British campaigner Peter Saunders said the idea of the panel was suggested by commission head Cardinal Sean O'Malley.

Mr Saunders was encouraged to resign from the commission after he questioned Pope Francis' commitment to reform.

But Mr Saunders said he is only on a "leave of absence".

Continue reading

The five-person panel met as part of the "Open to the Door to Dialogue" conference held in Rome earlier this month.

Last month, Pope Francis said he would create a commission to study the history of female deacons in the Catholic Church.

Panel member Fr Tony Flannery from Ireland said if women are ordained as deacons, parishioners will no longer distinguish between males and females performing liturgies on the altar.

He said this would be a big step forward.

But US panel member Jamie Manson said the establishment of women deacons "runs the risk of being a compromise that ends up trapping women in a role in which they will continue to be subservient to men, particularly in service to priests".

Continue reading