The Vatican, often regarded as the most sacred temple of worship in Catholicism has frequently been a controversial subject in the 2000 years since its inception. The new move by Pope Francis to allow more freedom for women to serve in the church has made leaps in terms of closing the door on patriarchy for good within the ministry walls. On Monday, January 11th, the Pope revised a 1972 law written by Pope Paul VI granting women the freedom to hold positions in the ministries of Lectern and Acolyte. This essentially means that conservative Bishops no longer hold the power to stop women from becoming lectors (reading scripture), from serving on the most sacred area of the altar, or distributing communions.
These are actions considered to be preparatory for priesthood, asserting the possible claim that women will be soon granted with the right of obtaining the right to serve as priests. However, Pope Francis has explicitly stated priesthood is not on the table with the amending of the law. It is considered that the Pope made this change because of the pressure he faced to allow women into the ministry. Though some historians say that women played roles in the ministry in early times, it is still strictly reserved for men.
Many catholic churches abroad have already put into place these practices, even allowing women to read from the Gospel, something not yet approved by the official Catholic rule-makers. Francis claims that he made this change to recognize the “precious contribution” of women’s servitude in the church. Though this change may not affect progressive nations, Kate McElwee, the Executive Director of the Women’s Ordination Conference says, “But in communities that use church practice and the way that they treat women as a way to discriminate or defend oppressive practices in society, this could be a step — albeit small — toward greater equality for women” (New York Times).
When asked about the change, the Pope replied, “This decision ensures that women have a real and effective impact on the organization, in the most important decisions, and in the leadership of communities but without ceasing to do so in the style of their feminine imprint.” Calling the decree ‘Spiritus Domini’ (spirit of the lord), Pope Francis said he made the change after some theological reflection. He also made his decision with feedback from Amazonian bishops in 2019 about the shortage of male priests in their church. Due to the shortage of members of the clergy, women have begun to perform many of the tasks typically assigned to men.
In addition to the decree, the Pope appointed 6 women to senior roles in the Vatican Council for the Economy this past August. Italian lawyer Francesca Di Giovanni was the first woman to hold a management position in the Council. The council also now includes the former treasurer for Britain’s Prince Charles.
In 2019, around 22% of Vatican and Holy See employees were women, which is a 5% increase from 17% in 2010 (CBS News).
Other Opinions
Following his decision, responses of praise and backlash were reciprocated to the Pope. Those who supported the Pope’s resolve felt that including women in diaconate would help with priest shortages and give women greater say. A member of the pope’s first study commission expresses her support. Phyllis Zagano feels these changes are “a very big deal” as “this is the first codification of allowing women inside the sanctuary”.
The Pope’s decree has also found opposition with women who feel it only shuts doors to opportunity. Lucetta Scaraffia, who once was the editor of the Vatican’s women’s magazine, feels it only makes it clear that there is no intention to allow women to become priests any time soon. Scaraffia calls the behest “a step backward” for women – a contrasting view from Zagano’s thoughts that “The end result is recognition that women are equally human to males.”
It seems that while some oppose and some agree with the Pope, the initiative is still a very important one. In America, in some Catholic denominations, women are allowed to hold roles in the formal ministries of acolyte and lector.
History of Patriarchy
The Catholic Church has faced sexism-based backlash before. For example in 2018 a Catholic Magazine by the name of Women Church World reproached the Catholic Church for not paying nuns for their many tasks. In addition, The Associated Press’ exposé on this magazine uncovered Scaraffia’s thoughts on the matter of patriarchy in the church. 72-year-old Scaraffia, a now history professor at Rome’s Sapienza University, revealed to the public that she felt women should have more presence in the church. While Scaraffia would classify herself as a conservative, and does not feel women need to be priests, she is pro-choice, a feminist, and thinks people who disagree with the Catholic church’s sayings on love/marriage should still be welcome. In this 2018 discussion with Elizabeth Barber for the New Yorker, Scaraffia expresses that women have a role in the church which is “presented as if it was God’s will.” Despite the opinion that the current Catholic Church has patriarchal roots, today Pope Francis can be seen as progressive. Many liberals have praised his work that lessens the church’s focus on marriage and abortion. Pope Francis even called Scaraffia to compliment one of her novels that criticized the Church for not listening to women.
Pope’s Words on Gay Marriage
In addition to giving women more roles in the church, Pope Francis recently made news for supporting same-sex civil unions. These unions were legal arrangements that gave LGBTQ+ couples the same rights as opposite-sex couples. He says that “They are children of God and have a right to a family,’ and so on.” His rulings and decisions reflect a change in the beliefs and leniencies of the Church— exciting many, and angering others.
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