By Jose Kavi
New Delhi, Nov 5, 2021: Catholics in India, especially women religious, have applauded Pope Francis for appointing an Italian nun to a key Vatican post. They now urge the Church leaders in India to follow the Pope’s example to bring gender equality.
The Pope on November 4 appointed Franciscan Sister Raffaella Petrini as the secretary general of the Governorate of Vatican City State.
Bethany Sister Rose Celine Fernandes, head of Catholic nuns in India, says she feels overwhelmed with joy at the great news about the highest ranking woman at the Vatican. She admires the Pope’s “magnanimity to recognize the fullness of potentialities present” in Sister Petrini, who she says is “a replica of all women.”
According to the superior general of the Mangalore-based Bethany Sisters, Pope Francis has recognized that the Church is active and vibrant on account of the committed service of women religious. “We religious feel trusted for our authentic and radical commitment to Jesus and new horizons are opened to us by our Holy Father. We are grateful to our Pope,” added the nun who was in Rome when the appointment was announced.
Presentation Sister Dorothy Fernandes who works among grassroots people in Patna, eastern India, hails the appointment as “truly a historic move and a bold step taken by Pope Francis. He means what he says, and is trying to swim against the current.”
Capuchin Father Suresh Mathew, editor of New Delhi-based Indian Currents weekly, says Petrini’s appointment gives a “glimpse into the changes taking place in the Vatican.” According to him, the Pope’s move is “a benchmark for women religious across the globe to look forward to changes.” He is also happy that the Pope has made “a drastic change’ by stopping the practice of “using nuns as cheap labor” in the Vatican.
Nirmala Carvalho, a Mumbai-based veteran journalist, sees another Vatican glass ceiling being broken in Sister Petrini’s elevation. Pope Francis “wants women to play a bigger role in the Catholic Church” to bring greater gender equality. “Sister Petrini will become one of the most influential women in the Vatican,” predicts Carvalho, who reports for several international media organizations.
Sister Shalini Mulackal, a Delhi-based theology professor, too thinks the Pope has taken steps to bring about gender justice in the Church since his election as the bishop of Rome. “Of course some are unhappy that he did not do much about ordination of women as priests and deacons. But I always felt that he is taking the right steps towards gender equity in the church,” Sister Mulackal, a former president of the Indian Theological Association, told Matters India.
Kochurani Abraham, a feminist theologian in Kerala, finds it encouraging that Pope Francis is bringing in more women to significant positions in the ecclesiastical governing bodies. “All the same, it’s time to go beyond a token representation to having 33 percent reservation of women in Vatican’s governing bodies. Such moves can bring about structural changes which will pave the way for synodality as a new way of being Church,” Abraham asserts.
Joseph Sodder, convener of the Association of Concerned Catholics, while welcoming a woman’s appointment to a senior posting in the Vatican, says “justice would have been done if an Indian was appointed to the post as we have the largest number of women religious in the world.”
India has more than 100,000 Catholic women religious, the largest in the world.
Sister Mulackal finds it unfortunate that the Church in India, especially its leaders are not yet thinking in the same line as the Pope. She hopes the Indian Church leaders “sooner or later wake up and follow the example of Pope Francis and find ways and means of sharing responsibility with women at various levels.”
She said she was disappointed when the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India recently appointed four priests as coordinators of various apostolates. “In fact the role of a coordinator does not require an ordained priest. It could have been a religious sister or a lay person who is competent. The vast majority of the church institutions are run by religious women in this country. In spite of that fact, our leaders never thought of appointing at least one coordinator from among women,” the woman theologian bemoans.
Sister Dorothy Fernandes wants the Church in Asia, especially India, to become bold enough to follow the Pope’s example. “We have very competent women religious who hold responsible posts; they can bring the change we have been yearning for. Give the women Religious a chance; they are endowed with gifts that make them truly compassionate and tender.”
She wants women representation in all decision making bodies of the Institutional Church. “Can we rise to this call? Can we give the third millennium of governance to women? Let us hope that we can rise tall and show the world a new way for inclusiveness.”
Sister Petrini has been serving as an official at the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples since 2005. Born in Rome on January 15, 1969, she holds a degree in political science from the Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli and a doctorate from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum), where she is currently a professor.
Yes nobody should lead. But this principle should first be followed in the family. Then we should extend to panchayat, Assembly and Parliament. Even , why should some be called Hindus, some Christians etc All are human beings. Even terms like “father “ and “ mother” are avoided . In some countries the word “ parent” is used.Similarly there is no need to say man or woman. We can use “ person” Progressive nations are making such changes. As a first step we should avoid the word “ Christian” . These are revolutionary steps, but the poor ,illiterate countries – will they heed or should they be forced under penalty ?
I can go further and say anybody can be appointed to lead the christianity. Why only few people to be priests and bishops. If read letters by Paul to Tita1:5-9. People are to be chose by the people to lead. The system Priest and Nuns should be completely eradicated and simple process should be followed where any good person can do the work of religion, or can lead to spread the Good News of God.
very true.
Excellent and superb news. Such improvisation should go on till the end of Synod instead of making changes after Synod. We say there is a scarcity in the priest. but to remove the scarcity all (men-women) must allow to do the religious rites like Baptism, Confirmation and liturgical services. As it used to happen before Emperor Constantine. Thus the Good News will be spread faster than now. We are with Pope decisions. God sent His son to learn how to be a good human. This was the only task given to Jesus and God wants only to be a good human and nothing else. But we are entangled in other useless things i.e. healing, prophet, un-necessary prayer groups and so on. Inferiority and superiority should be vanished away from the Christianity and there should be Democracy in the followers of Jesus. Thats all.
The actions of Pope Francis are not merely some progressive and kind actions. He means them also as trend setters! The leaders of the Church at various levels should think of becoming more of a ‘Synodal Church’! Participation is therefore a must. In India we have still a long way to go in considering religious and laity, both men and women for non-priestly jobs in the Church. This is also good for the priests. They can concentrate on their spiritual duties and will become more available to the people of God, and less vulnerable to ‘spiritual worldliness’ (a term by the Pope) that often comes with bureaucratic and administrative jobs. So appointing more religious and laity, both men and women, is good for priesthood itself and its quality.
It takes time to replace unworthy men to be replaced by worthy women.
For a change this Pope is trying to bring changes.
Yes some are looking for the day when bishops and priests are females. The best thing is abolishing the ranks of “ authority”. All are equal children of God and so on the basis of “ one person one vote” decisions can be taken and authoritarianism can be wiped off. All problems arise on account of difference with the authorities. Some sects among Christians seem to have achieved this to a good extent. Then there will be freedom for the faithful. They need not be compelled even for baptism or marriage in the church. The Hindu society flourishes without “ authorities” we should consider this and change the face of the organisation
WHAT IS GREAT ABOUT Pope appointing an Italian nun to be the “Secretary General”??? WHY IS THIS CELEBRATION???
You need to be ashamed that the Catholic Church is still considering or treating women as “second/third class citizens”.
The Catholic Church is FAR BEHIND other churches that have women as priests and bishops.
So, PLEASE LOOK FOR THE DAY WHEN THE POPE ORDAINS A WOMAN AS PRIEST OR BISHOP.