VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Speaking to members of the International Theological Commission at the Vatican on Thursday (Nov. 30), Pope Francis asked theologians to “demasculinize” the church in an unscripted remark. Pope Francis pointed out that there were only five women among the 30-plus theologians in attendance.. “We need to move forward on this! Women have a way of reflecting on theology that is different from us men,” he added. The pope said he studied the Italian theologian Romano Guardini through the work of a woman, Hanna-Barbara Gerl-Falkovitz, who impacted his understanding of women in theology.

The general secretary of the commission, Monsignor Piero Coda, said Francis’ words were “an additional encouragement for something that is very dear to him. The pope’s words underlined “the need to increase the space given to women in positions of authority and decision-making in the Christian community, in order to treasure the sensibility and intelligence that is typical of the feminine genius and experience.” Coda also said “it’s time for these qualities to become part of the culture” to address modern challenges and the “male-dominated view that still exists in the church and in society.”