www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall More women leaders needed at the Vatican, says Cherie Blair

Under current Church laws, the College of Cardinals, in conclave, is the sole elector of the next Pope.

Since laypersons, male or female, cannot be elevated to the Cardinalate, the solution to the "leadership" question for women in the Catholic Church cannot be had through their "appointment" as "Cardinals!"

There are now women in the staffs of "minor" dicasteries and offices in the Roman Curia but I have not heard women appointed as Prefects or Presidents.

Amado

Why change Church teaching to appease secular feminists ?

Lawrence,

As I mentioned, Cardinals are not part of the unchangeable "Deposit of Faith", but are for function and administration. These CAN be changed without Church teaching moving one bit - just as married men being ordained deacons, priests, and even bishops are not "changing Church teaching".

I do not believe that this issue is an appeasement of secular feminists. The Vatican has appointed women to be part of its diplomatic mission at the U.N. It has women in positions, such as Mary Ann Glendon who heads the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences; Sister Sara Butler of Chicago's University of Saint Mary of the Lake and Barbara Hallensleben of Fribourg University in Switzerland were appointed to the International Theological Commission; Astrid Haas has been appointed as an editor of L’Osservatore Romano.

If we laymen can be appointed to, and lead Vatican departments, I say qualified laywomen should be too, and if you have read what the Pope has said he agrees.

Fush BaShlomo,
Yuhannon