Print friendly
Australia’s outgoing ambassador to the Holy See, Chiara Porro (pictured), has credited Pope Francis with making significant strides in women’s leadership within the Vatican during her four-and-a-half years in the role.
“When I arrived, it was a time when the pope started to put women into leadership positions” Porro told CNA. “What I’ve noticed over these years is that the momentum has really increased.”
Since his election in 2013, Pope Francis has appointed several women to prominent positions.
These include Sister Alessandra Smerilli as secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Sister Nathalie Becquart as undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops, and Barbara Jatta as director of the Vatican Museums.
Porro officially ended her mission on 29 November after serving as one of 51 female ambassadors to the Holy See.
During her tenure, she collaborated with women in Vatican roles and Catholic organisations to encourage inclusivity and emphasised the importance of advancing women’s participation while fostering partnerships with men.
“Together we’ve tried to give support to women working in the Catholic Church, or religious women, or other groups – working in collaboration with men – to try to advance women and ensure everyone has a seat at the table” she said.
Collaboration essential
Porro also worked on issues such as human trafficking, child protection and religious freedom. She underlined the importance of collaboration between Church and State to address global challenges.
“As institutions, we can work together to address some of these issues” Porro said. “There are lots of areas that we’ve worked with the Vatican and I think that there’s much more that can be done — lots of partnerships.”
Porro has also worked closely with the Holy See’s charitable arm, Caritas Internationalis, “to raise the voices of the most vulnerable”.
Stephanie MacGillivray, Caritas Internationalis Senior Officer for Identity and Mission, Women’s Empowerment and Inclusion, acknowledged that women’s leadership and their human rights within religion are sometimes contested. However, she said collaboration among Church leaders, faith-based organisations and government agents is essential.
According to MacGillivray, this joint effort is crucial for addressing and overcoming challenges that undermine the rights and dignity of women and girls globally.
Reflecting on her work in the Vatican since first presenting her credentials to Pope Francis in 2020, Porro expressed her “hope that the work we’ve done over these years continues to progress”.
Sources
Related Posts:
News category: World.
