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For the first time in its 2,000-year history, the Catholic Church at Vatican City embraces the participation of women in the Synod Assembly. The Assembly of the Synod of Bishops commenced on October 4, drawing over 350 Bishops, clergy, and other faithful to the Vatican, where they gathered with Pope Francis to deliberate on matters and potential reforms within the Catholic Church.
Among these 350 participants, 54 nuns, sisters, and other women hold the privilege of voting on the final Synod document, slated for publication on October 28. This document will encapsulate the assembly’s consensus, areas of discord, and matters warranting further examination or consideration.
On Wednesday, the Synod assembly released an open letter, heralding this significant step for women in the Catholic Church. The letter conveyed that, at the invitation of Pope Francis, both men and women have been encouraged, by virtue of their baptism, to engage in not only the discussions but also the voting process within the Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. It stressed the Church’s imperative need to listen to all voices, including those of the underprivileged, refugees, asylum seekers, and women.
The Synod of Bishops for this year also marks several other firsts for women within the Church. It includes the appointment of Sister Nathalie Becquart as the first female undersecretary of the Synod office at the Vatican and Sister Maria de los Dolores Valencia Gomez as the first woman to preside over a Synod.
Over the past month, the Synod Assembly has delved into some of the most pressing challenges facing the Catholic Church this decade. Topics of discussion have encompassed the participation of LGBTQIA+ Catholics, the ramifications of clergy sexual abuse, and the role of women’s ministries within the Church. These concerns will find their way into the final document of the assembly.
Notably, Pope Francis, despite previous opposition, has established two commissions to explore the possibility of female diaconate. This would grant women the authority to preach at Mass and conduct marriages and baptisms, although they would not be authorized to perform Eucharist or hear confessions. Fierce opponents of female diaconate contend that such participation would ultimately pave the way for women to be ordained as priests.
Archbishop of Perth Timothy Costelloe, an Australian prelate and Bishop representative, has previously voiced support for the ordination of women as deacons and greater involvement of women in the Catholic Church. Currently at Vatican City for the Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, he expressed the openness demonstrated by Pope Francis throughout the event.
Costelloe noted, “The image of the Church as a home and as a place where everyone is welcome has often been on the lips of Pope Francis during the Synod. He keeps insisting that all are welcome in the Church – tutti, tutti, tutti (everyone, everyone, everyone) he says over and over again.”
According to the most recent Census, 20 percent of Australia’s population identifies as Catholic, a figure that has seen a decline over time. The 2016 National Church Life Survey revealed that the majority of Australian Catholics are women, with a distribution of 62 percent female and 38 percent male.
Published by Hear Her Stories