He also spoke to CNN about his support for greater female involvement in the traditionally male dominated church. “The church is feminine,” he said, adding that since his appointing of women at the Vatican he has received better counsel on the ordination of priests and bishops.
In July, Francis appointed three women to the committee that selects bishops, adding them to the growing roster of women occupying significant positions at the Vatican and in the Catholic Church. “The entry of women is not a feminist trend. It is an act of justice that culturally had been set aside,” he said.
The pope also said the Vatican Council for the Economy “started to work better” after five women were appointed. Still, Francis used language rooted in traditional gender roles to illustrate the “feminine” features that women bring to the table.
“The woman has a different way of doing things than ours because she reasons in another way. She has motherhood, which is different,” he said.
This article originally appeared here.
, Pope Francis spoke about the ongoing war in Ukraine, clergy sex abuse and the role of women in the Catholic Church — but stayed vague on whether his pontificate, ailed by knee pains, will continue.){kind=link}