“The Church is a Woman,” says Pope Francis to Council of Cardinals

In an impromptu remark to members of the International Theological Commission on November 30,  the Holy Father discussed the need “to make the Church less masculine” and to understand how “the Church is woman.”

He mentioned that while struggling with respiratory inflammation, it made it hard for him to speak and forced him to cancel his trip to Dubai.

Pope Francis told the Commission that he did not like “ that women in the group are a small minority.” This is after realizing that only five of the 28 members of the commission were women, all of whom had pontifical appointments.

"...We must advance in this. Women have a capacity for theological reflection that is different from that of us men. It will be because I have studied the theology of a woman a great deal. I was helped by a good German woman, Hanna-Barbara Gerl, on Guardini,” he said.

Gerl “studied that history and the theology of that woman were not so deep, but they were beautiful and creative. And now, in the upcoming meeting of the nine Cardinals, we will reflect on the feminine dimension of the Church,” said Pope Francis.

The cardinals represent all continents, and they help the Holy Father govern the Church.

“The Church is woman. And if we do not know what a woman is or what the theology of a woman is, we will never understand what the Church is. One of the great sins we have had is to ‘masculinize’ the Church. And this is not solved by the ministerial path; that is something else. It is resolved in the mystical way, the real way,” said the Holy Father.

He said that Jesuit theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar’s thought has brought him so much light.

“Petrine principle and Marian principle. This can be debated, but the two principles are there. The Marian is more important than the Petrine, because there is the bride Church, the woman Church, without being masculine,” said Pope Francis.

The Petrine doctrine is the belief that Saint Peter was given special authority by Christ, which has since been passed on to each Pope.

“And you will ask me: Where does this discussion lead? Not only to tell you that you should have more women here—that is one thing—but to help reflect. The Church as a woman, the Church as a bride. And this is a task that I ask of you, please. To make the Church less masculine.”  (MTV)