Many people call Pope Francis a gift of God to the Church. Some of us believe that he is almost a symbol of the Catholic Church. He is the face of the Catholic Church in the world media today. His pontificate has brought hope in the lives of many. People are returning to the church because they like Pope Francis’ teaching. He is the most followed religious leader on social networking sites. He has slowly but steadily brought newness in the church and its thinking. His contribution is immense but it cannot easily grasp by many.
Pope Francis has meticulously worked towards lifting up the image of women in the church. He wants women must get their due respect in their respective families and in society. He has not only spoken for women but put his thoughts into action. He has strongly urged Christians to work for equality between men and women. In his beautiful apostolic exhortation “Amoris Laetitia”, he says that equality among men and women makes us happy to see old forms of discrimination of women disappear from society (no. 54). He believes that the role of women is irreplaceable in the family. While he was talking to his audiences, he said, “Women is not a replica of man; she comes directly from the creative gesture of God. God made women when a man was asleep. It shows that she is no way the creature of man but of God.” Pope Francis is convinced that women must be given equal rights in society and in the church. There are two factors that affirm his stance about women. He has experienced generosity and love from women in his personal life and he recognizes Our lady’s role in the life of the church.
Women in his personal life:
Pope Francis always paid respect to the women in his personal life. There were many women in his life who are worthy of mentioning here. He fondly remembers both of his grandmothers. They loved him although they were of different natures. He also remembers his own mother who taught him not to waste anything. He also admires a Paraguayan Communist and a Jewish psychoanalyst who “helped” him “a lot” in his priestly life. He once said, “I was enriched by being always in relationship with women,” He has a clear understanding that the women see things in a different way from men in face of a decision to take, in face of a problem. Therefore, he says that it’s important to listen to the two.”
Mary’s supremacy and iconic place in the church:
A church cannot be imagined without women. Pope Francis compares it with the Apostolic College without Mary. Mary played a very important role in the lives of the dispirited apostles after the death of Jesus. Mary stayed with the apostles in the upper room. She prayed earnestly for them and encouraged them to remain firm. Pope Francis says that Our Lady is more important than the Apostles. He further says she is more important than the bishops and the priests too. The church has rightly recognized the importance of Mary. Therefore, our lady is identified with the church. The church is feminine. She is a spouse. She is a mother.
It is in these convictions; Pope Francis’ actions indicate a hope for the women in the church. Let us have a glance at Pope Francis’ important decision that boosts women’s involvement in the affairs and the life of the church.
Appointment of two women in the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments:
In January 2017, Pope Francis appointed two women to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments: Prof. Donna Orsuto, an American who teaches at the Gregorian University and is also director of the Lay Centre at Foyer Unitas in Rome, and Dr Valeria Trapani, an Italian who teaches in the Pontifical Theological Faculty of St. John the Evangelist in Palermo, Sicily. This congregation looks after the affairs related to liturgical practices and of the Latin Church. It safeguards the regulations of the administration of the sacraments.
Appointment of two women in the Congregation for Laity, Family and Life:
Pope Francis had appointed Professor Gabriella Gambino and Dr Linda Ghisoni as undersecretaries for the office for the Laity, Family and life on November 2017. Prof. Gabriella is an Italian married woman and mother to five children. She is appointed as undersecretary of the office for the life of this dicastery. She obtained a doctorate in bioethics in Rome. Dr Linda Ghisoni, another Italian who has a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. She is married and the mother of two daughters. Both of them are highly competent persons. Pope elated these two ladies because of their qualification and competence in their respective fields. Pope Francis wanted to hear the voices of women in this redefined congregation after the synod on families. The redefine dicastery has additional responsibility for promoting a deeper reflection on the role of women in the Church and society.
Appointment of three women in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the faith:
In a historic decision, Pope Francis appointed three women as consultants to the Congregation of the Faith in April 2018. The three women are Dr Linda Ghisoni, an Italian, undersecretary for “the section for the lay faithful” in the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life; Prof. Michelina Tenace, an Italian, who teaches theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome; and Prof. Laetitia Calmeyn, a Belgian national, who teaches theology at the Collège des Bernardins, Paris. It is the first time ever that women or laity have been appointed as consultants to the Congregation. It is one of the oldest and the most powerful of the nine congregations of the Roman Curia. It promotes and defends the doctrine of the faith and its traditions in all the possible ways.
Participation of women in the General assembly of bishops of Latin America:
In the month of March 2018, the bishops of Latin America had a general assembly. Under the direction of Pope Francis, forty women were called to take part in a discussion on the role of women in the life of the church. In addition to this plenary meeting, Pope Francis had called four days meeting with the cardinal and bishops. Eight laywomen and six religious women from Latin America participated in the meeting. They proposed that there should be women professors actively participating in the seminary formation. The appeal was made to get more women involved in the decision making in the parish, diocesan level. There is a proposal to have synod on the theme of women in the life and mission of the church.
Commission to study the viability of female deacons:
St. Pope John Paul II has closed the topic of women ordination to the priesthood by citing the reason of tradition in which Jesus chose men to be His apostles. There is one reference to the deaconess in the Bible. But the role of a deaconess is not clear. This is the third commission to discuss the same topic from 1992. None of the previous commission has produced substantial findings. In such a situation, Pope Francis created a commission to study the viability of female deacons at the request of a group of major superiors of women religious congregations. The commission is composed of both women and men and they are in equal numbers.
Washing of feet of women on Holy Thursday:
Pope Francis made headlines in the early days of his pontificate by washing women’s feet. The symbolic washing of the feet by the celebrant of the Mass is to commemorate Christ’s washing the feet of His Apostles on Holy Thursday. In January 2016, he officially altered the Church’s practice to allow for washing women’s feet at the Holy Thursday. This alteration is much appreciated and welcomed by all the faithful.
The feast of St. Mary Magdalene:
Pope Francis elevated the feast of St., Mary Magdalene, to the same level as those of the male apostles. St. Mary Magdalene’s feast was celebrated as a memorial on 22nd July. However, Pope Francis recognized the role of St. Mary Magdalene who was the first witness and the proclaimer of Jesus’ resurrection. The elevation of this feast gives due recognition to the women who played an important part in the early Christian communities. Pope Francis took this decision in the Jubilee Year of Mercy to show how Jesus was merciful to Mary Magdalene; hence, we must imitate our Lord by respecting women in our societies.
Conclusion:
Orsuto, an American lady who has lived for many years in Rome and works as a director of the lay centre, expert in marital spirituality was interviewed recently in Rome. She says “the church is slow but there are some positive changes happening right now in the Church”. We can understand why she is so positive. She reads the signs of time. She has found new hope in Pope Francis. Pope Francis is personally convinced that the woman should be given due respect. It is his personal conviction that made him take some historical decisions. Are you convinced? Let us remember Pope Francis’ quote, “A church cannot be imagined without women as we cannot imagine the Church without Our Lady.” Let us imbibe the spirit of Pope Francis and encourage women in the participatory structures of the church.
