Before becoming Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost presided over one of the most revolutionary reforms of Pope Francis’ pontificate by having women serve on the Vatican board that vets nominations for bishops.

Currently, the ministry is reserved for men even though historians say the ministry was performed by women in the early church. Francis has created a second commission of experts to study whether women could be deacons, after a first one reported on the history of women deacons in the early church. She said it was a necessary first step before any official consideration of the diaconate for women. “This closes the door on the diaconate for women,” she said in a phone interview, calling the change “a step backward” for women. ___This version corrects to say that women can read Scripture, not Gospel.