Catholic Church takes step towards inclusivity, as women granted voting rights at bishops’ meeting

26-04-2023 : In a historic move, Pope Francis has approved changes to the norms governing the Synod of Bishops to allow women to vote at an upcoming meeting of bishops. The Synod is a Vatican body that brings together bishops from around the world for periodic meetings to discuss various topics. The decision reflects the pope’s desire to give women greater decision-making responsibilities and to increase laypeople’s involvement in church affairs. The modifications also emphasize the pope’s vision for the lay faithful taking on a greater role in church affairs traditionally reserved for clerics, bishops, and cardinals. Catholic women’s groups have welcomed the move, describing it as a significant step towards gender equality within the church.

The changes include five religious sisters and seventy non-bishop members, half of whom will be women, as voting representatives for religious orders. The upcoming meeting, which focuses on “synodality,” a process to make the church more reflective of and responsive to the laity, will include one known female voting member, and by the end of next month, seven regional blocs will propose 20 names each of non-bishop members to the pope, who will select 10 names each to bring the total to 70.