Women want pope to deliver on his promises

CATHOLIC women say there’s a clerical stained-glass ceiling in the Vatican, and they want to shatter it. They want to vote in major policy meetings. They want Pope Francis to deliver on his promise to put more women in senior positions in the Holy See’s administration. And some of them say they want to be priests.

“Knock knock! Who’s there? More than half the church!” several dozen Catholic women chanted outside the Vatican on October 3, the first day of this year’s month-long synod of bishops from around the world.

The role of women in the church has been a recurring theme at the meeting, which brings together some 300 bishops, priests, nuns and lay participants.

Only about 35 are women. The subject has come up in speeches on the floor, in small group discussions and at news conferences by participants in the gathering, officially titled “Young People, Faith and Discernment of Vocation”.

Only “synod fathers”, including bishops and specially appointed male representatives, are allowed to vote on the final recommendations to be sent to the pope. Other participants are non-voting observers, auditors or experts.