POPE Francis said he will appoint two women to a historically all-male Vatican committee that assists in the selection of bishops.
The role of women in the Church was one of the main topics the Pope discussed during his interview with Reuters at the Vatican on July 2.
During the interview, the Pope said he was “open to giving (women) an opportunity” and wanted to “open things up a bit”.
However, he did not identify the women or specify when the announcement would be made.
The Pope’s intention to expand leadership opportunities for women follows the new constitution restructuring the Holy See’s central government.
The constitution stated that any member of the faithful can lead a Vatican dicastery or other bodies, “given their particular competence, power of governance and function”.
When asked which Vatican department could be led by a lay person, the Pope suggested the department for Catholic Education and Culture, and the Apostolic Library.
These departments are currently led by male clerics.
The Pope has already appointed several women, both religious and lay, to high-level roles in Vatican departments.
In 2016, he selected Barbara Jatta as director of the Vatican Museum.
Last year he appointed Franciscan Sister Raffaella Petrini as the secretary-general of the office governing Vatican City State, a position that has always been held by men.
He also named Xavierian Sister Nathalie Becquart as under-secretary to the Synod of Bishops and Italian economist professor, Salesian Sister Alessandra Smerilli as secretary of the Vatican’s social development office.
