Pope Francis appoints five women to major theological council

The International Theological Commission, established in 1969 to study doctrinal issues faced by the Catholic Church and to help the pope and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has just received five new female members, raising the number of female members above two for the first time ever.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - "Women now constitute 16 per cent of the Commission's members, a sign of growing female involvement in theological research," the Vatican said in a statement following the appointment of the women.

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Australian theologian Tracey Rowland was one of the new female members. But Pope Francis also appointed Sister Prudence Allen, Sister Alenka Arko, Dr. Moira McQueen and Professor Marianne Schlosser to the Commission.

Earlier in September, Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Muller, the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said that the number of women serving on the commission would be increased, adding to the two current female members, Sister Sara Butler and Professor Barbara Hallensleben

Francis has said that the Catholic Church has "not yet come up with a profound theology of womanhood," which may be part of the reason for the increased number of female appointees. While women have served on this panel since 2004, there has never been more than two.

The Vatican released the names of the 30 theologians who will serve a five-year term on the commission on September 23.

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