Applauding His Holiness Pope Francis for launching commission to study the issue of female deacons and calling it a historic move in the positive direction; distinguished religious statesman Rajan Zed has urged the Vatican to seriously look into ordaining women priests, which was long overdue. Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, urged Pope Francis to put ordination of women priests on the top of his reform agenda.
Women could disseminate God’s message as skillfully as men and deserved equal and full participation and access in religion, Zed added. Vatican, which represented the world’s largest religious group under one leadership, should set-up a good example in gender equality and inclusion for others to follow, Rajan Zed indicated. As women were equal partners in the society, they should be equal partners in Church also, Zed stated. Quoting Hindu scriptures, Rajan Zed says: Where women are honored, there the gods are pleased. Pope Francis has instituted this new “Study Commission on the female diaconate” with Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi as President, Denis Dupont-Fauville as Secretary; besides five male and five female professors from Europe and USA as members.
Pope Francis instituted a similar Commission for the Study of the Diaconate of Women in 2016 also. Currently all Roman Catholic clergy is male. Vatican needed to set-up a deadline date for this Commission to announce conclusions, Zed pointed out.
Source: World Hindu News