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Synod approves women’s access to diaconate, calls for greater inclusion in the church

The final document approved by the Synod on Synodality, a major listening project in the Catholic Church initiated by Pope Francis in 2021, opens the door for women to access the diaconate, an ordained ministry similar to that of priests, which allows, among other things, to baptize, bless marriages, and celebrate the liturgy of the Word. Until now, this ministry has been reserved exclusively for men in the Catholic Church.

Paragraph 60 of this document—which is non-binding and merely reflects the majority opinion of the 368 synod fathers and mothers who participated in the synodal assembly over the past three weeks—states that “the question of women’s access to the diaconal ministry remains open.”

“Greater discernment is necessary in this regard,” the text reads. It also calls for “the full application of all opportunities already provided for in current legislation regarding the role of women, particularly in areas that have yet to be explored.” “There is nothing in women that prevents them from assuming leadership roles in the churches: what comes from the Holy Spirit must not be stopped,” the text continues.

Additionally, the document calls for more attention to be paid to “the language and imagery used in preaching, teaching, catechesis, and the drafting of official church documents, giving more space to the contributions of holy women, theologians, and mystics.”

The Vatican also provided a tally of the votes received for each of the 155 paragraphs that make up this document.

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Thus, the aforementioned paragraph 60, which discusses the role of women in the Church and states that they continue to encounter “obstacles to obtaining fuller recognition of their charisms, vocation, and place in the various areas of church life,” was validated with 258 votes in favor and 97 against, making it, by far, the most opposed section.

In fact, the remaining paragraphs, which include other concrete proposals to make the Church a more inclusive and less clerical space, found greater consensus, as only two other proposals faced opposition of more than 40 votes against.

One of these is paragraph 125, which proposes that Episcopal Conferences may have a theological and legal statute, as well as further defining their doctrinal and disciplinary competencies without jeopardizing “the unity and catholicity of the Church.”

Specifically, it notes that this competency “can favor the authentic teaching of the one faith in a contextually appropriate manner, identifying liturgical, catechetical, and disciplinary expressions.”

Paragraph 148 has also faced opposition—it emphasizes the need for the discernment and formation processes for candidates for the priesthood to be configured in a synodal style with greater female presence in the selection process—this proposal was supported by 315 votes in favor and 40 against.

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In particular, it calls for a “significant presence of female figures” in the selection process of seminarians, as well as “in the daily life of communities and education to collaborate with all in the Church and practice ecclesial discernment.”

The final document also greenlights the creation of “ministries” specifically for laypeople, which would not necessarily have to be linked to the liturgical sphere. This possibility was already opened by the Second Vatican Council and illustrated in recent years through the establishment of the ministries of catechist, lector, and acolyte.

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International

Claudia Sheinbaum: Operation Against ‘El Mencho’ Was Based on Pending Arrest Warrants

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum on Wednesday rejected claims that the military operation that resulted in the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was carried out under pressure from the United States government.

Sheinbaum explained that the deployment of federal forces was aimed at executing outstanding arrest warrants against Oseguera Cervantes, who was considered one of the most wanted criminals in both Mexico and the United States.

“That was not the objective (to ease pressure from the United States). It is very important, and I want to repeat it. This individual had an arrest warrant, or several,” Sheinbaum said, referring to the operation conducted on February 22.

According to the president, the initial goal was to capture Oseguera Cervantes, but military forces responded after coming under attack during the intervention.

“The operation was to detain him. The problem is that they were attacked — the Secretariat of National Defense — and they responded at that moment,” she said.

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The president insisted that the action was not carried out in response to external demands, although she acknowledged intelligence cooperation with the United States.

“It was not done in any way because of pressure from the United States, not at all. Of course, there was intelligence information from the United States that was used specifically,” she concluded.

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International

Spain Denies Any Agreement to Cooperate with U.S. Military in Iran Operations

Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares on Wednesday firmly denied that Madrid has agreed to cooperate with the U.S. military in operations against Iran, contradicting statements made minutes earlier by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

“I categorically deny it,” Albares said in a radio interview cited by EFE. “The position of the Spanish government regarding the war in the Middle East, the bombings in Iran, and the use of our bases has not changed by a single comma.”

Earlier in the day, Leavitt told reporters that Spain had “agreed to cooperate with the United States military in recent hours,” following President Donald Trump’s threat to impose a trade embargo on Madrid. Trump had warned of economic measures after Spain reportedly refused to allow the Pentagon to use facilities at Spanish bases for operations related to Iran.

“I have no idea what that could be referring to or where it could be coming from,” Albares said, insisting that Spain’s position “has not changed at all” and therefore “remains absolutely unchanged.” He added that he had “no desire” and “almost no time” to speculate about the White House spokesperson’s remarks.

Albares reiterated Spain’s “No to war” stance, which he said had been clearly and forcefully expressed by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in an institutional address. According to the foreign minister, that position has been supported by “many European colleagues.”

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International

White House Says Spain Agrees to Cooperate with U.S. Military After Trump Threatens Trade Embargo

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that Spain has agreed “in recent hours” to cooperate with the U.S. military, following President Donald Trump’s threat to impose a trade embargo on Madrid.

Trump had warned of potential commercial measures after Spain reportedly refused to allow the Pentagon to use facilities at Spanish military bases for operations related to Iran.

“With respect to Spain, I think you heard the president’s message yesterday loud and clear, and I understand that in recent hours they have agreed to cooperate with the United States military,” Leavitt said during a press briefing.

She added that the U.S. military is currently coordinating with its counterparts in Spain. However, the president expects broader support.

“The president expects that all of Europe, all of our European allies, of course, will cooperate in this important mission — not only for the United States, but also for Europe,” Leavitt said.

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Her remarks came in response to questions about Spain’s position and its role as a U.S. ally amid rising tensions surrounding operations involving Iran.

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