Pope Francis on Wednesday ordered unprecedented changes for the Vatican’s upcoming bishops conference, for the first time providing women the right to vote and expanding access to the faithful who are not clergy.
Changes include allowing participation of 70 non-bishop members at the Synod of Bishops set for October, 10 from each of the seven regional conferences around the world. Half of the additions are expected to be women. Young people also are to be included.
The Women’s Ordination Conference – a group working to ordain women as priests, deacons and bishops – lauded the changes, saying they resulted from a collaboration in which the group played a founding role.
“This is a significant crack in the stained glass ceiling, and the result of sustained advocacy,” the conference said in a statement.
The synod is the Catholic Church’s top deliberative body. The first of a two-part synod gathering in Rome is expected to address church governance, the role of women in the church and perhaps the most controversial topic within the church – LGBTQ relationships, according to the National Catholic Reporter.
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For more than half a century, popes have summoned the world’s bishops to Rome for a few weeks at a time to debate particular topics. The meetings wrap up with the bishops voting on proposals to be sent to the pope, who deliberates and then responds to the ideas. Only men, however, were involved in the voting.
Some of the changes:
►Ten members of men’s religious orders have historically been elected to participate, but the new plan calls for five women and five men.
►The role of “auditors,” observers who were not granted a vote, will be eliminated.
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Women’s Ordination Conference led charge
In 2018, the women’s conference demonstrated for voting rights at the synods near St. Peter’s Square in Rome. The group claims that for years Vatican representatives and bishops resisted, “moving the goalpost” with every synod. The unspoken reason, the group says, was sexism.
“In the near future, we hope that the synod continues to develop into a fully representative body of the people of God,” the group’s statement says. “This is an important step on the path toward gender parity, and we will continue our persistent efforts to work for lasting structural changes in the church.”
Bishops will still run the synod
Francis has been a relatively liberal pope on women’s issues. He upheld the Catholic Church’s ban on ordaining women as priests but has provided women with greater say in decision-making roles in the church, appointing several women to high-ranking Vatican positions.
Cardinal Mario Grech said more than 20% of those gathered for the October meeting will be non-bishops, and half of that group will be women. But he stressed that, for the most part, the bishops will continue to hold the most authority at the synod.
Delegates from other Christian churches and communities will be invited to participate, along with outside experts. In addition, the October 2023 synod will introduce the role of “facilitators” to moderate various proceedings during the monthlong gathering. The Vatican has not released its list of invited outside participants.
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Youths to be included among non-bishop members
The plan is to include young people among these 70 non-bishop members, who will be proposed to the pope by regional blocs. Francis will make final decisions. The pope for years has encouraged young people to become more involved in the faith, sharing their faith via social media and other outlets.
“It’s an important change, it’s not a revolution,” said Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, a top organizer of the synod.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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