Pope orders study of women's role in early Church, cheering equality campaigners

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis has set up a commission to study the role of women deacons in early Christianity, the Vatican said on Tuesday, raising hopes among equality campaigners that women could one day have a far greater say in the Roman Catholic Church. The Church bans women from all but a few decision-making roles and the pope and his predecessors have ruled out allowing them to become priests. The Church barred women from becoming deacons centuries ago.