Women are fundamental according to Pope Francis, and conservatives get scared.

Pope Francis just sent some conservative Catholics to God by saying women have ‘fundamental’ value

Brace yourselves. I know that is hard to hear. Women and value in the same sentence that doesn’t involve a sexual reference or a sandwich.

Katie J.M. Baker had a piece on Pope Francis’ actual statements and the reactions to them. His Popeliness called women “fundamental” to the Catholic Church, which angered a lot of people who think women should stay away from all things holy because ‘women, gross’. Baker jests that the pope might just be a feminist. No, no he isn’t.

According to Reuters the pope said:

“Francis, elected last month as the first non-European pope in 1,300 years, said women had always had a special mission in the Church as ‘first witnesses’ of Christ’s resurrection, and because they passed belief onto their children and grandchildren.

“’In the Church, and in the journey of faith, women have had and still have a special role in opening doors to the Lord,’ Francis told thousands of pilgrims at his weekly audience in S. Peter’s Square.

“He said that in the Bible, women were not recorded as witnesses to Christ’s resurrection because of the Jewish Law of the time that did not deem women or children to be reliable witnesses.

“In the Gospels, however, women have a primary, fundamental role…The evangelists simply narrate what happened: the women were the first witnesses. This tells us that God does not choose according to human criteria,’ Francis said.”

So naturally, conservatives are freaking the fuck out. Officially the Vatican says women can’t be priests because Jesus only had male apostles. Conservatives employ this argument or what we will call “bros before hoes.” Last week, his Popeliness washed the feet of women in a reenactment of Jesus’ washing the apostles’ feet, which sent conservatives into a tizzy as well. But they are pretty sure Jesus didn’t hand with the women.

Catholics in favor of women priests argue that Jesus was conforming to the conventions of the time. They aren’t as surprised by Pope Francis’s actions and opinions as everyone else either.

According to Jezebel:

“The head of the Women’s Ordination Conference, which calls for women to be treated equally in the Church and to be allowed to become priests and bishops, said Francis’ words were the most encouraging she had heard in her lifetime, but didn’t go far enough.

“’While the pope was trying to be positive about women’s role, where he’s actually wrong is that women were actually disciples, like Mary Magdalene,’ WOC Executive Director Erin Saiz Hanna told Reuters. ‘He said women are able to communicate Christ’s words, but actually women can’t preach so that’s a false statement.’”

Come at her bro. Jezebel is curious and a little optimistic about the future of the Catholic Church because of Pope Francis. They close with a quote from Reuters from a source inside the Vatican, “Sources inside the Vatican have said Francis could reform the Vatican’s bureaucracy and restructure or even close down the Vatican’s bank after a series of scandals at the heart of the Holy See that damages the Church’s reputation.

Huzzah? I mean I’ll take it. As I’ve said before, anytime the Catholic Church looks like it is coming into the current century I get excited. Women are fundamental, what’s next? Women are human beings?