"Speaking with Cardinal Oscar gave us real insight into Pope Francis and what he is doing," said Archbishop John Dew, President of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference.

Commenting on behalf of the NZ Bishop following the Cardinal's visit Archbishop John said "It was a great privilege having him here, especially as he came straight from the meeting of the Commission of Cardinals and the Pope' visit to Assisi."

"The discussions with the Cardinal made us all feel more connected to the Holy See and to the Holy Father. He has given us a sense of hope and excitement," Archbishop John said.

"He really listened in his discussions with us, which is an example of the kind of dialogue Pope Francis has been speaking of," he said.

"We were inspired by what the Cardinal to those gathered during the whakatau, that when Pope Francis says to go out to the periphery, he means not only those who are poor and marginalised but also those parts of the Church, like New Zealand, which are geographically distant,"

"He said that although he could not understand much of what was said in te reo the language of love and warmth was communicated through signs and gestures,"

"He told us he loved the whakatau, the speeches, the singing, the flower garlands. It made him feel not just welcome, but accepted into our midst." He said.

"Although here for a short visit I'm sure he will remember for a long time what he witnessed of the vibrant faith community here in Aotearoa."

Source

• Supplied by NZCBC
• Image: Adrian Heke supplied by NZCBC
  

"This wish is eagerly shared by [all] the continents," Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras said in an interview with The Sunday Times, London.

Another London newspaper, The Telegraph, said the cardinal's comments were backed by Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi. "It is a natural step — there is a move towards putting more women in key roles where they are qualified," he said.

The Sunday Times quoted a Vatican prelate as saying: "Francis's predecessor [Benedict XVI] started to promote women by appointing them to be the secretaries of some departments. But if there are cases where a woman can do a better job than a man as the head of a department, then why not?"

In his general audience on April 3, the Pope noted how women were the first witnesses of the Resurrection, adding that, "The apostles and disciples find it harder to believe in the risen Christ, not the women however!"

"This was a message about the importance of the role of women in the Church," said Carlo Marroni, a Vatican expert at the Italian daily Il Sole 24 Ore. "That said, the question still gets handled cautiously as it touches on the issue of ordination for women."

Women have taken on a number of key roles at the Vatican, including Sister Nicla Spezzati, the undersecretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Flaminia Giovanelli, the undersecretary at the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

St Peter's Basilica is run by a woman, Maria Cristina Carlo-Stella, who is the head of the Fabbrica di San Pietro, the Vatican office in charge of the church.

"But that is still very few," said Marco Politi, a Vatican watcher at the Italian daily Il Fatto Quotidiano. "Look at Germany and the US, where women have many key positions in the dioceses."

Sources:

The Sunday Times

The Telegraph

Image: Rome Reports