"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

Catholic News Agency

CathNews New Zealand

The Virgin Mary is the ultimate example of its devotion to motherhood, to the point that one could say that every day is Mother's Day in the Vatican.

Pope Francis, following the legacy of the previous two pontiffs, has taken steps to turn the Church's devotion to women and mothers into facts, in part by calling for more women to be appointed to positions of prominence in the Vatican and throughout the Church.

"A Church without women would be like the apostolic college without Mary.

The Madonna is more important than the Apostles, and the Church herself is feminine, the spouse of Christ and a mother," Pope Francis told journalists on the flight back from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil in 2013.

"We cannot limit the role of women in the Church to altar girls or the president of a charity, there must be more."

And more followed, with women being appointed by the Argentine pope to roles that had always been occupied by men. Some of the pope's "firsties" are also mothers, and a few of them accepted to talk to Crux about their experiences, challenges and projects.

BARBARA JATTA - Having it All
Name: Barbara Jatta
Nationality: Italian
Position: Director of the Vatican Museums
Role model: St. George
Quote: "It's a matter of energy and will"

Barbara Jatta, the newly elected director of the world-famous Vatican Museums, is the poster child for the Vatican's openness and encouragement of women and mothers in positions of management in the Church.

A mother of three and a Vatican employee for the past 20 years, Jatta recognizes that there has been a shift in society in regard to the role of women, and that the Vatican is reflecting that shift. Continue reading

Sources

• Crux article by Claire Giangravè, and Editorial Assistant at Crux
• Image: The Vatican Museums