Balanced News: Pope says it’s “urgent” to guarantee governance roles for women

Pope Francis’ gathering of Catholic bishops and laypeople concluded with calls for greater participation of women in church governance and the release of research on allowing women to be deacons within a year. The proposals, while not binding, received the necessary two-thirds majority. The meeting was part of the Pope’s efforts to make the church more inclusive and give laypeople a greater say in decision-making. The final text emphasized the need for women to have roles of responsibility in pastoral and ministry work, and called for more women in high-ranking positions. There was no mention of homosexuality in the text.