A few years ago, Pope Francis told the head of the main Vatican-backed Catholic women害羞草研究所檚 organization to be 害羞草研究所渂rave害羞草研究所� in pushing for change for women in the Catholic Church.

Maria Lia Zervino took his advice and in 2021 wrote Francis a letter, then made it public, saying flat out that the Catholic Church owed a big debt to half of humanity and that women deserved to be at the table where church decisions are made, not as mere 害羞草研究所渙rnaments害羞草研究所� but as protagonists.

Francis appears to have taken note, and this week will open a global gathering of Catholic bishops and laypeople discussing the future of the church, where women 害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� are taking center stage for the first time.

For Zervino, who worked alongside the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio when both held positions in the Argentine bishops害羞草研究所� conference, the gathering is a watershed moment for the church and quite possibly the most consequential thing Francis will have undertaken as pope.

害羞草研究所淣ot only because of these events in October in Rome, but because the church has found a different way of being church,害羞草研究所� Zervino said in a recent interview in her Vatican offices. 害羞草研究所淎nd for women, this is an extraordinary step forward.害羞草研究所�

Women have long complained they are treated as second-class citizens in the church, barred from the priesthood and highest ranks of power yet responsible for the lion害羞草研究所檚 share of church work 害羞草研究所� teaching in Catholic schools, running Catholic hospitals and passing the faith down to next generations.

They have , at the very least with voting rights at the synod but also the right to preach at Mass and be ordained as priests. While they have secured some high-profile positions in the Vatican and local churches around the globe, the male hierarchy still runs the show.

This 3-week synod, which begins Wednesday, is putting them more or less on an equal playing field to debate agenda items including , LGBTQ+ Catholics and priestly celibacy. It害羞草研究所檚 the culmination of an unprecedented two-year canvasing of rank-and-file Catholics about their hopes for the future of the institution.

The potential that this synod, and a second session next year, could lead to real change on previously taboo topics has given hope to many women and progressive Catholics. At the same time, it has sparked alarm from conservatives, some of whom have warned that the process risks opening a 害羞草研究所淧andora害羞草研究所檚 Box害羞草研究所�

American Cardinal Raymond Burke, a frequent Francis critic, recently wrote that the synod and its new vision for the church 害羞草研究所渉ave become slogans behind which a revolution is at work to change radically the church害羞草研究所檚 self-understanding in accord with a contemporary ideology which denies much of what the church has always taught and practiced.害羞草研究所�

The Vatican has hosted synods for decades to discuss particular issues such as the church in Africa or the Amazon, with bishops voting on proposals at the end for the pope to consider in a future document.

This edition is historic because its theme is so broad 害羞草研究所� it害羞草研究所檚 essentially how to be a more inclusive and missionary church in the 21st century 害羞草研究所� and because Francis has allowed women and other laypeople to vote alongside bishops for the first time.

Of the 365 voting members, only 54 are women and organizers insist the aim is to reach consensus, not tally votes like a parliament, especially since the October session is only expected to produce a synthesis document.

But the voting reform is nevertheless significant, tangible evidence of Francis害羞草研究所� vision of the Catholic Church as being more about its flock than its shepherds.

害羞草研究所淚 think the church has just come to a point of realization that the church belongs to all of us, to all the baptized,害羞草研究所� said Sheila Pires, who works for the South African bishops害羞草研究所� conference and is a member of the synod害羞草研究所檚 communications team.

Women, she said, are leading the charge calling for change.

害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 want to use the word revolution,害羞草研究所� Pires said in an interview in Johannesburg. But women 害羞草研究所渨ant their voices to be heard, not just towards decision-making, but also during decision-making. Women want to be part of that.害羞草研究所�

Francis took a first step in responding to those demands in 2021 when as undersecretary of the synod害羞草研究所檚 organizing secretariat, a job which by its office entitled her to a vote but which had previously only been held by a man.

Becquart has in many ways become , traveling the globe during its preparatory phases to try to explain Francis害羞草研究所� idea of a church that welcomes everyone and accompanies them.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 about how could we be men and women together in this society, in this church, with this vision of equality, of dignity, reciprocity, collaboration, partnership,害羞草研究所� Becquart said in a June interview.

At previous synods, women were only allowed more marginal roles of observers or experts, literally seated in the last row of the audience hall while the bishops and cardinals took the front rows and voted. This time around, all participants will be seated together at hierarchically neutral round tables to facilitate discussion.

Outside the synod hall, groups advocating for even more women害羞草研究所檚 representation in the church are hosting a series of events, prayer vigils and marches to have their voices heard.

Discerning Deacons, a group pressing for the pope to approve female deacons, as there were in the early church, sent a small delegation; other groups pressing for women害羞草研究所檚 ordination to the priesthood are also in Rome, even though the pope has taken women害羞草研究所檚 ordination off the table.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 hopeful that there is room in that space for these bold conversations, courageous conversations, and particularly that the voices and experiences of women called to the priesthood are brought to the synod,害羞草研究所� said Kate McElwee, director of the Women害羞草研究所檚 Ordination Conference.

Zervino害羞草研究所檚 group, the World Union of Catholic Women害羞草研究所檚 Organizations, a Vatican-based umbrella organization of 100 Catholic associations, conducted a survey earlier this year of Catholics who participated in the synod consultations. While a few women in North America and Europe called for female priests, there was a broader demand for female deacons in those regions.

Francis listens to Zervino, an Argentine consecrated woman. He recently named her as one of three women to sit on the membership board of the Dicastery for Bishops, the first time in history that women have had a say in vetting the successors of Christ害羞草研究所檚 Apostles.

Zervino says such are crucial and offer the correct way of envisioning the changes that are under way for women in the church, especially given all the expectations that have been placed on the synod.

害羞草研究所淔or those who think that there害羞草研究所檚 going to be a 害羞草研究所榖efore the synod and after,害羞草研究所� I bet they害羞草研究所檒l be disillusioned,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淏ut if women are smart enough to realize that we害羞草研究所檙e headed in the right direction, and that these steps are fundamental for the next ones, then I bet we won害羞草研究所檛 be disillusioned.害羞草研究所