Vatican City, Mar 8, 2017 / 03:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A new advisory group for the Pontifical Council for Culture is being hailed as the beginning of a greater representation of women in leadership at the Vatican.
On March 7 the Council presented their 37-member “Women’s Consultation Group,” which they established in 2015 as a way to give women a voice in places where it can frequently be lacking in the Vatican.
Member Donna Orsuto, director of the Rome-based Lay Center, called the the group “a good start.”
“I think there are many other ways, or in the future there will be many other ways in which women can be more present, more involved in the Church, especially in the Roman Curia,” she told CNA, “but I think this is a very good start.”
Orsuto voiced her hope that as they carry out their work, the group would be able to “work together…as women, but also with the council.”
“This idea of men and women working together for the good of the Church and society” is key, she said, adding that she’s “very pleased that the focus isn’t just on women and women’s issues.”
Council president Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi said that like many other Vatican departments, “inside of my dicastery, I didn’t have any women at the management level. They were only there in an administrative sense as secretaries.”
And while the women who are part of the consultative group aren’t necessarily department managers, the presence of the group serves as a response to “this lack of the presence of women in the Roman Curia.”
Ravasi said he didn’t form the group to recriminate those who were angry about the lack of women, and nor did he want the women to be “a ‘cosmetic’ element in the sense that they were (only) a symbolic presence” or a mere viewpoint on “an only male horizon.”
Instead, the cardinal said he simply wanted “a feminine perspective” over every activity the dicastery does, including official documents.
A woman’s viewpoint, he said, “can see beyond our gaze” and offers a perspective that’s different and at times unexpected.
“It’s a question about interpretation, of prospective, of analysis, of judgment, above all, and also of proposal,” he said, explaining that the group will participate actively in both the preparation and duration of the council’s next plenary meeting.
Cardinal Ravasi stood beside some 20 of the 37 women who are currently part of the group at its official March 7 presentation. Coming from different cultures and professional backgrounds, the women serve a three-year term and meet three times annually to discuss ideas and possible projects.
Initially started in June 2015, the group was born from the Pontifical Council for Culture’s Feb. 5-7 plenary assembly that year, which was dedicated to the theme “La Cultura Femminile,” or, “The Feminine Culture.”
Several women were asked to help prepare for the plenary, and worked in two separate groups with members of the council to organize the event and define specific topics of conversation.
After the plenary, Ravasi decided to establish the group as a permanent entity. He invited the women who prepared the plenary to stay, and reached out to several others from various professions, including ambassadors, journalists, doctors, professors, actresses and teachers, among others.
In their annual meetings, the group focuses their discussion on proposals surrounding the dicastery’s work in the fields of artificial intelligence, neuroscience, sport and human anthropology.
Consuelo Corradi, coordinator of the Women’s Consultation Group and vice rector for research and international relations at the LUMSA University of Rome, told journalists that they waited to present the group because they wanted to be able to show something that was already well established and running.
The theme that links all of the members together, she said, is “the female difference,” because “there’s a perspective from women (and) there’s a way of living human life that’s specific to women.”
“It’s not a theological discourse, what we do inside the group. One can have an ideological discourse on feminine and masculine, but we try to avoid it,” she said. Instead, the women seek to bring their concrete experience as wives, mothers, friends and professionals in order to discuss “universal themes from a feminine perspective.”
Released during the official presentation of the group was their first project – a magazine titled “Cultures and Faith” including contributions from various members of the group in different languages that reflect on a variety of different topics.
Group members from various fields and cultures who attended the presentation – including Irish ambassador to the Holy See Emma Madigan – voiced their hope that the group would provide a platform to generate creative ideas given their professional backgrounds, and to foster greater collaboration with men on important issues.
In her comments to CNA, Orsuto said the variety of backgrounds and expertise of the members is “an enrichment for the Council,” especially given the fact that there were no women in senior positions in the dicastery beforehand.
