Women, including religious and consecrated women, have had an active role in the 2018 synod of bishops: they have listened to the synod’s discussions, spoken on the floor of the synod hall, participated in small discussion groups of synod participants, and helped draft key synod texts.
Yet women will not be voting on the final text of the synod document, and some at the meeting have asked why not.
According to the canonical norms governing synods of bishops, only clerics - that is deacons, priests, or bishops - can be voting members.
