Pope Francis on Wednesday, 26 April, announced historic changes to the voting rights at an influential global meeting of bishops scheduled in October, granting five religious sisters the right to vote for the first time.
The changes apply to the rules governing the Synod of Bishops, a papal advisory body that gathers the world's bishops together for periodic meetings, according to news agency AP.
Previously, women were only allowed to attend as observers. While men will still hold the majority of votes, this move is seen as a significant shift for the male-dominated Roman Catholic Church.
The Women's Ordination Conference has praised the decision as "a significant crack in the stained glass ceiling." Taking to Twitter, the United States-based women's body wrote:
"For years Vatican representatives and bishops resisted, moving the goalpost with every synod as to why women were not allowed to vote. The unspoken reason was always sexism."
The Pope has also extended voting rights to 70 non-clerical members of the religious community in an attempt to make decisions about the Church's future more inclusive.
Half of these members are expected to be women and there is a focus on including young people. The changes are being viewed as highly significant and an unprecedented move towards women's representation, although there may be resistance from some parts of the Church.
In 2022, women were made a part of a hitherto all-male committee that is responsible for advising Pope Francis in decisions regarding the selection of bishops across the world.
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