Since last year’s plenary, the women have had a chance to evaluate various projects of the council and “and give some insight into doing things with a ‘feminine touch,’” she said, explaining that for her, the group is a concrete example of Pope Francis’ call for a more “incisive” feminine presence in the Church.
Italian psychologist and psychotherapist Dr. Laura Bastianelli touched on the necessity of collaboration between men and women as “a creative process.”
“We want to set up a process that is really cooperating” with one another, she said. “This is a way to build together, not trying to compete.”
“Competition is not the key to the resolution of solving problems between women and men. It’s a cooperation, so we want to co-create starting from the group in the dicastery and then to print a model that can be replicated.”
Bastianelli said she also sees the establishment of the group as a direct response to Pope Francis’ call for a greater inclusion of women in the life of the Church, and is hoping to use her background in psychology to help shape the council’s projects.
Currently a professor at Salesian university, Bastianelli trains psychotherapists and specializes in youth psychology. She is the founder of an association dedicated to working with youth and preventing diseases in children and young people.
“It’s a big work, it’s very demanding, because there’s a lot to do,” she said, explaining that the consultation group’s magazine includes an article from her on youth culture in which she reflects on difficulties today’s youth face.
Specifically, she delved into the topic of neuroscience and what it says about “the use and abuse of the internet (and) what the impact of these technologies on our youth is.”
“This is a big problem,” she said, explaining that the result of the current expansion of technologies among youth will start to be visible in the coming years.
But in addition to speaking just about the challenges, Bastianelli said she also explored the “richness” of today’s youth, “because we have young people very rich and full of competencies, but they can’t find space and they can’t develop because of many bad influences.”
She also spoke during the 2015 plenary for the Council for Culture, focusing on the topic of “generativity (procreativity) as a symbolic code,” meaning how we generate life without necessarily giving birth.
Bastianelli said her greatest hope for the consultation group is that it would spread to other realities even outside of the Church so the “richness of this experience can be replicated. It’s like leaven.”
Emma Madigan, Irish Ambassador to the Holy See, told CNA that she also hopes to use her diplomatic experience to help foster dialogue and open channels within the Vatican.
As an ambassador, “you want to understand better your interlocutors,” she said, explaining that for a diplomat, “dialogue is a core value and activity.”
“You’re basically furthering the bonds between the two countries, or in this case with a global religion, and seeing what you can bring to the table from your experience,” she said, noting that she has worked in a number of different fields where she’s had to encounter the problems people face on a daily basis.
When it comes to the Vatican, “you’re interacting with priests, dealing pretty much with the pastoral issue. You can understand some of what they’re going through,” she said, explaining that she also tries to present and discuss issues important to Ireland and to share information in order to foster greater mutual understanding.
Madigan said she was invited to join the group by Cardinal Ravasi around the same time as the 2015 plenary when he was thinking of establishing it, and initially had reservations about joining for fear of appearing to advise the Church on what they were doing.
However, since it was specifically working with one dicastery in particular, she said yes, since it speaks to people from all walks of life, including Catholics, non-Catholics and even non-believers.
“That’s something I’m really interested in,” she said, noting that she’s been invited to join “because of my position, but I’ll be representing my own perspective.”
“I do feel it was courageous in bringing this up,” she said, explaining that to have 37 women gather around the same table can get “a bit chaotic,” as each one brings their own experience and contribution.
Madigan said that when she initially came to Rome, she thought she would be the only woman ambassador, but quickly found out that wasn’t the case, and “already it means you’re not the only woman in the room.”
For the Vatican, “it is a leadership that is male, but it is changing,” she said, noting that especially when working with the Vatican, women “naturally gravitate towards other women to be interlocutors, share experiences.”
There is “still plenty of room for growth in this area,” she said, but recognized the group as “a practical example of saying ‘we want a woman’s perspective.’”
While many say that “we value women and want to bring them into the fold,” the group “is actually a practical sign that that’s happening. It’s a beginning. You have to start somewhere.”
[…]
We can only pray that our next Pope is a faithful follower of Jesus Christ.
Archbishop Chaput made this comment:
“As a brother in the faith, and a successor of Peter, he deserves our ongoing prayers for his eternal life in the presence of the God he loved.
Having said that, an interregnum between papacies is a time for candor. The lack of it, given today’s challenges, is too expensive. In many ways, whatever its strengths, the Francis pontificate was inadequate to the real issues facing the Church. He had no direct involvement in the Second Vatican Council and seemed to resent the legacy of his immediate predecessors who did; men who worked and suffered to incarnate the council’s teachings faithfully into Catholic life. His personality tended toward the temperamental and autocratic. He resisted even loyal criticism.”
A pontificate “marked by mercy?” What mercy was ever extended towards the victims of the many sins he trivialized.
Let us pray he has received the real mercy in his final judgment to which his worldly pandering caused him to misunderstand, a mercy we all need.
Cardinal Dolan, on Fox & Friends, responded to a request for what he’d say to the American people on the death of Pope Francis:
“….So we believe he’s still alive, ok? He’s alive in, through, and with Jesus Christ, and, and so it, it, it just sorta’ strengthens our faith in the resurrection. It strengthens our faith in the Passover, as our Jewish brothers and sisters will say, that he’s only passing over from this life to the fullness of life. Now we don’t take that for granted. He was one eloquent teacher of mercy—the mercy of God. So he’s the first one that says, ‘You make sure that the Lord’s mercy extends to me at the moment of my death.’ And we do that. We do that. But we also pray with gratitude, and we also pray with utter confidence–uh–that he’s–uh–that–uh–that the Lord gives his mercy and he’s enjoying eternal reward which he so richly deserves.”
So there is one judgment.
Fr. Gerald Murray also appeared on Fox News today. He calmly pointed to the two paths the Church may take in choosing a new pope.
This guy showed no mercy to faithful Catholics; threw Chinese Catholics under the bus driven by their persecutors; never cared to understand victims of clergy sex abuse … Perhaps it is better to hold one’s tongue on such a day as this, but to present, as the CNA staff, a fairy tale tribute requires response. May he rest in peace.
Absolutely right, jpf!
This papacy is responsible for the coining of the term, “to Rupnik.”
As in, “For the past twelve years, Bergoglio has thoroughly Rupniked the Catholic Church by promoting evildoers within the hierarchy and by covering up for the evil deeds they have done.”
My current bishop is in the tradition of St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI.
He reaches retirement age this year. This morning when I heard of Francis’
death, I could not help feel relief that he would not be appointing my next
bishop.
Lucky you!!!
Francy, I agree. And let’s have none of the “Santo Subito” mania with reference to this Pope.
The “Mercy and Reform” narrative for the Pontiff Francis is a worn out meme, the epilogue of a 12-yr-long PR campaign, signifying…nothing.
“Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven.”
“Mercy and reform”? Ruthless suppression of enemies real and imagined, a gossip hound who took gossip as truth driving his acts of suppression, slapped at adoring women, yelled at them, surrounded himself with perverts whom he protected in exchange for as much protection as he could afford, opened wide doors shut by two prior Popes, sewing confusion and chaos, and published an encylical on prayer telling contemplative orders to get a REAL job, and launched an assault on those orders…a Machiavellian Peronist who spouted power to the people while while ruling as a dictator, a reign of fear in the Vatican, and terror of orthodox bishops.
dropped text…”protected them in exchange for loyalty with as much protection as he could afford”
The dialogue here on the “Pope of the people” shows a vitriol and disparagement of the deceased “Bergoglio,” the name frequently used by those who should never “throw the first stone”. The innuendo reveals much fervor, but few details.
Seems like the court of opinion will rage on with the use of terms that Pope Francis often used. Love, not hate, compassion, not repulsion, build bridges, not walls, plea to remember the poor, being a homosexual is not a sin. I have a Gay friend. Am I supposed to isolate him and reject him?
