POPE WHO ACTED AGAINST EXCLUSION

For women, Pope Francis has brought revolutionary changes to the Catholic Church.

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This is not solely a matter concerning the Church; every woman should be aware of it, to affirm that even sacred rites can be reformed.

Pope Francis will be remembered not only for his deep humility and inclusive spirituality but also for steering revolutionary reforms that challenged year-old traditions. From the moment his papacy began in 2013, the first Jesuit to hold the position brought in revolutionary changes. He was driven by his own principle, simple but profound, to be a voice for the voiceless.

In a patriarchal society where women have long been relegated to the sidelines of spiritual authority, Pope Francis' remarkable changes shocked theological orthodoxy.

In 2016, he rewrote history by allowing women to participate in the Maundy Thursday foot-washing ceremony. This is a sacred re-enactment of Jesus Christ cleansing the feet of his 12 apostles. Pope Francis reformed the ceremony by declaring that it would be open to women too or as he put it, “to all the members of the people of God”. This ritual, which was traditionally reserved for men, symbolises humility, service, and compassion. By including women, he shattered a symbolic boundary that had reinforced the exclusion of women from the Church's most revered practices.