Role of women and papal representatives: Topics of the council of cardinals with Pope Francis

Pope Francis met with the Council of Cardinals (C9) at Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican, on December 2 and 3, where they discussed various topics such as the role of women in the Catholic Church, collegiality and representatives pontificals.

The Vatican Press Office reported this Tuesday that a first point, in which Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, participated, was “collegiality in the Church and, therefore, on the relationship between Particular Church and ecclesial assemblies, to continue with a conversation” about the Synod of Synodality, whose second world session was held in October in Rome.

“In addition, the topic of the role of women in the Church was explored, seeking a synthesis of the issues that arose during the last four sessions of the Council,” the Vatican text continues.

In fact, in the last sessions of C9 there was discussion about the role of women in the Catholic Church, such as in June in which Sister Linda Pocher, a teacher at the Pontifical Faculty of Educational Sciences Auxilium, participated, followed by the interventions by Valentina Rotondi, professor at SUPSI University of Lugano and researcher in the Department of Sociology at Nuffield College, University of Oxford.

Completing the group was Donata Horak, professor of Canon Law at the Alberoni Theological Studio in Piacenza, affiliated with the Pontifical Angelicum University of Rome.

At the February meeting, Jo Bailey Wells, “bishop” and deputy secretary general of the Anglican Communion, was part of the first generation of women ordained vicars in the Church of England in 1995.

The Vatican statement, regarding the session that has just ended, specifies that “time was also dedicated to the study and implementation of the principles and criteria of the Apostolic Constitution.” Preach the Gospel in the diocesan curias, and to the subject The role of the Pontifical Representatives in a missionary synodal perspectivein conversation with Cardinal (Oswald) Gracias, president of the corresponding study group.”

As usual, the cardinals were able to share about the situation in each of their regions, to “share concerns and hopes about the current conditions of conflict and crisis.”

The next session of the Council of Cardinals will be held in April 2025.

What is the Council of Cardinals or C9?

The Council of Cardinals, also known as C9, is the group of cardinals that has collaborated directly with the Pontiff in the government of the Church since September 2013. It originated in the general congregations prior to the conclave in which Pope Francis was elected.

Cardinals Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, are part of this council; Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, president of the Governorate of Vatican City State; Seán O’Malley, Archbishop Emeritus of Boston (USA) and Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay (India).

Completing the group are Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, Archbishop of Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo); Juan José Omella, Archbishop of Barcelona (Spain); Gérald Lacroix, Archbishop of Quebec (Canada); Jean-Claude Hollerich, Archbishop of Luxembourg; and Sérgio da Rocha, Archbishop of San Salvador de Bahía (Brazil).

The secretary of the C9 is Mons. Marco Mellino, Head of Confirmation.