World where women are marginalised is sterile, Pope says in Women’s Day greeting

Wednesday, 11 March 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Reuters: Pope Francis on Sunday (8 March) said women were able to see over and above things as he sent a special greeting to mark International Women’s Day while conducting his weekly Angelus prayer in the Vatican. Large crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the event applauded and cheered as the pope said he wanted to offer a special prayer and blessing for women around the world.

“Today, on 8 March, I send a greeting to all the women,” the Pope said, prompting an applause from the crowds. “All the women who every day seek to build a more humane and kind society. I would also like to express a fraternal thank you to all the women in who in thousands of ways witness the Gospel and work in the Church,” Francis said. The Pope said women made a vital contribution to the society and should not be marginalised. “For us, this is an occasion to reaffirm the importance of women and the necessity of their presence in life. A world where women are marginalised is a sterile world because not only do women carry new life with them but they also have a capacity to see beyond things, they see over and above. They have a capacity to help us see the world through different eyes, to feel things with hearts that are more creative, more patient, more tender. I offer a prayer and a special prayer for all the women who are present here in the square and for all the women, my greetings,” he said. Pope Francis has on several occasions said he wants women to have a greater role in the 1.2 billion member Roman Catholic Church. He has said that, while the Roman Catholic Church’s ban on women priests is definitive, he wants to appoint more nuns and other women to senior positions in the Vatican. International Women’s Day is marked on 8 March in many countries around the world.