Female Bishops Now Have a Say in the Church Capital of the World

For the very first time in history, women are allowed to vote at a meeting of bishops taking place at the Vatican, a sign of the times as the Church is looking for ways to become more inclusive.

“For women, this is an extraordinary step forward,” says María Lía Zervino, the director of the World Women’s Observatory. “Not only because of these events in October in Rome, but because the Church has found a different way of being Church.”

Pope Francis approved changes to the norms that govern the Synod of Bishops – a three-week, closed-door meeting of hundreds of delegates tackling hot-button issues the Church is facing, including the role of women to priestly celibacy and the blessing of gay couples – allowing women to hold 54 of the 365 votes. At the term of the synod, a vote takes place on specific proposals, then put to the pope for his consideration in the coming years, including concrete steps to promote women to decision-making roles and the “radical inclusion” of LGBTQ+ Catholics and others whom the Church has marginalized.