Breaking with tradition, Pope Francis on Saturday appointed French national Nathalie Becquart as an undersecretary of the synod of bishops, making her the first woman to hold the post and have voting rights.
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.
52-year-old Nathalie Becquart is one of the two new undersecretaries named to the synod, the body of bishops that studies major questions of doctrine and where she has been a consultant since 2019.
The synod is led by bishops and cardinals who have voting rights and also comprises experts who cannot vote, with the next gathering scheduled for autumn 2022.
The pope also named Spaniard Luis Marin de San Martin as the other under undersecretary in the synod of bishops.
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