Is the Pope feminist? Signs are pointing to … maybe? A little bit? In his regular Wednesday blessing this week Pope Francis said that it was “pure scandal” that women are paid less than men.
“Why is it expected that women must earn less than men?” he said. “No! They have the same rights. The disparity is a pure scandal.”
However the Pope, who has a patchy record when it comes to speaking about women – including one gaffe being the time that he called female theologians the “strawberries on the cake” – isn’t looking to try out his bold new thoughts at the Vatican any time soon.
Even still, Pope Francis – who has been praised for being humble and progressive – has been championing women in leadership roles within the church, just not women being ordained. Yet.
But change is happening, slowly yes, but moving in the right direction.
