Belfast Telegraph: Move to give women larger role at Mass is welcomed

Pope Francis amended the law to formalise what is common practice in many parts of the world: that women can read the Gospel and serve on the altar as eucharistic ministers.

The UK and Ireland representative of Women’s Ordination Worldwide (WOW), Miriam Duignan, said even a small step in the right direction is a welcome one.

“This change means that women will now officially stand shoulder to shoulder with lay men as ministers of communion and lectors at Mass and girls can be altar servers,” she said.

“Until now official installation in these roles has been reserved for men, and any instances where women have been lectors and acolytes and girls serving on the altar, they have done so because it was permitted as an exception, and always at the sole discretion of the local bishop or priest.

“Therefore, while this may not seem like a change of substance in places where women have, for several decades, been permitted to serve in these roles in many parishes, this has not been the case and women and girls have remained essentially banned from the altar at the say-so of a misogynist man.”

She added: “It means that bishops and pastors around the world can no longer refuse women the right to these ministries on account of Canon Law.

“Bishops can now be held accountable and not given impunity to discriminate against women even more than the wider Church already does.

“This contributes to a slow chipping away at the wall of anti-women exclusion that still lingers and corrupts the official Church. It signals a growing awareness of what has been the rejection of women’s baptism in Christ.

“Women are one step closer to being part of officially mediating the sacred. Slowly but surely, we will keep pushing for full equality and WOW is confident more change must come.”

Read the full article from the Belfast Telegraph here. You can also read our press release on the Vatican’s announcement here.