The chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference has admitted that he does not expect to see women priests in the Catholic Church in his lifetime, though he says he also continues to hope for change.
In an interview with the magazine Stern, Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg, 64, said: “A woman as a priest – will I live to see that? It’s going to be a close call. The road to women’s priesthood is still long. I hope so.”
He added that a female diaconate was a more realistic possibility during his lifetime. While deacons are not permitted to celebrate Mass, they may perform baptisms and assist at weddings. Bätzing suggested that admitting women to this role would mark an important development.
