(Katholisch. Felix Neumann).
The ordination of Angelic Molen as a deacon by the Orthodox Archbishop of Zimbabwe caused waves around the world: for the first time in modern times, a woman was ordained sacramentally like male deacons. The Patriarchate of Alexandria, to which Zimbabwe belongs, felt compelled to clarify , but emphasizes historical continuity. The question of the diaconate of women has been discussed in the Orthodox Church for a long time – there have been considerations about it and the occasional ordination of women for decades. The Viennese Eastern Church scholar David Heith-Stade explains in an interview with katholisch.de what distinguishes the earlier deacon ordinations from Molen’s ordination and what deacons do in Orthodoxy. He sees the consecration as a logical development – no matter how controversial it is discussed.