Reassessing the role of women in the Church

(Vatican Radio) In his wide-ranging recent interview with the Jesuit magazine, La Civiltà Cattolica, Pope Francis spoke about his desire to "investigate further the role of women in the church.’ He continued: “We have to work harder to develop a profound theology of the woman. Only by making this step will it be possible to better reflect on their function within the church. The feminine genius is needed wherever we make important decisions”
Among those who welcomed the Pope’s words was Dr Anna Rowlands, a theologian and lecturer at King’s College, London. She works closely with CAFOD and other faith based organisations helping to put the rich social teaching of the Church into action in its justice and peace ministry.
She told Philippa Hitchen she believes the time is right to rediscover the work of female theologians from past generations and to reassess the vital contribution that women can make to the life of the Church today….

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She says it’s women and children who are most often the victims of war and conflict…..so to talk about peace in the current context is already a gendered question…..she believes the Church has been raising these questions, but where it has lapsed behind is in its own practice…..
Dr Rowlands continues: “I think the two things that Pope Francis is pointing out to us are – very helpfully – where are women involved in structures of the Church….he’s clearly interested in how you promote women’s governance role within the life of the Catholic Church…and that matters hugely, not just in Rome but in a subsidiary way in all of our local Churches…
“He’s also asking questions about a theology of women……I think as long as it means a way of exploring how we think about women theologically, in light of being made in the image of God, then that offers us some ways forward…..”