Contrary to tradition, Pope Francis appointed the French woman Nathalie Becquart as a deputy secretary of the Synod of Bishops, the first woman to hold the post and have the right to vote.
The 52-year-old is one of two new secretaries named after the synod, the body of bishops who study important doctrinal questions and where she has been a consultant since 2019.
Saturday’s appointment indicates the pope’s longing “for greater participation of women in the process of discernment and decision – making in the church,” said Cardinal Mario Grech, the synod’s secretary general.
“During the previous synods, the number of women who participated as experts and listeners increased,” he said.
“With the nomination of Sister Nathalie Becquart and her possibility to participate in the voting, a door opened.”
The synod is led by bishops and cardinals who have the right to vote and also consists of experts who cannot vote.
The Pope, who was born in Argentina, has indicated that he wants to reform the synod and that women and lay people should play a greater role in the church.
The pope nominated the Spaniard Luis Marin de San Martin as the other secretary.
Becquart, a member of the France-based Xaviere Sisters, holds a master’s degree in management from the prestigious HEC Business School in Paris and is studying in Boston before joining the order.