On the Pope, Women, and a “Halfway Theology”

The major international congress on the future of theology, organized by the Dicastery for Culture and Education and held in Rome at the beginning of December (9-10), opened with a speech by Pope Francis to all participants that truly deserves some reflection. It may seem unusual, given the specific context, but Francis said something profoundly important even for those who are “not in the field”. In his opening remarks, referring to the congress theme—”Heritage and Imagination”—the Pope invited participants to consider whether “the theological heritage of the past can still speak to today’s challenges and help us imagine the future”. This is no small task, considering the risk of irrelevance that the discourse on God, particularly the God of Abraham and Jesus, seems to face today.

The presence of a significant number of women theologians prompted the Pope to revisit a subject very close to his heart: the participation of women in the life of the Church. This time, he framed the discussion in the context of women and theology, drawing on a compelling reference to the biblical figure of Huldah, the prophetess who discerned the meaning of the sacred text found in the Temple—something neither the king, the priests, nor the scribes could understand (2 Kings 22:14-20). He concluded: “A theology made only by men is a half theology. There is still much work to be done on this”.

It is a powerful sign of the times that the Pontiff recognizes the presence of women in theological institutions as an essential need for the Church and, with simple candor, acknowledges that there is still “much work to be done” in this area. Yet, he is walking this path himself, though progress will remain blocked as long as the teaching of theology is tied to ecclesiastical universities with closed professional opportunities—that is, clerical paths—and, consequently, entirely inadequate salaries for those who wish to make theology not only their personal passion but also a true ecclesial service.

Each year, the Italian Women Theologians Coordination (Coordinamento Teologhe Italiane) organizes a summer seminar attended by many young women pursuing the full theology curriculum with great passion. These gatherings confirm that Francis is right. However, the responsibilities for this “half theology” stem from deep-rooted issues and highlight the need to “imagine the future” through reforms that are now unavoidable.

By Marinella Perroni