When the newly elected pope reveals his new name, he sends the first message to the world about the direction the Church will take during his pontificate. That name is a symbol, an inspiration, almost a declaration of intent more from the Holy Spirit than from the new pontiff. That is why, that afternoon in March 2013, when Cardinal Camerlengo announced that the new Pontiff would be called Francis, the bewilderment was immediate. Never before had a successor of Peter borne that name. Undoubtedly, a new time was coming, a time of renewal in the Church. Later, Bergoglio explained his choice: he wanted to place himself in the hands of St. Francis of Assisi. The idea came to him through the words of a cardinal: "Do not forget the poor".

Now, in the twilight of the pontificate, we see clearly how inspired the choice was. Francis has embodied the great ideals of the Italian saint. Concern for the poor, tireless work for peace and care for creation as God's work have been the Pope's hallmarks.

St. Francis of Assisi followed the divine voice that told him: "reform my Church". In a way, the Jesuit pope has followed that same voice. Not in vain, some have called him the great reformer. The circumstances of these years and his sense of justice have pushed him to open new paths in the Church. But, in addition, as St. Clare of Assisi followed Francis' path of poverty and women had a place in the Franciscan spirit, the Pope has worked to give women their rightful place in the Church.

Perhaps the most profound challenge, and also the most painful, has been the scandal of abuse, to which Francis has responded with fortitude. In time he reaffirmed that women have a decisive role to play in the prevention of such abuses. A significant fact was to invite two women as speakers at the meeting held in 2019 to analyze the crisis. After the intervention of one of them, Linda Ghisoni, Francis underlined his conviction that the solution to this and other ecclesial problems was to achieve the full integration of women in the Church.

It is debatable which has been the main line of the Pontificate, but it is unquestionable that giving an active role to women has been a constant response of the Pope to the challenges of the Church.

Coherently, in these years, the presence of women in ecclesial positions has increased. In the area of training, their participation in seminaries has been promoted. The Pope has also insisted on the importance of having women in decision-making positions in the Church. So much so that, in October 2021, he dedicated one of his prayer intentions to this topic. There is no doubt that he was aware of the repercussions and the difficulties involved in achieving this.

If Benedict XVI already recognized the need for more women and urged the bishops to look for ways in which they could contribute more as laywomen, Francis has made a significant change of course. It is he who has taken the first step by incorporating them into the Roman Curia. In doing so, he has set an example for the dioceses. It is in the Roman Curia that the bishops are to draw inspiration for the exercise of their role of governance, as a further means of unity with Rome: the way in which the central government is carried out serves as a model for the particular Churches.

Indeed, in this effort to integrate women actively into the Church, the Roman Curia is an example. In just ten years, the percentage of women rose from 19% to 26%. Some important appointments in the dicasteries have been: Gabriella Gambino and Linda Ghisoni as undersecretaries of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life; and Carmen Ros for the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. In the latter Dicastery, since January 2025, a religious, Simona Brambilla, has been the first woman to assume the position of prefect, which has made the presence of women in the highest positions of government in the universal Church a reality.

Barbara Jatta is the director of the Vatican Museums, Nataša Govekar heads the theological-pastoral direction of the Dicastery for Communication, Cristiane Murray is part of the management team of the Vatican Press Office; Nathalie Becquart is undersecretary of the Synod.

There have also been significant appointments in the government of the Vatican State. Undoubtedly the most important was that of Raffaella Petrini, as governor of the Vatican City State. This is the first time that this position has not gone to a cardinal. In fact, in order to make the appointment effective, Vatican law had to be modified, marking a turning point in the structure of government of the world's smallest state.

All these decisions have been pondered and announced since the first years of the pontificate. They do not respond to an opportunistic strategy or to the need to adjust to the new times. Rather, they stem from the conviction that men and women have complementary visions of the world, of the Church and of people. By uniting both perspectives, a broader and deeper understanding of reality is achieved.

Thus, when a problem is studied only among men, they reach certain conclusions; but if a woman's vision is incorporated, the result is broader and can be more accurate. Therefore, this change does not respond to a question of quotas or ideological currents, but to the good of the Church: good government requires having the right people, and this implies including women.

If in the early years of Pope Francis many women hoped for a profound change in the ecclesial structure that would allow them to work actively for the Church, in recent years that hope has turned to gratitude. There is no doubt that it has only been the beginning of a new way of governing, but it has already broken many barriers and has proven its effectiveness. Sometimes, history needs people with clear and firm ideas, willing to initiate new and better ways.