The Role of Women in Society and the Catholic Church in Pope Francis’ Media Statements, Documents, and Ecclesiastical Appointments
Abstract
The aim of this article is to show the role of women in society, in Church institutions, and in pastoral ministry as seen by Pope Francis. The research questions are: did Pope Francis continue the approach of his predecessors in this regard, or did he change it? Was he innovative or conservative in his understanding of the role of women? Did he entrust women with functions subordinate to men or with decision-making functions? The research material consists of selected media statements by the Pope and excerpts from his documents, as well as those of other popes (as a point of reference). Content analysis was used as the research method. The first part of the text will show how previous popes perceived the role of women, the second will discuss the role of women in society as seen by Pope Francis, the third will discuss their position in Church institutions, and the fourth will discuss their role in pastoral ministry.
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