Women in Dialogue

Taking its first steps, with the enthusiasm of a new beginning and the urgency of its mission, Women in Dialogue is a network of women who live in Rome and are connected to the Catholic Church. They include ambassadors to the Holy See, professors at pontifical universities, intellectuals, journalists, Vatican employees and officials in dicasteries, religious women, and even some who are non-believers. What unites them is the shared commitment to advancing women’s dignity and rights, combating gender-based violence, and empowering the many who remain at the bottom of the hierarchy despite having the qualifications to contribute meaningfully to decision-making—both within the Church and beyond. They also strive to support women who wish to pursue education but lack the resources to do so. The women in this network know from experience that many of their male counterparts—priests, bishops, cardinals—were formed within traditional, male-centric models of leadership (as acknowledged by the most recent Synod) and often struggle to collaborate equally with women. They look to Pope Francis with gratitude for creating a new chapter in the relationship between the Church and women.

 “We’re not a clique or a women’s ghetto linked to the Vatican. I’d say we’re a seed—women who accept responsibility within the Church and society. We try to speak to one another, to speak to many others, and to listen,” says Sister Grazia Loparco, a historian and professor at Auxilium, the only pontifical faculty entrusted to a female religious congregation. She was among the first to recognize the potential of such a network. “Our institute (the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians) has always focused on women, promoting the holistic education of individuals, including formation for citizenship,” she explains.

Auxilium celebrates its Faculty Day on March 8. In 2022, the event invited several ambassadors to the Vatican, including Chiara Porro, Australia’s ambassador to the Holy See, who participated with a group of colleagues. During the pandemic, the ambassadors intensified their online meetings. “We exchanged ideas every two weeks, inviting speakers—women working in the Vatican, cardinals, archbishops—to share insights and signal our presence as ambassadors,” Porro says. Initially, the group consisted of about twenty members; today, it includes thirty residents and another twenty-five occasional participants. “We make up roughly one-third of the diplomatic corps, representing all continents”.

The ambassadors’ network collaborates with Auxilium, engages with the International Union of Superiors General (UISG), and partners with Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, which coordinates the inter-university diploma program Women and the Church. These initiatives provide opportunities to connect with Women in the Vatican, the first women’s association within the papal state, comprised of lay, consecrated, and religious women who work or have worked for the Holy See. “We are not a union. We aim to support one another and respond to the need for visibility for women in the Vatican and the Church—environments still predominantly male,” says Margherita Maria Romanelli, one of the founders and an official in the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace since 1994 and, since 2017, a member of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

The Women in Dialogue mailing list includes Caritas Internationalis. “We believe that women should be a priority in our work because they are often the most affected by humanitarian disasters. In recent years, we’ve seen an increase in poverty among women and a rise in violence,” says Stephanie MacGillivray, head of the program Identity and Mission: Women’s Empowerment and Inclusion.

The Lay Centre, an international academic community founded in 1986 by Donna Orsuto and Rieke van Velzen, is also part of the network. The most recent addition is Women, Church, World. Though not a formal member, the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations collaborates with the network.

Each organization retains its unique identity while contributing its expertise on shared interests. For example, Florence Mangin, France’s ambassador to the Holy See, explains, “Since 2019, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has pursued a ‘feminist diplomacy’ policy, placing gender equality at the heart of its foreign policy. This policy aims both to defend and promote women’s rights worldwide and to support feminist civil society organizations, particularly in countries where women’s rights are threatened or ignored, as well as to ensure that women have greater responsibilities. This approach, she adds, “is in line with the priority Pope Francis places on promoting the role of women in the life of the Church”.

The Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum’s work is more academic in focus. “The Institute of Higher Studies on Women was founded in 2003 to promote women’s contributions in all areas of society. It combines research and dissemination, with teams studying the anthropology of sexual difference and the impact of artificial intelligence on work, particularly as it relates to women,” says Anita Cadavid, the institute’s director.

The contribution of the Lay Centre is also of an academic nature, “aimed at inspiring and preparing future lay leaders to serve the Church in the world, with particular attention to the presence of women within Vatican institutions. The Center offers scholarships to study at pontifical universities, some of which are specifically allocated to women from less advantaged geographical areas”, says program coordinator Sara Salvatori.

The UISG brings global reach to the network, sharing educational content that can be disseminated worldwide. “Catholic sisters are present in the daily struggles of people. We build solidarity networks and implement practical projects to combat human trafficking, welcome migrants and refugees, and address climate change and environmental destruction. Religious women are active in schools, hospitals, clinics, care homes, prisons, parishes, dioceses, retreat centers, Vatican dicasteries, commissions, and councils,” explains Sister Patricia Murray, the UISG’s executive secretary.

For 2025, the network plans numerous individual projects—conferences, training programs, and theater productions. Collaborative initiatives are also under consideration, especially ahead of the Jubilee of Movements in June, the Jubilee of Youth in late July, and the November 25 campaign Orange the World for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

By Vittoria Prisciandaro
Vittoria Prisciandaro is a journalist for “Credere” and “Jesus,” San Paolo Periodicals.