Pope Francis' Catholic Church Reform Process Ends With Women's Equity Falling Short

Pope FrancisCatholic ChurchWomen's EquityReform Process

Share:

Pope Francis' yearslong process to reform the Catholic Church ended on Saturday without giving women more equity as hoped. The pope decided not to issue a teaching document from the recommendations, which called for women to be allowed all opportunities that Church law already provides and left open the question of permitting women to be ordained as deacons. However, it remains unclear what if any authority or impact the synod’s final recommendations will have. **Despite the inclusion of women in the synodal process, the working group that is guiding discussions on women’s role is being run by the Roman curia, operating outside the synod.

Pope Francis
Catholic Church
Women's Equity
Reform Process

Related articles:

Pope Francis Opens Holy Door at Prison for 2025 Jubilee: A Historic Move

HopePope FrancisCatholic ChurchPrisonJubilee

Pope Francis Makes History!** The Pope opened a holy door for the Catholic church's 2025 jubilee at Rebibbia prison, a first-ever gesture of hope for detainees. Francis aims to show that 'hope does not disappoint' as he calls for 'forms of amnesty or pardon' and 'pathways of reintegration' for prisoners, as well as the abolition of the death penalty. Over the next 12 months, Catholic pilgrims will pass through the door, benefiting from a 'plenary indulgence', a type of forgiveness for their sins. The jubilee, whose motto this year is 'pilgrims of hope', is aimed at the world's almost 1.4 billion Catholics and a wider audience.

Pope Francis Holds Mammoth Mass in East Timor, Encourages Progress and Faith

Pope FrancisEast TimorCatholic ChurchMassIndonesiaIndependence

Pope Francis recently visited the small island nation of East Timor, celebrating a Mass for around 600,000 people - roughly half the population. This event represents the biggest turnout for a papal event in terms of the proportion of the national population. The Pope's visit to East Timor is significant as the country gained independence from Indonesia in 2002 after a brutal, decades-long occupation and is among the most Catholic nations in the world. The Pope addressed the crowd, expressing his wishes for peace and encouraging the Timorese to keep having many children. He also met with Catholic faithful at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, praising women of the church and acknowledging an 89-year-old layman who has worked as a catechist.