In an article published on December 13, the French religious sister stated that the ordination of a woman is not an option and that there are many ways for women to serve the Church.
The highest-ranking woman at the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops has stated that the ordination of women as Catholic priests is "not an open question" at this time.
Sister Nathalie Becquart, who holds the position of Undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops, was recently named by the BBC on its list of 100 inspiring and influential women in the world.
In an article published on December 13, the French religious sister said there are many ways for women to serve the Church, but ordination is not an option.
"For the Catholic Church, at this moment, from an official point of view, the question is not open," Sister Becquart told the BBC.
Sister Becquart was quoted in a report featuring stories of invalid ordinations in the United States of Catholic women wearing liturgical vestments, in which one woman reflected, "Excommunication was just part of the journey."
In response to the article's subject, Sister Becquart said:
"It's not just about feeling called to the priesthood, it's always about recognizing that the Church will call you to be a priest. So your personal feeling or decision is not enough."
She added:
"I think we need to broaden our vision of the Church. There are many, many ways for women to serve the Church."
The most recent working document for the Synod on Synodality, published in October, indicates that many reports submitted to the synod organizers called for discernment on "the possibility for women with adequate training to preach in the parish setting and on women's diaconate."
"A much greater diversity of opinions was expressed on the subject of priestly ordination for women, which some reports call for, while others consider it a closed question," states the working document for the synod's continental phase.
Pope Francis also addressed the topic of women's ordination recently in an interview with America Magazine.
When asked about his response to a woman who feels called to be a priest, Pope Francis answered decisively: "And why can't a woman enter ordained ministry? It is because the Petrine principle has no place for it."
"The ministerial dimension, one could say, is that of the Petrine church. I am using a category from theologians. The Petrine principle is that of ministry," said the Pope.
Pope Francis added that he believes the Church should give more space to women in an "administrative" role, noting the appointments he has already made in the governance of the Vatican and the Council for the Economy.
Sister Becquart is an example of female administrative leadership within the Church. The French religious sister is the first woman to hold a position at such a high level within the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops.
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Previously, the 51-year-old sister from the Congregation of Xavières was the general coordinator of a pre-synodal meeting for the 2018 Synod of Bishops and was the first woman director of the French bishops' national service for the evangelization of youth and for vocations.
This article was originally published by the National Catholic Register (Article link). It is republished and translated with the author's permission.