Pope appoints more women to theological commission

Women now make up 16% of the International Theological Commission.

Vatican City:  As Cardinal Gerhard Muller revealed is a recent interview with Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Roman’s monthly women’s insert, Pope Francis has boosted female presence in the International Theological Commission. The Pope showed how much he values the work of female theologians by nominating five more women to the body set up by Pope Paul VI in April 1969 and headed for a long time by Joseph Ratzinger.

A Vatican statement speaks of “a notable increase in the contribution of female theologians”.

“Women now constitute 16% of the Commission’s members, a sign of growing female involvement in theological research,” the statement read.

The Commission is composed of no more than 30 theologians from various nations and different schools of theology.

In the previous two five-year terms, there had been two women in the Commission: Sister Sara Butler (US) and Professor Barbara Hallensleben (Switzerland, of German nationality).

Five new female theologians have now joined the Commission: two women religious and three lay women. Their names, in alphabetical order, are: Sister Prudence Allen, R.S.M., (US), Sister Alenka Arko, Com. Loyola (Slovenia-Russia), Moira Mary McQuenn (UK – Canada), Tracey Rowland (Australia), Marianne Schlosser (Germany – Austria).

Source: Vatican Insider