Pope Francis has sharply criticized the treatment of women in many parts of the world. They are treated like trash and denied access to education or starting a business, the 87-year-old said in a new video message.
The Pope denounced genital mutilation and dress codes for women and girls. They would be exploited and excluded. The church leader did not comment on the issue of discrimination against women in his own organization.
“Let us not take away the voice of all these abused women,” was the pope’s call, Kathpress said. Governments must commit to abolishing discriminatory laws around the world and ensuring that women’s human rights are guaranteed. “Let us respect women,” Francis said. “If we don’t do this, our society will not develop.”
“In theory, we all agree that men and women have the same dignity as persons. But in practice that is not the case,” Francis said in the video in Spanish.
Any unmarried man can be elected pope
Within the Roman Catholic Church, a heated debate has been raging for decades about whether women should also have access to all church offices. Francis had recently filled several positions in the Roman Curia that were previously held only by female clergy. But because the Sacrament of Holy Orders is reserved only for men, only they can hold spiritual positions. In theory, any unmarried Catholic man can be elected pope, even if he has no previous experience as a minister.
The issue of female ordination has been one of the core demands of church reformers at least since the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). In 1994, Pope John Paul II, in the document “Ordinatio Sacerdotalis,” confirmed the teaching that the Church does not have the authority to administer the sacrament of Holy Orders to women. The Magisterium of the Church advocates this attitude, among other things, by saying that Jesus Christ only called people to be apostles.
The ordination of women is postponed
The issue of women’s ordination has recently been at the center of Germany’s “Synodal Way” reform process, which has been heavily criticized by the Vatican. Pope Francis himself convened a commission in 2016 to investigate the possible ordination of women to the diaconate – the first phase of the sacrament of ordination. However, no results of the committee have been announced so far.
In 2021, Francis started a multi-year world synod on church reform. The issue of the ordination of women is being put on the back burner, the former president of the German Conference of Superiors, Katharina Kluitmann, recently complained. She reported that she had sent an open letter to the Pope about this – and “didn’t even receive an acknowledgment of receipt.”
The video is about the Pope’s prayer intention for the month of April. The contributions were created by the Vatican Foundation “Pope’s Prayer Network”. The videos are available at http://www.thepopevideo.org or under the keyword “The Pope’s Video” on YouTube.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
