Pope Francis, on Wednesday, allowed women to vote for the first time at a global bishops' meeting scheduled for October. This groundbreaking decision enables five female religious members to vote, marking a historical step that could lead to greater inclusivity in decision-making within the Roman Catholic Church.
The Pope also decided to include what the Vatican document refers to as "70 non-bishops representing various groups of the faithful of the Lord." According to this document, the Pope will choose seventy individuals from priests, nuns, deacons, and lay Catholics from a list of 140 names recommended by national bishops' conferences. Some have requested that youth be included in this list, with the Vatican calling for 50 percent of the seventy to be women. Previously, women were only permitted to attend meetings of the synodal assembly, which is a papal advisory body, as listeners without voting rights.
