What Does It Mean For A Woman To Serve With The Synod Of Bishops?
Pope Francis and Sr. Nathalie Becquart in 2018 (Wikimedia Commons)
Sr. Nathalie Becquart, a French nun, was appointed as under-secretary for the Synod of Bishops on Saturday, Feb. 6.
The decision has been divisive for Catholics, some seeing this as a progressive step forward for female empowerment in the Church and others arguing it’s an inappropriate concession.
Becquart is the first woman to be appointed to the Synod, a Catholic institution established by Pope John Paul II as an advisory council for the pontiff made up of clergymen from around the world.
Becquart was appointed alongside Fr. Luis Marín de San Martín, a Spanish priest, to serve under Cardinal Mario Grech, the secretary general of the Synod. Their placement in their positions gives them voting rights on the council — an unprecedented situation for female religious.
The Vatican released an official statement on their appointment Saturday, saying:
“The Holy Father has appointed as under-secretaries of the Synod of Bishops the Reverend Fr. Luis Marín de San Martín, O.S.A., until now general assistant of the Order of Saint Augustine, at the same time raising him to the titular see of Suliana, and the Reverend Sr. Nathalie Becquart, Xavière, former director of the National Service for the Evangelisation of young people and for vocations of the Bishops’ Conference of France.”
Until now, Church norms have held that only clerics — deacons, priests, and bishops — can hold voting rights on the Synod.
While the presence of a woman on the Synod is a historical first, it’s important to understand that Becquart is not being conferred status as a bishop nor any other clergy position. The French nun’s position on the Synod is purely bureaucratic and carries no sacramental authority.
However, the move is a clear and intentional move by the pontiff to make good on his promises to bring women into more powerful leadership roles within the church hierarchy.
“I would like that the three of us, and all of the staff of the Synod Secretariat, work out of the same spirit of collaboration and experience a new style of ‘synodal’ leadership,” Cardinal Grech said, according to Catholic News Agency. “A leadership of service that is less clerical and hierarchical, that allows participation and co-responsibility without at the same time abdicating the responsibilities entrusted to them.”
Becquart is a sister of La Xavière, a religious order of nuns founded in 1921 and officially recognized by the Vatican in 1963 during the Second Vatican Council.
La Xavière is a religious order associated with the Society of Jesus, named after St. Francis Xavier, a founding member of the Jesuits. The order is exceptionally small compared to other orders such as the Dominicans.
Sisters of the order do not wear habits and are considered more liberal and progressive than other, more mainstream Church institutions.
Becquart has an extensive resume in church service, working for the church in multiple countries and in a variety of roles.
“In 1995 she entered the Institute of La Xavière, Missionnaires du Christ Jésus. In 2005 she gave her perpetual vows,” the Vatican wrote in their official announcement. “She has served as director of the National Service for Evangelisation of young people and for vocations of the Bishops’ Conference of France (from 2012 to 2018) and consultor of the Secretariat General of the Synod of Bishops (since 2019).”
Pope Francis has made explicit his belief that women are not eligible for the priesthood nor the diaconate. Becquart’s appointment seems to be the pontiff’s attempt to meet both traditionalist and liberal Catholics in the middle with a compromise.
Timothy Nerozzi is a writer and editor from northeastern Pennsylvania. He covers religious issues with a focus on the Catholic Church and Japanese society and culture.