Vatican City: Catholic bishops gathered at a special Vatican assembly will vote Saturday on whether to recommend Pope Francis to open the priesthood to married men or create female deacons, issues that are taboo for traditionalists.
The ballot comes at the close of a three-week “synod” on the Pan-Amazonian region which highlighted the challenges facing the region, from the destruction of the rainforest to the exploitation of indigenous peoples and a scarcity in priests.
The pontiff is expected in the coming months to address the issues raised with a document which could have repercussions not only for the vast, isolated territory, but the whole of the Roman Catholic Church.
Women urge Pope Francis for Church voting rights
Catholic nuns taking part in a three-week Vatican assembly on the Amazon have urged Pope Francis to allow them to vote on the final document Saturday. A green light from Francis would be a historic first. The Vatican has not publicly responded to the request, but an expert said it would be unusual for voting rules to be changed once the assembly, or “synod”, was under way.
Only “synod fathers” – bishops, cardinals and specially-appointed male representatives – are allowed to vote on the final document, which brings together a list of recommendations submitted to the pope. Francis will take those recommendations into consideration when he draws up his own document in the coming months. There are 184 bishops or cardinals with voting rights taking part — nearly two-thirds of whom come from the Pan-Amazon region, which covers nine Latin American countries.
