Pope Francis on October 8, 2020, released a video to accompany his October prayer intention: «We pray that by the virtue of baptism, the laity, especially women, may participate more in areas of responsibility in the Church.»
The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network of the Apostleship of Prayer developed “The Pope Video” initiative to assist in the worldwide dissemination of monthly intentions of the Holy Father in relation to the challenges facing humanity.
«Lay people are protagonists of the Church,» the Holy Father says in the video. «Today, it is especially necessary to create broader opportunities for a more incisive female presence in the Church.»
Full text of the prayer intention:
No one has been baptized a priest or a bishop. We have all been baptized as lay people.
Lay people are protagonists of the Church.
Today, it is especially necessary to create broader opportunities for a more incisive female presence in the Church.
And we must emphasize the feminine lay presence because women tend to be left aside.
We must promote the integration of women, especially where important decisions are made.
We pray that by the virtue of baptism, the laity, especially women, may participate more in areas of responsibility in the Church, without falling into forms of clericalism that diminish the lay charism.
