Women in the Church

Breaking with tradition, Pope Francis has appointed Frenchwoman Nathalie Becquart as an undersecretary of the synod of bishops, the first woman to hold the post and have voting rights. According to Cardinal Mario Grech, the secretary general of the synod, “With the nomination of Sister Nathalie Becquart… a door has opened”. A door has opened? That’s a rather disingenuous comment, since the Catholic Church has, for centuries, kept this particular door shut, locked, bolted, barred and barricaded… and women firmly in their place…