We must love our neighbor. Inclusion, not isolation, which in some cases causes violence. The Church opposes the Gay lifestyle. I believe that Francis thought the act was sinful. Will the upcoming conclave seek to “solve” the issue?
Harken to the signs of support when many thousands prayed in the courtyard of the Vatican, and condolences from millions around the world on April 21st. The real evidence of support will come from the Conclave and the entire communion of clerics.
Pray for Pope Francis.
The use of the name “Bergoglio” is not, in itself, an insult or attack. Anyone familiar with past popes and commentary knows this.
“I have a Gay friend. Am I supposed to isolate him and reject him?”
Seriously?
First name Carl. There must be more in your turse retort than name-calling. It’s not the last name that causes concern, it’s the context that surrounds it.
Thank you for your comment.
Amen to that sentiment, let’s pray for popes francis & leo.
Last letter D morgan, that line is from Poseidon 2006 Maggie Jacinda Barrett James to Dylan Josh Lucas Johns. Near the start of the film before the wave hit them good and nice.
Everywhere in society worldwide people go by last names. The familiar then comes in when a basis for it is established. Such has been my experience anyway from early schooling to now. I have found that many do not observe it so as to give themselves leeways. On the other hand other people insist on last name so as to have heavy formalities all the time.
Although it might be that in some areas first names have become the norm and the expectation. Perhaps the US is one such place.
If I ever meet the Pope I won’t say “Hi there Prevost”. I’d say “It’s good to meet the Holy Father”; or something such.
I have a homosexualist acquaintance, I call him by his first name.
Sometimes getting serious with my father I could say, “Look here, Mr. Galy …”. But I didn’t start it he did.
With some others remaining on last names is actually how we preserve the familiar in its most healthful setting.
What can be noticed is that people like homosexualists who have put themselves out for roasting then get over-sensitive over everything. Eventually as you have seen there in the US, they want to mount everything into laws suited to them that take total precedence where they alone can call the shots as homosexualists which nobody else may define for them. At that point what material difference does it make re first name / last name. Well, it could matter to homosexualists, I suppose, whether we had a choice in it or not.
You know Mr Morgan, Pope Francis didn’t come up on his own with the concept of homosexual behavior being disordered. It’s clearly explained in our Catechism.
Those attractions are only sinful when acted upon. We each have some kind of disorder and inclination to sin because we all share the same broken human nature.
MorganD, we read: “Will the upcoming conclave seek to “solve” the issue?”
“Issue”? What issue?
Half century ago the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith already offered clarification: https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19751229_persona-humana_en.html
And, then, in 1986 Cardinal Ratzinger, Prefect for the Congregation, referred to this clarification in his “Letter to Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons. In which, he recalled, for example: “…the [1975] Congregation took note of the distinction commonly drawn between the homosexual condition or tendency and individual actions. These were described as deprived of the essential and indispensable finality, as being ‘intrinsically disordered’, and able in no case to be approved of 9cf. no. 8, Section 4).” https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19861001_homosexual-persons_en.html
Perhaps the real “issue” to be solved is today’s amnesiac mindset that disregards the longstanding distinction you now rightfully request, replacing it with, what, der Synodal Weg, Fr. Martin/Sister Jeannine Gramick photo-ops, parts of the metastasized Synod on Synodality, and then a follow-up Study Group #9 on so-called “hot button issues”—this Group charged with proposing “[t]heological criteria [!] and synodal methodologies [! say what?] for shared discernment of controversial [meaning perpetually controverted?] doctrinal [!], pastoral [!], and ethical issues [!].”
A quite broad scavenger hunt, originally scheduled to report in June 2025 and to be humbly tendered to the ruminations of Cardinal Grech’s congregational (?) “2028 Ecclesial Assembly.”
