For the first time in history, Pope Francis has given women the right to vote in bishops’ meetings
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For the first time in history, Pope Francis has allowed women to vote at the world meeting of bishops, which will take place in October 2023. Previously, women were allowed to attend Synods in the role of “auditors”, but without the right to vote. The new rules will allow five nuns to vote, Reuters reports. The decision is being called a “historic step” that could lead to greater inclusiveness in the Roman Catholic Church. Read also: Pope Francis told if there is a place for gender diversity in the church Photo: Mondadori Portfolio/Contributor/GettyImages In addition, the Pope decided to include 70 other people who are not bishops in the Council. The pope will choose 70 priests, nuns, deacons and lay Catholics from among 140 candidates recommended by national conferences of Catholic bishops. The conferences suggested involving young people, and the Vatican asked that half of the 70 people be women. Usually about 300 people are present at the Synods, so the bishops will have the majority of votes. However, these changes are significant for an institution that has been dominated by men for centuries. Read also: “How to reconcile Pilate with Christ”: Ukrainians were outraged by the Procession of the Cross in the Vatican with the participation of a Ukrainian and a Russian woman. The American women’s organization Women’s Ordination Conference, which advocates gender equality in the Catholic Church, called the Pope’s decision a “significant break”. “This is a significant crack in the stained glass ceiling and the result of the constant advocacy, activism and presence of the Voices for Catholic Women campaign, in which the Women’s Ordination Conference played a founding role. For years, Vatican officials and bishops have resisted, changing the excuses with each Synod as to why women cannot allowed to vote. The unspoken reason has always been sexism,” the activists wrote. We will remind you that the Pope admitted his attitude towards LGBT, abortion, pornography and gender equality. The pontiff also claimed that he does not consider extramarital sex to be the gravest sin. At the same time, Francis declared his “great respect” for Russian humanism and mentioned Dostoevsky. Read also: Eat, pray, love: the Pope called food and sex divine pleasures
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