During the upcoming October Synod of bishops, seventy non bishop’s fifty percent of whom are female will have a say in voting on doctrinal changes.
This group includes priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, and laity. Five men and five women representing the church’s institutes of consecrated life will also vote. A representative for the Vatican said that while this is an important change, it is not a revolution as bishops still retain a majority when it comes to voting.
He added that the change was met with much enthusiasm from catholic women’s groups, who had previously picketed the 2018 Synod and circulated a petition seeking equal voting rights for both male and female members of the church. Pope Francis amended church laws in 2021 to officially allow women to read the bible at mass and serve communion, among other changes.
