In what one could perceive as progress, the Vicker of Christ, Pope Francis has made some changes in the laws of the Catholic Church.
As per the new law, women can now serve at Mass as readers and distributors of communion while reaffirming they cannot be priests, Vatican News reported.
Conservative clergy had blocked women from performing even such roles because it was considered as an invasion to old rituals.
However, this had been a common practice in many parts of the world, and now Pope Francis will amend the law that will now permit women can read the Gospel and serve on the altar as eucharistic ministers.
The decree was issued from the Vatican on Monday (January 11), however, women cannot still be ordained as priests, something that will still not be allowed.
The Vatican expressed that these lay roles, officially known as lector and acolyte, were “essentially distinct” from the ordained ministry of the priesthood.
Pope Francis has been under pressure to permit women to be deacons — ordained ministers who perform many of the same functions as priests, such as presiding at weddings, baptisms and funerals which is only reserved for men.
The new formulation of the canon issued by the cannon said, “Lay persons who possess the age and qualifications established by decree of the conference of bishops can be admitted on a stable basis through the prescribed liturgical rite to the ministries of lector and acolyte.”
The specification “lay men” qualifying the laity and present in the Code until today’s modification, is, therefore, abolished.