IRELAND
Irish Times
Soline Humbert
How has a headless, truncated, nude, female bondage image recently acquired pride of place on the website of a Vatican all-male body?
The pontifical council for culture is a department of the Roman curia entrusted with the relationship of the Catholic Church with different cultures. It is headed by Cardinal Ravasi and has 31 members, mostly clerics, and a few laymen “men of culture”. There is not one “woman of culture”.
In addition there are international consultors, experts to advise the council. There were 17 male consultors and five females when Pope Francis appointed another 10 men and two women in 2014, reducing further the low proportion of women.
The council regularly holds a plenary assembly in Rome and the theme this year was “Women’s Cultures: Equality and Difference”. After a public opening day, the main meeting which was held between February 4th and 7th was reserved for the members and consultors.
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