The significance of the incorporation of women for the life of the Church today

On 6 and 7 November, the LVI Theology Conference of the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical University of Salamanca was held under the title "Laity and Public Witness to the Faith".

The series of conferences, held in Salamanca, included the intervention of Professor Carmen Márquez, with her talk entitled "The meaning of the incorporation of women for the life of the Church today".

Professor Márquez stressed that, in the West, since the mid-20th century, the role of women has undergone a significant change, gaining self-awareness and a voice in the public sphere. This development, according to her, has also generated a challenging reflection in the ecclesial sphere.

In relation to women's leadership in the Church, the professor pointed out that the current challenge is not only focused on the presence of women, but also on their participation in leadership roles oriented towards the service of the ecclesial mission. For Márquez, this is not just a women's issue, but an issue for the whole Church, adding that the recent Synod has highlighted this dimension. She reflected on the current spaces occupied by women in the ecclesial context, and maintained that the integration of women in the Church must be understood from the ecclesiological perspective of Vatican II, as well as from the theology of the laity and the mission of the Church.

During her talk, Márquez highlighted the figure of Pilar Bellosillo, a pioneer in Spanish Catholic Action, who was present at the Second Vatican Council, co-founded Manos Unidas and actively promoted the role of women both in public life and in the Church. To close her talk, the professor presented the different ecclesiastical positions on the possibility of a female diaconate.

Different media have echoed this conference, such as Ecclesia COPE, Vida Nueva or Salamanca24horas.

Professor Carmen Márquez Beunza holds a PhD in Theology from the Department of Dogmatic and Fundamental Theology, is currently Head of the University Theology Programme for Postgraduates (TUP) and consultant, since 2021, of the Episcopal Subcommission for Interconfessional Relations and Interreligious Dialogue. Among her publications, she is the editor of the work Non omnis moriar. Miscelánea homenaje al Prof. Dr. Santiago Madrigal Terrazas, SJ ( Comillas 2023).

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