QUESTION: Are women under the virile judgement of history with a pure reason that tends to be cruel? How do you look at the issue of women empowerment within the initiatives taken by Pope Francis?

ANSWER: Our limited under-standing of history describes women as human beings without much reason and incapable of taking worthwhile decisions. During much of history, women lived and worked just as hard as men and even more, but left without leaving  even a shadow. Pope Francis understands this painful history and wants it to be changed in accordance with the New Testament.  The Pope’s recent move to change the congregations to dicasteries and making it possible for any layperson – man or woman – to be the head of those dicasteries is a historical and meaningful move. The Pope is using his imagination and hopes to bring women into the mainstream as much as he can as a Church leader. The Pope believes that they have much to offer to a Church which is constantly looking for new directions and meaning. It will be a huge loss if women are left out as only contributors and not made part of decision making.

Bp Sebastian Adayanthrath
Mandya