Pope Francis opens the doors of the Vatican’s high offices to women – expert: “A very significant step”

The Vatican is living in historic times. The pope took effect on Sunday Franciscus a reform that will allow women to enter senior positions in the Vatican administration.

– This is a very significant step, says the docent of dogmatics at the University of Helsinki, who is familiar with the Catholic Church Jyri Komulainen.

The change is related to a reform initiated by Franciscan, the guidelines for which the current pope announced in March. More specifically, it is a matter of the ongoing reform of the Vatican’s machinery.

It has been expected of the Pope for nine years, since he was elected in 2013.

Part of the new winds is women’s access to leadership positions in Vatican agencies. However, sex is only a by-product here. According to Komulainen, Franciscus’ ultimate goal has been to open up tasks to lay people.

Until now, various key positions have been reserved only for the clergy, cardinals, or archbishops.

– Franciscus has wanted to disband the clergy. He has repeatedly warned against clericalism, a way of thinking in which priests are exalted above the ordinary church, Komulainen says.

With the overthrow of the clergy, the doors will also open to women through a bend – and herein lies the opportunity that could radically change the Catholic Church.

There is now a debate within the Catholic Church as to whether the reform could at some point also see a female cardinal.

– In the Middle Ages, laymen could be cardinals, that is, there is no theological obstacle to a layman not being a cardinal. So one could think that a lay woman could be ordained a cardinal with a very small change in canonical law, Komulainen asks.

An amendment to the law would be needed because the cardinal must have a priestly ordination and there are no female priests in the Catholic Church.

Cardinals are the highest title in the Catholic Church. There are only a couple hundred of them in the entire worldwide church, and they elect a new pope from among them.

– This is speculation, and does not mean that a woman could be elected pope, Komulainen points out.

However, according to Komulainen, Franciscus has repeatedly emphasized that the position of women in the Catholic Church must be raised and the tasks expanded. At fairs, for example, the role of women is mainly limited to reading Bible texts.

– However, it is clear that Francis is not opening a priesthood. He has said this clearly, although many Catholic theologians and even bishops talk about it, for example, in Germany.

According to Komulainen, the atmosphere of discussion in the Catholic Church has changed and some cautious but significant administrative reforms have already been made.

– Franciscus is focused on changing the church with an informal take. Among other things, he has privately received a transgender person with his spouse and a priest working for the lbtq community. He has sought to emphasize the dignity of all and to renew the Church’s attitude toward homosexuals and sexual minorities.

Franciscus has a Jesuit background, and according to Komulainen, the Jesuits are the most progressive and radical rules of the Catholic Church. For this reason too, Francis has been expected to make changes as pope.

– He is distinguished from previous popes by his pastoralism, the fact that he takes into account people’s life situations and starts moving from a person, and not from some rule book or textbook collection.

Franciscus is considered a reformist pope. But how far does he have time to change things? Recently, it has been speculated that the Pope would be doing the same as his predecessor, 95-year-old Benedict, that is, resigning.

Water has been added to the mill by the fact that Franciscus has invited all the cardinals to Rome next August. The intention is to appoint new cardinals at that time.

– Many think that the intention is for the cardinals to meet so that they can choose a successor to Francis, that is, for Francis to think that a conclave appointing a new pope would follow in the next few years.

Franciscus, 85, has recently suffered from health problems and had to use a wheelchair, among other things.

– He has said very emphatically that he will resign when he is no longer able to hold office. However, it has been speculated that he would not do so as long as Benedict lives, because then there would be two emeritus popes and one in office at the same time.

What matters to the reforms is who will become the new pope, that is, whether the successor will continue along the line started by Francis.

– In nine years, Francis has already nominated so many cardinals that the majority of those under the age of 80 who can vote for a new pope are his choice. It is very likely that the line he started can continue, Komulainen says.

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