Church needs ‘creativity’ with roles for women, says JPII Institute president
by Ryan Bachoo
Mgr Philippe Bordeyne has challenged the Catholic Church in the Caribbean to be “creative” with the roles women play in the Church.
The president of the John Paul II Institute in Rome was in Trinidad and Tobago last weekend where he delivered the keynote address at the Worldwide Marriage Encounter event.
On the sidelines, Bordeyne was asked about the drop in vocations to the priesthood in the Caribbean and whether the ordination of women as deacons would help the Church there.
“I think it’s a call for creativity in the Caribbean, especially with your tradition of women in [political] leadership positions,” he replied. “You need to experiment with new positions. That is a product of the synod.”
When pressed on whether that should lead to women being ordained as deacons to fill the gaps left in some churches, Bordeyne responded: “It is too early since we have to preserve the unity of the Church. We must first have creativity of leadership for women, and we observe what is going on.
“Will it go towards ordination of deacons? Maybe, and maybe not. We need to have more creativity on all that is permitted by canon law and the traditions [of the Church].”
Bordeyene, who has been president of the institute since 2021, also weighed in on what the election of the first US-born pontiff could mean for the region. The US is the most important trading partner for many of the Caribbean countries in that region.
Considering the social challenges confronting the US administration of late, Bordeyne said, “I think an American pope who lived for 22 years in Peru, who was a missionary and has also been the head of the congregation of the Augustinians worldwide for 12 years … is a person who can reveal to the United States their own diversity, and we see it’s a challenge for the US today. Look at the demonstrations against [Donald] Trump’s policies.”
Bordeyne added that the world needs ethical figures at this moment. He was visiting Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean for the first time, and said he was struck by the warmth and friendliness of the people on the twin-island republic.
