aining ▁women ▁as ▁de a cons ▁in ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church , ▁but ▁after ▁two ▁years ▁it ▁maintained ▁" sharp ly ▁different ▁positions " ▁and ▁dis band ed . ▁The ▁issue ▁is ▁whether ▁the ▁bless ing ▁de acon esses ▁received ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁church ▁amount ed ▁to ▁ord ination ▁and ▁did ▁they ▁perform ▁tasks ▁similar ▁those ▁of ▁male ▁de a cons . ▁He ▁acknowled ged ▁further ▁need ▁of ▁study . ▁Francis ▁has ▁addressed ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁the ▁ord ination ▁of ▁women ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁times . ▁Francis ▁has ▁ruled ▁out ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁female ▁pri ests , ▁stating ▁that ▁this ▁has ▁been ▁the ▁long time ▁st ance ▁of ▁the ▁Church , ▁and ▁that ▁" John ▁Paul ▁II ▁made ▁the ▁Church ' s ▁st ance ▁definit ive . ▁The ▁door ▁is ▁closed ." ▁Francis ▁ruled ▁out ▁female ▁card inals ▁in ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 3 . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁first ▁six ▁years ▁of ▁Francis ' ▁pap acy ▁" the ▁profile ▁of ▁women , ▁especially ▁women ▁religious , ▁at ▁V at ican ▁events ▁rose ▁sharp ly ." ▁Francis ▁asked ▁univers ities ▁to ▁accept ▁lay ▁people ▁and ▁particularly ▁women ▁alongside ▁sem in ari ans , ▁since ▁" the ▁contribution ▁that ▁women ▁are ▁giving ▁and ▁can ▁give ▁to ▁the ology ▁is ▁ind isp ens able " ▁and ▁must ▁be ▁supported . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁he ▁appointed ▁the ▁first ▁woman ▁ever ▁as ▁a ▁voting ▁member ▁of ▁a ▁V at ican ▁con greg ation , ▁the ▁Cong reg ation ▁for ▁the ▁Evangel ization ▁of ▁Pe op