Pope declares need for equal conditions for women
2023.03.08 04:36
Pope declares need for equal conditions for women
By Tiffany Smith
Budrigannews.com – On Wednesday, Pope Francis condemned violence and prejudice against women and stated that providing equal pay and opportunities could contribute to the development of a world that is more sustainable and peaceful.
Francis emphasized the differences between men and women in a book preface that was published on the Vatican News website on International Women’s Day. However, he also called for “equality in diversity” on “a playing field open to all players.”
The pope made the following statement: “I like to think that if women could enjoy full equality of opportunity, they could contribute substantially to the necessary change toward a world of peace, inclusion, solidarity, and integral sustainability.”
He also briefly mentioned Women’s Day at the conclusion of his weekly audience on Wednesday in St. Peter’s Square, requesting “an applause for all women, because they deserve it.”
Although Francis, like his predecessors before him, has ruled out a female clergy, he has condemned discrimination against women in the past. Because Jesus chose men to serve as his apostles, the Catholic Church teaches that only men can serve as priests.
In the preface to a book titled: “Women’s thinking is different from men’s,” the pope wrote. A better world necessitates more female leadership.
He stated, “Their gaze is not turned to the past but to the future, they are more attentive to protecting the environment.”
“Women are aware that they labor in pain to experience great joy: to breathe new life into and open vast new horizons. Because of this, women always want peace.”
He said that women should be paid the same as men for the same jobs and called the current pay gap “a serious injustice.”
The pope referred to the “plague” of violence against women as “an open wound resulting from a patriarchal and macho culture of oppression” in a speech he gave in 2021.
Since becoming pope, Francis has appointed a number of women to managerial positions and stated last year that “things improve every time a woman is given a position (of responsibility) in the Vatican.”
