Pope allows women to vote at upcoming bishops’ meeting

By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has decided to give women the right to vote at an upcoming meeting of bishops. It is an unprecedented change that reflects Francis’ hopes to give women greater decision-making responsibilities and laypeople more say in the life of the Catholic Church. Francis approved changes to the norms governing the Synod of Bishops, a Vatican body that gathers the world’s bishops together for periodic meetings. The Vatican on Wednesday published the modifications he approved. For decades, women have demanded the right to vote at synods, the next of which is scheduled for October.