ROME – After completing a massive overhaul of the Roman curia in 2022, Pope Francis has turned his attention to the topic of women as part of his reforming efforts, inviting several female theologians and a female Anglican bishop to address his Council of Cardinals, what Francis informally calls his “kitchen cabinet”.
For the past two sessions of his Council of Cardinals,a group of cardinals from around the world who advise the pope on matters of Church governance and reform, women theologians have been invited to offer their input on women’s roles in the Church, one of the hottest and most contentious topics of debate in Catholicism today and a key point of discussion during the ongoing Synod of Bishops on Synodality.
