'A door has opened': Pope Francis appoints first-ever woman to senior synod post

In a first, Pope Francis appointed a 52-year-old French Sister Nathalie Becquart as an undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops on February 6. The French sister is the first-ever woman selected for the synod role, and is also the first to have voting rights for the Roman Catholic Church. The pontiff, in a landmark announcement, overturned the Vatican's longstanding ban on a female priesthood. Pope also appointed  Fr Luis Marín de San Martín to be the second Under-Secretary of the Synod of Bishops, according to the Vatican’s press release. Synod of Bishops is a permanent institution that was established by Pope Paul VI in 1965 and is currently held by Cardinal Mario Grech. 

“The appointment of Sr Natalie Becquart is particularly interesting as it is the first time ever a woman has been appointed to this position,” the Vatican stated in the release.

The church, broking with tradition, emphasised for a “greater participation of women in the process of discernment and decision-making in the church,” the secretary-general of the synod, Cardinal Mario Grech said. “During the previous synods, the number of women participating as experts and listeners has increased. With the nomination of Sister Nathalie Becquart and her possibility of participating in voting, a door has opened,” the cardinal further stated. The new reform in the synod expressed the Argentinian-born pope’s will to have more inclusivity and allow women to have more rights. 

Read: EU On N Ireland 'mistake': Only The Pope Is Infallible

Read: Pope Sets Date To Honor ''forgotten'' Grandparents And Elders

Who is Sr Nathalie Becquart?

Born in 1969 in Fontainebleau, France, Nathalie Becquart holds a Master in Management with a specialisation in Entrepreneurship in Jouy-en-Josas and took up theology courses at ISSR-St Joseph Jesuit University of Beirut. She worked two years as a Consultant in a marketing and advertising agency for NGO’s and Christian organizations (EJC consulting) in Paris. "Nathalie Joined the Xaviere sisters, missionaries of Christ-Jesus (Apostolic Congregation of Ignatian Spirituality) in August 1995 and took her final vows in September 2005,” the Vatican informed. Nathalie worked in various roles including member of the Bishop’s Council of the Diocese of Nanterre France (with Bishop Michel Aupetit, who is now the Archbishop of Paris); Vice-President of the European Vocations Service (CCEE). She has also been closely following the Vatican sabbatical programs at CTU (Catholic Theological Union), in Chicago, USA.

Read: Pope Seeks To Encourage Musicians Silenced By Coronavirus

Read: Ollie Pope Added To England Squad Ahead Of First Test