Vatican City: Pope Francis has stressed the need to develop a profound theology of womanhood.

The pontiff said this while addressing a Vatican conference on ‘Women and the Post-2015 Development Agenda- the Challenges of Sustainable Development Goals’ in Rome.

The Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace, the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations, and the World Women’s Alliance for Life and Family sponsored the May 22-24 conference.

Around 100 delegates from around the world attended the conference that discuss the 17 objectives proposed by the United Nations for the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals.

During the conference, Pope Francis mentioned how the Church addresses the various conditions of women worldwide today.

He said that the role of women in the Church must not be limited to being mothers or workers. He believes that there is a need to develop a profound theology of womanhood.

He also explained challenges faced by women in some parts of the world, including workplace discrimination, violence in relationships, death in childbirth, kidnapping, sexual exploitation, and human trafficking.

Former Pennsylvania senator and presidential hopeful Rick Santorum said that religious leaders have avoided the matters of science many times and they tend to focus more on the church’s principles.

Pope Francis will release an encyclical on climate change. Santorum said, “The Church has gotten it wrong a few times on science, and I think we’re probably better off leaving science to the scientists and focus on what we’re really good on, which is theology and morality.”