Pope Francis grants women the right to vote

For the first time, Pope Francis granted women the ability to vote during a crucial meeting of the bishops on Wednesday. The Vatican stated in a statement that the pontiff has approved changes to the rules regulating the Synod of Bishops, a Vatican body that regularly convenes bishops from across the world.70 non-bishop members, half of whom are women, are now permitted to attend the synod scheduled for October 10. They will also cast their votes.

Popes have brought bishops from all over the globe to Rome for a few weeks at a time to debate certain concerns ever since the Second Vatican Council, the 1960s gatherings that modernised the church. At the conclusion of the conference, the bishops cast votes on specific recommendations and present them to the pope, who then draughts a document taking their views into consideration. Catholic women's organisations have often criticised the church for relegating women to a supporting position. They appreciated the pope's reforms and saw them as positive milestones.