愛污传媒

Skip to main content

Pope says equal opportunities for women are key to a better world

Share
VATICAN CITY -

Pope Francis on Wednesday decried violence and prejudice against women and said granting equal pay and opportunities could help create a more peaceful world, as a new survey of Catholic women showed that many felt the Church discriminated against them.

In a book preface published by the Vatican News website on International Women's Day, Francis stressed the differences between men and women but called for "equality in diversity" on "a playing field open to all players."

"I like to think that if women could enjoy full equality of opportunity, they could contribute substantially to the necessary change towards a world of peace, inclusion, solidarity and integral sustainability," the pope said.

Francis has condemned discrimination against women in the past but, like his predecessors, he has ruled out a female priesthood. The Catholic Church teaches that only men can become priests because Jesus chose men as his apostles.

A survey released on Wednesday by the University of Newcastle in Australia showed that nearly 80% of more than 17,000 Catholic women respondents said women should be included at all levels of Church leadership.

The survey, which was presented at the Vatican, showed that two-thirds, or 68%, of respondents strongly agreed or agreed that women should be eligible for ordination to the priesthood.

There was majority support for a female priesthood in all of the 104 countries surveyed except Poland and South Africa.

Francis has appointed more women to managerial roles since he became pope, and said last year that "every time a woman is given a position (of responsibility) in the Vatican, things improve."

To coincide with International Women's Day, the Vatican issued figures showing that 1,165 women now work there, about 320 more than 10 years ago when Francis was elected.

Last year, he named three women to a previously all-male committee that advises him in selecting the world's bishops.

In 2021 he named Italian nun Raffaella Petrini to the number two position in the governorship of Vatican City, making her the highest-ranking woman in the world's smallest state.

In the preface of the book titled: More Women's Leadership for a Better World, the pope extolled the differences between men and women.

"They are more attentive to protecting the environment, their gaze is not turned to the past but to the future," he said.

Francis said women need to get equal remuneration with men for equal roles and described ongoing pay gaps as "a serious injustice."

He condemned the "plague" of violence against women, recalling a speech he delivered in 2021 when he called it "an open wound resulting from a patriarchal and macho culture of oppression."

(Additional reporting by Philip Pullella. Editing by Christina Fincher)

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Elections BC released its first partial results of the final count in B.C.'s 2024 provincial election Saturday afternoon, and the data shows NDP candidates gaining in some tight races.

Ontario Provincial Police say a 16-year-old person has been charged with second-degree murder after a 15-year-old was found dead at a home in Perth, Ont. Friday afternoon.

Angela Salvatore had been away from her father's hospital bedside for just over an hour when she says she got a frantic call from a nurse, pleading with her to calm him down.

A veteran Ottawa journalist is firing back against what he says are "entirely false" claims by a former Conservative cabinet minister that he acted as a Russian agent.

Canadian Ryan James Wedding finished in 24th place in the parallel giant slalom at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, but the snowboarder wouldn鈥檛 go on to improve his results in Torino four years later.

The mystery of a 100-year-old letter sent from Manitoba to Ireland is slowly unraveling thanks to the work of one amateur sleuth.

Local Spotlight

A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.

Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.

He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.