Hoping for change

The relationship between women and the Catholic Church is a complex, layered history spanning centuries. This relationship has been characterized by unwavering loyalty, rebellion, frustration, and hope for change, though more recently, this dynamic has become even more evident. There are those who leave the Church, stating various reasons, which often commences with disappointment. For example, as one person recalls and told Lucia Capuzzi, “I didn’t leave the Church. It left me”. Twenty years ago, it was mostly women in their forties; today, the percentage of Italian women under 30 who identify as Catholic has dropped to 33 percent (ten years ago, it was almost double that figure), while those who identify as atheists have risen from 12 to 29.8 percent.

On the other hand, there are those who stay, form a stronghold and help to keep the institution alive with their active presence, while also calling out the things that are wrong. So writes theologian Simona Segoloni, “I can’t leave because I’m also on this boat, which gathers those who have believed and carries a treasure for everyone (that is, faith and the lives of believers), but I also can’t stay idle because the storm that threatens the Church’s credibility and life is raging”. There is also a growing number of women in a liminal position who stand at a symbolic threshold, practicing their faith while criticizing the ecclesiastical hierarchy. A “continuous crossing between the center and the periphery” in search of a “different god”, the “god of women”, is how Christian feminist lawyer Grazia Villa describes her journey between faith and rebellion.

The women who stay -be they laywomen, consecrated women, catechists, theologians, married, or single- are holding up the Church; they are its cornerstone. These are the faithful who dedicate their time, energy, and skills to supporting the Church community and fostering its intellectual growth. The faith they embody is vibrant and active, often underestimated but essential. Without their commitment, many parishes and social services would not function as effectively. Thanks to the female perspective, theological studies are enriched and open up new horizons.

However, the issue of women’s equal dignity is seen as crucial for the institution’s future. Female leadership -upon which everyone agrees- is not just a matter of social justice, but a spiritual and pastoral necessity. The Synod also recognizes this. The Instrumentum Laboris emphasizes “the need to give fuller recognition to the charisms, vocations, and roles of women in all areas of Church life”.