Pope Francis Visits Philadelphia, Praises Women’s Contribution To Church
Pope
Francis called for the faithful to foster a sense of personal
responsibility in the Roman Catholic Church’s mission in our rapidly
changing society.
The first pope from the Americas emphasized
the importance of the laity and women in planning for the church’s
future during a homily at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and
Paul in downtown Philadelphia Saturday morning.
“In a particular
way, it means valuing the immense contribution which women, lay and
religious, have made and continue to make to the life of our
communities,” he said.
Francis, 78, shared the story of how
Pennsylvania native Saint Katharine Drexel’s life was changed when Pope
Leo XIII asked her about her contribution to fulfilling the church’s
needs.
“First, those words – ‘What about you?’ – were addressed
to a young person, a young woman with high ideals, and they changed her
life,” Francis said. “They made her think of the immense work that had
to be done, and to realize that she was being called to do her part.”
Pope
Francis celebrates Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and
Paul on September 26 in Philadelphia.
Francis has praised the role women play in the church
many times and elaborated on his dedication to respect for women in his
first apostolic exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium” (The Joy of the Gospel), which outlines his vision for the institution in the modern world.
“We
need to create still broader opportunities for a more incisive female
presence in the Church,” he wrote in the 2013 document. “Because ‘the
feminine genius is needed in all expressions in the life of society, the
presence of women must also be guaranteed in the workplace’ [quoting
Pope John Paul II] and in the various other settings where important
decisions are made, both in the Church and in social structures.”
These
sorts of statements appear to align with what some see as liberal
denunciations of unfettered capitalism and manmade climate change. But
he has been criticized for saying that the reservation of the priesthood
for men is not open to discussion.
British theologian Tina
Beattie has lamented that the pope has not, in her opinion, done more to
include women in his revolutionary interpretations of the church’s
teachings.
“Francis is a potent and prophetic voice of late modernity,” she wrote in the Los Angeles Times.
“His greatest potential allies are the women who make up more than half
the church. We are on your side, Pope Francis. Can you hear us?”
