"When I arrived, it was a time when the pope started to put women into leadership positions" Porro told CNA. "What I've noticed over these years is that the momentum has really increased."

Since his election in 2013, Pope Francis has appointed several women to prominent positions.

These include Sister Alessandra Smerilli as secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Sister Nathalie Becquart as undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops, and Barbara Jatta as director of the Vatican Museums.

Porro officially ended her mission on 29 November after serving as one of 51 female ambassadors to the Holy See.

During her tenure, she collaborated with women in Vatican roles and Catholic organisations to encourage inclusivity and emphasised the importance of advancing women's participation while fostering partnerships with men.

"Together we've tried to give support to women working in the Catholic Church, or religious women, or other groups - working in collaboration with men - to try to advance women and ensure everyone has a seat at the table" she said.

Collaboration essential

Porro also worked on issues such as human trafficking, child protection and religious freedom. She underlined the importance of collaboration between Church and State to address global challenges.

"As institutions, we can work together to address some of these issues" Porro said. "There are lots of areas that we've worked with the Vatican and I think that there's much more that can be done — lots of partnerships."

Porro has also worked closely with the Holy See's charitable arm, Caritas Internationalis, "to raise the voices of the most vulnerable".

Stephanie MacGillivray, Caritas Internationalis Senior Officer for Identity and Mission, Women's Empowerment and Inclusion, acknowledged that women's leadership and their human rights within religion are sometimes contested. However, she said collaboration among Church leaders, faith-based organisations and government agents is essential.

According to MacGillivray, this joint effort is crucial for addressing and overcoming challenges that undermine the rights and dignity of women and girls globally.

Reflecting on her work in the Vatican since first presenting her credentials to Pope Francis in 2020, Porro expressed her "hope that the work we've done over these years continues to progress".

Sources

Catholic News Agency

CathNews New Zealand

Pope Francis made the comment in an interview with the Argentinean newspaper La Nacion.

Francis stressed that including diverse voices in the synod is an ongoing process but that everyone who participates in the synod, regardless of gender, has the right to vote.

This marks a significant change from the previous policy, which limited voting to bishops and a select group of priests and religious brothers.

La Nacion asked Francis about the importance of the Synod of Bishops on synodality.

During the 2019 Synod of Bishops for the Amazon, he said "the question was asked: Why can't women vote? Are they second-class Christians?"

The Vatican's answer always had been that while the input of many was essential to a synod, it was the role of bishops to discern and vote.

Traditionally, 10 priests were elected by the men's Union of Superiors General of religious orders as full voting members of the synod alongside bishops.

However, In February 2021, Francis named Xavière Missionary Sr Nathalie Becquart as one of the undersecretaries of the synod general secretariat, a post that would make her an automatic voting member of the assembly.

So, La Nacion asked the pope if only one woman would have a vote at the next synod assembly.

"Everyone who participates in the synod will vote. Those who are guests or observers will not vote," he said, but whoever participates in a synod as a member "has the right to vote. Whether male or female. Everyone, everyone. That word everyone for me is key."

Sources

NCR

US Conference of Catholic Bishops

Being able to celebrate Mass isn't the only way people can undertake leadership roles in the Church, she says.

That global mission has led her to Australia to hear what Australian Catholics have to say about the big decisions the Church has to make about its future and seeking a consensus.

"I am here, ready to listen, to learn more about the reality of the Church here," she says.

"What is very important for me is the Catholic Church has to speak the language of the people."

Speaking in Sydney on Friday, Becquart acknowledged women have hit a stained glass ceiling in the Church. Women's ordination into the priesthood is not up for negotiation, she says.

"At this moment, at the Vatican and from the point of view of the official teaching of the church, it is closed."

But the former marketing and advertising consultant also notes she can still follow a fulfilling leadership path.

The Pope's right-hand woman and the undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops believes there are other ways for females to play a bigger role in the Church.

"There is a strong call today for more women in leadership, more women's participation, especially in the decision-making process," Becquart told her Sydney audience.

She also said there is a need to rebuild trust following the child sex abuse crisis, but said it will be a long process.

"We are more and more aware in many countries that the Church has failed because there have been abuses and cover ups," she said.

Becquart accepts the Catholic Church faces a public relations challenge in rebuilding trust. In this respect, she says her background in communications and project management has been useful in her pastoral work and team leadership.

When the Pope asked her to become an undersecretary in 2021, Becquart says saying "yes" was an easy decision. Her appointment is now seen as a watershed moment.

As one of two undersecretaries, she is the first woman to have the right to vote in the synod, making her the most powerful woman in the Vatican.

In December, Becquart was named on the BBC list of the 100 most inspiring and influential women in the world.

Source

• Sydney Morning Herald