Role of women in Catholic Church highlighted

CEBU, Philippines - An Orthodox theologian praised Catholic women for their role in the Catholic Church.

“Catholic women are more appreciated,” said Georgian Ambassador to the Holy See Tamara Grdzelidze in one of the sessions in the ongoing 51st International Eucharistic Congress in Cebu City.

Speaking at the “The Church is Woman: The missionary and pastoral role of women in the church” session at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel, Grdzelidze said there is “more to come for Catholic women in the future.”

The session was attended mostly by women in church, including nuns. Some priests were also present.

A priest commented that the church actually has more women than men, and that women in the church are the ones taking care of the poor, as well as the sick.

Grdzelidze said women should not give up hope in this “deeply challenged” world.

Alongside Grdzelidze’s session were two other sessions that tackled separate topics, “The Word of God, Jesus Christ, and the Eucharist: Christian Hope in the Secularizing World” and “Manifold Dimensions of Eucharistic Hope”, still at the Waterfront Hotel.

This year’s IEC is centered on the theme, “Christ in you, our hope of glory”.  (FREEMAN)