Pope Francis has appointed Sr Nathalie Becquart and Fr Luis Marín de San Martín to be the Under-Secretaries of the Synod of Bishops.
Sr Nathalie, has spoken of her delight, saying it is a call to “serve the Universal Church” and she is on the “edge of a new adventure with many things to discover”.
Asked what it was like to be the first woman to hold this position, Sr Nathalie said she saw it as a sign and she felt the appointment signified “confidence in women in the Church.” Sr Nathalie also commented that she felt Pope Francis is listening and is giving a reply which is a step forward for a Church with “women and men together to serve the common good of the world.”
The appointment signals the pontiff’s desire “for a greater participation of women in the process of discernment and decision-making in the church,” said Cardinal Mario Grech, the secretary general of the synod. “During the previous synods, the number of women participating as experts and listeners has increased. With the nomination of Sister Nathalie Becquart and her possibility of participating in voting, a door has opened,” the cardinal said.