Pope Francis creates new expert commission to study female deacons

Rome • The Vatican said Wednesday that Pope Francis has created a new commission of experts to examine whether women can be deacons, an ordained role in the Catholic Church currently reserved for men.The 10-member commission, the second of Francis’ pontificate to study the fraught issue, includes equal numbers of men and women representing the United States and six European countries.Deacons are ordained ministers who perform many of the same functions as priests. They preside at wedd