VATICAN CITY Pope Francis on July 13 named three women to the Dicastery of Bishops, the Vatican office responsible for evaluating new members of the Catholic Church's hierarchy.
Sr. Raffaella Petrini meets Pope Francis. / Vatican Media.Vatican City, Jul 13, 2022 / 04:48 am (CNA).Pope Francis on Wednesday named three women to the Dicastery of Bishops, the Vatican office responsible for evaluating new members of the Catholic Church s hierarchy.The two religious sisters and one consecrated virgin are the first women to ever be named members of the dicastery.Sister Raffaella Petrini, a Franciscan, has been secretary general of the Vatican s governorate, the second-ranking position in the government of the Vatican City State, since November 2021.Sister Yvonne Reungoat, is superior general of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, a branch of the Salesians. In 2019, the French sister was one of the first seven women to be named members of the Vatican department for religious orders.Maria Lia Zervino, a member of the Association of Consecrated Virgins "Servidoras," is president of the World Union of Catholic Women s Organizations. She is also a consultan
Pope Francis greets a group of women religious as he arrives for his general audience in Paul VI hall at the Vatican Aug. 7, 2019. (CNS photo/Yara Nardi, Reuters)
Editors’ note: This is the English translation of an open letter to Pope Francis by María Lía Zervino, the president of the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations. It is published here with the author’s permission.
Dear Pope Francis,
First of all, a big thank you
Thank you for having given yourself completely in these eight years. From the beginning, you have challenged us with pastoral conversion for the whole Church and you are the first to strive for it. The Second Vatican Council marked a historical event in the life of the Church and from your pontificate there will be a milestone in the intense and long process of implementation of the Council. For this, as we Argentines say, you have “put all the meat on the grill” (“give it all one’s got”).