Topline
Pope Francis selected three women to serve on a high-ranking Vatican committee that oversees the selection of new bishops, the church announced Wednesday, the pope’s latest move that expands leadership roles for women in the Catholic Church.
Pope Francis waves to thousands of followers as he arrives at the Manila Cathedral on January 16, ... [+]
Key Facts
The Dicastery for Bishops helps the pope choose new bishops (who must be male) to lead dioceses around the globe, and until now, the committee has only been made up of men.
One of the new members, Sister Raffaella Petrini, already holds one of the highest positions of governorship in the Holy See after Francis last year named her the Vatican City State’s secretary general, the second-highest position of governorship in the Vatican.
Also appointed to the dicastery were Sister Yvonne Reungoat, a former superior general of the religious order Daughters of Mary the Helper, which runs youth programs worldwide, and Maria Lia Zervino, the president of the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations and the first laywoman ever named to the committee.
The three women joined other nominees that include a handful of cardinals and an archbishop.
Key Background
Last week, Francis told Reuters he planned to appoint two women to the dicastery, just one month after he amended the constitution for the Vatican Curia—the administrative body that oversees church affairs—to allow any baptized Catholic, male or female, to lead more of the church’s departments. Francis floated the idea of a layperson heading up the Catholic Education and Culture department or the Apostolic Library. Women are not permitted to join the priesthood, based on Jesus’ disciples all being men, but Francis said last week he hoped to give women more top leadership roles in the church. While Francis is more progressive compared to previous popes, he still sticks to the traditional Catholic view on topics like abortion, which last month he condemned and compared to "hiring a hit man."
Further Reading
Pope Francis Will Appoint First Women To Bishop Selection Committee (Forbes)
