Vatican City, Nov 30 (EFE).- Pope Francis said on Thursday that the “masculinizing” of the church is a “great sin” that was yet to be resolved.
Emphasizing the feminine dimension of the church, the Pontiff underscored the importance of incorporating women’s perspectives into theology.
“The church is woman,” he said. “And if we do not understand what woman is or what the theology of womanhood is, we will never understand what the church is.”
Francis made the remarks during an audience with members of the International Theological Commission (ITC), composed mainly of men.
“There is the bride church, the woman church, without being masculine,” he said, urging that this should lead not only to more women represented in the commission but also to greater reflection on the church as a woman and as a bride.
“This is a task I ask of you, please. Demasculinize the church.”
He stressed that women “have a different capacity for theological reflection than we men do.”
Referring to the proposal made during an assembly of the clergy in October to grant new ministries to women, the Pope asserted that it is insufficient to merely assign more ministries to women; the resolution should manifest mystically.
Francis, currently recuperating from the flu and lung inflammation, was unable to deliver a prepared speech.
Although scheduled to attend the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, he canceled the visit on Tuesday based on medical advice. EFE
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