Dutch, Catholic women about the Pope: ‘He gave women more participation’

In the summer of 2024, the 22-year-old Medicine Student Symelle Driessen saw Pope Franciscus. He then concluded his visit to Belgium with a service in a Brussels football stadium. « I thought it was great to see that with around 40,000 people we were super enthusiastic to see the pope. »

Faith can be quite complicated, says Driessen. It is therefore important and nice that she could look at the pope for control. « What do we believe? How do we act? How should a Catholic behave? » Driessen noticed that Francis was loved by many people. « He really managed to get people in their hearts, with the way he talked and wrote things: he was quite a feeling person and managed to convey his message nicely. »

What does she think of what the Pope has done for women? « He did everything he did for the men and women, » says Driessen. « In that sense, he did a lot for us, simply because we are Catholic. Not so much because we are women. »

Vatican Revolution

Maria van Schaijik, chairman of the Network Catholic Women’s Netherlands, saw that the Pope broke a lance for more administrative influence of women within the Catholic Church. « He said that women should be appreciated because they wear the church. That he said is very important. » Women received a participation in various round table discussions in the Vatican, says Van Schaijik: « And there was really listening, without judgment. That does not sound revolutionary, but that is for Vatican concepts. »

In recent years, Francis has also appointed some more progressive cardinals, she says. « The share of cardinals that is more open has grown. » Cardinals younger than eighty choose the new pope.

« The Catholic Church is too important to leave only to men. »

Theologian Tanja van Leeuwen saw how Pope Francis « has changed the spirits of people. » Among other things, she refers to the administrative functions that the Pope has assigned to women. « He had to start somewhere. You can’t say from above: we’re talking about it. That often doesn’t work. » Van Leeuwen published the book last year You have heard mefor which she did research into women’s and faith groups in the seventies and eighties. These were groups in which women came together to talk about the role of women in the faith. The Catholic Church did not seem ready for women’s participation at the time.

Twelve apostles, twelve men

Student Medicine Lisanne de Bruijn (20) has prayed a lot for the Pope recently. She saw him as an example and as a sign of unity in the church. And she thought it was great how he took care of the weak and visiting the poor. « That is something I can learn a lot from. » She followed what Pope Francis did, thinks he realized what was going on in society, also among young people. She is satisfied with what he has done for women in the Catholic Church, by giving them a say and naming them in board positions. « It showed me that he appreciated the power of the woman. »

Both Lisanne de Bruijn and co-student Symelle Driessen does not necessarily think it is necessary for women to be allowed to perform devysed offices. Driessen: « Jesus has chosen twelve apostles. Twelve men. They passed on the authority, the first pope was one of the apostles. That authority can be traced back to Christ. If I now say that women should be there, it is as if I think Jesus did not do that properly. »

‘You need women’

But if it is up to Maria van Schaijik and Tanja van Leeuwen, the role of women gets bigger. And although thanks to Franciscus, that development was slowly moving in the right direction, Van Leeuwen spoke for her book with Dutch, female believers who told her that their patience is up. They therefore drop out disappointed. « They have been waiting for so long, they said. » Now that the pope has died, there is the fear that another will come back to everything, says Van Leeuwen. If the church wants to have a future, then women must be listened to, she thinks. « You need women, with their own strength and spirituality. »

But whether that will happen? Van Leeuwen does not have much hope for the Netherlands, nor does Schaijik. The Pope has done a good job, but there is still a lot to do in the Netherlands. Van Schaijik: « We have a very conservative bishops’ conference, with the exception of the bishop of Den Bosch. They do not exactly encourage these developments. »

Van Leeuwen hopes that the next pope will continue with what Francis started with. That there will be conversations about allowing women to the consecrated offices. She refers to a quote from former minister Els Borst (D66). She said that politics is too important to leave men. Exactly, says Van Leeuwen: « The Catholic Church is too important to leave to men alone. »

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