Name one moment in time anyone you declare to be an “enemy” of Francis who ever expressed Christian values in opposition to the concepts of compassion for all people, whatever their affliction, belief system, of inclinations for sin.
Why are you so weirdly capitalizing the G in “gay?”
Would you also write, “I have an Adulterous friend?”
“I have a Thief friend?”
“I have an Oppressive of the Poor friend?”
“I have a Murderous friend?”
So why this one?
He’s trying to justify the lifestyle to himself. He has often posted comments indirectly supporting homosexuality. Maybe it’s projection or wishful thinking.
Yes, I’m wondering the same thing??!!…good observation.
Suppose, morganD, if I had a Razzle-Dazzle friend, should I pass laws legalizing razzle-dazzle to prove I love him outside there and “genuinely in my heart” too besides. That would be kind of an over-burden of something I would say was not Christian love or anything humane even when I could not quite identify the something right away.
I have a homosexual acquaintance. Why should that part of it be defining anything or overtake what really counts. The only “reason” would be so that it eludes its necessarily near and already long past due vanishing point; and that “reason” is not Christian either. The emphasis on such the past 12 years was diabolical.
I tip my hat to these here writers at CWR with their sharp pencils. Easter Greetings.
Thank you for your truthful insights & your compassion. Before I read your letter/response I was convinced that 99.9% of the readership if this periodical are all right wing haters. You have proven me wrong. Peace & blessings; let us pray for both pope francis & pope leo?!
Thank you for your loving, merciful, and caring remark. It brings a smile to my face.
We are Called not to order ourselves toward our sinful inclinations and desires but to overcome our disordered inclinations and desires, by ordering ourselves to authentic Salvational Love that serves only for that which is True, Beautiful and Good and becoming transformed through accepting God’s Grace and Mercy. For if it were True that it is Loving and Merciful that we or a Loved one, remain in our sin, and not desire to overcome our disordered inclinations toward sin , we would have no need for our Savior, Jesus The Christ.
The desire to engage an a demeaning act of sin of any nature, does not change the nature of the demeaning sinful act.
Although it is True, at the hour of our death, only God can judge the state of our souls, and who is worthy of His Kingdom , our Call to Holiness is a Call to be Temples of The Holy Ghost and discriminate justly between behavior that affirms the inherent Dignity of a beloved son or daughter and is thus an act of Love, and behavior that demeans the inherent Dignity of a beloved son or daughter and is thus devoid of Love .
This article presents a really clear account of Pope Francis’ life and contributions! So informative and eye – opening.
I suppose I should be amazed or shocked by the mean spirited uncharitable un christian uncatholic tone taken by those that responded to this article online. But I sadly am not! This forum is at heart a narrow minded right wing organization of communication that only wishes to aggrandize an ultra conservative set of viewpoints.JP2 is always praised; Francis is always disparaged & made out to be “the antichrist”! I suppose it’s obvious where this publications sympathies lie when so many of your readers refer to Pope Francis as “Bergoglio”! I posted a reply to Christopher Altieri’s article “pope francis’s all out battle against clerical abuse has been a failure” & have grave doubts that it will e published (same with this missive). I suppose I expected too much from right wing RC partisans. I’m a left wing RC partisan who tries to not judge but from now on in I’ll stick to the National Catholic Reporter (NCR) & America for sane balanced nuanced intelligent insights. As to your reader’s brutal judgements on Pope Francis, clearly kindness is at a discount among your readership.
“… who tries to not judge …”
Yes. It’s obvious. Your self-control is commendable. Laudable. Remarkable. Please, continue in your walk of kindness and charity.
It is disrespectful to both The Blessed Trinity and The Papacy to refer to a man as Pope, who could not possibly be validly elected to the Papacy, having denied sexual immorality to be sin, prior to his election, without manifesting any sign that he repented or even desires to repent, and thus setting himself above The Word Of Perfect Divine Eternal Love Incarnate, Our Savior, Jesus The Christ, and Divine Law.