Pope Francis' Call to Women

Colleen Mallette shares Pope Francis' call to Catholic moms to take a larger role helping our world recover from the pandemic.

During the covid lockdown of 2020 Pope Francis wrote, with Austin Ivereigh, a book reflecting on the future of our world situation. In Let Us Dream: The Path to a Better Future, Pope Francis said that no one can come out of any crises the same person, but hopefully everyone comes out of this one better and more trusting in God. His thoughts revolved around three aspects of how he would like people to grow as a result of the pandemic: Time to See, Time to Choose and Time to Act.

Let Us Dream

I couldn’t hope to summarize all of his good points. I would encourage all Catholics to read it and be challenged to use their time and talents to follow his advice in choosing to see and act on what needs improved in our country and world.

What I would like to share is how positively Pope Francis wrote about the important role that all women play in the growth of our world at this time in history. For years he has seen the value of women in society and has been giving them jobs within the Vatican whenever he can. He honors women the way Jesus did during His ministry by including them in His followings, by speaking to them and acknowledging them at a time when men did not speak to women who weren’t family, and by recognizing their ability to provide loving care to those in need.

Pope Francis feels that “women were the most affected by the covid pandemic, yet they were also the most resilient” (62). He is convinced that due to their natural motherly, empathetic demeanors women will do well to help with all aspects of recovery from this historic tragedy. As managers of homes who have to handle the physical and emotional care of all family members, women are born to do that in the broader spectrum. They know how to multi-task while still observing the feelings and dignity of those around them. This makes women perfect as administrators in the business world, helping run the Church, assisting in the recovery of the health care system, and coming up with more humanitarian stabilizing solutions in the economies of our world.

Pope Francis went so far as to say, “Women speak three languages at the same time: language of the mind, language of the heart, and language of the hands” (67). Women are very efficient at simultaneously handling all three of these aspects wherever they work. They are capable of thinking through problems, of handling the solutions while maintaining a caring heart for those affected.

Also, as Jesus wanted in His day a greater respect and help for those on the margins, this pandemic pointed out in a marked way the neglect and slow care for them now as well. Whether it was health care, education on how to avoid contracting the virus and eventually obtaining access to the vaccine, those in the underdeveloped nations lacked resources to it all.

For too long we have known that they lacked good health care, access to clean water and enough food, yet our world hangs in an unhealthy economic balance that Pope Francis believes women would be better at figuring out ways to stabilize without the current overemphasis on profits.

He mentions that there was good that came from the lockdowns, like more family time, slower and simpler lifestyles, creative solutions to problems, and a greater sense of serving others in need. These are all admirable changes to our society that he hopes we can maintain. He called “Covid-19 our Noah moment,” where we await our ark to carry us to a new and better tomorrow just as it did for Noah and his family.

In attempting to See, Choose and Act, Pope Francis challenges us to answer these questions as caring Moms who have a world of hurting children to take care of: