Pope Francis announced major changes to the Vatican’s constitution on Saturday 19 March 2022. Under the new constitution, any Catholic who has been baptized (a Christian sacrament), whether male or female, will be able to head most departments of the Vatican’s central administration. For hundreds of years these departments were still headed by men, who were usually cardinals or bishops.
It took more than nine years to prepare the 54-page constitution called Predicate Evangelium (Preclaiming the Gospel). It has been issued on the ninth anniversary of Pope Francis taking office. Pope Francis took office in 2013. The new constitution will take effect from June 5 and will replace the clergy bonus issued by Pope John Paul II in 1988.
According to the preamble of the new law, ‘the Pope, the bishop and other religious officials are not the only preachers of the Church. Ordinary men and women should also be given a role in the government and responsibility in the curia (Roman Senate building). According to the doctrinal clause of the constitution, ‘Any member of the faith who has faith in the dioceses may lead the dioceses (department of the curia or the panchayat system) or the organization, provided the Pope decides that he is fit and may be appointed’.
According to the 1988 constitution, except a few, all departments are headed by a cardinal or bishop and assisted by secretaries, experts and administrators. The new constitution does not differentiate between ordinary men and women, but their appointment will depend on their special abilities and their power to run departments. Departments will also have the freedom to prepare their own constitution.
Reuters