carefully studied for decades—by the International Theological Commission and multiple pontifical commissions—revealing both its richness and complexity.

More recently, the Synod on Synodality has renewed this dialogue, calling for a fresh look at the research. While a Vatican committee’s 2025 summary report was often read as a closing of the door, it in fact affirmed something more hopeful: the question remains open.

In that spirit, Zagano’s work offers a welcoming and accessible path into deeper understanding—an opportunity to engage, reflect, and be part of a conversation that continues to unfold within the life of the Church.