Catholic Church acknowledges the need for change in a changing world

It may have taken a while, but the Catholic Church now appears to have recognised that it has to change some of its dogmas to suit the changed world of the 21st century.

This weekend, after a month of deliberations, the 365 members of the general assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which includes Pope Francis, agreed there was an “urgent” need to give women decision-making roles in the Church.

But, before women start thinking ecclesiastical equality is just around the corner, the male leaders of the church proposed “further research” to determine if women could be fit to become deacons.

Led for 2 000 years by men, the Catholic Church outlaw’s abortion and female priests and does not recognise divorce.

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Its traditions are often cited as reasons that is it losing believers in the developed world, and why its attention is focused on developing countries.

As one of the least flexible of the Christian religions, Catholicism needs to recognise that humanity is changing all the time and that its rigid rules might need to be relaxed if it wants to continue to be relevant in a modern society.

The bishops need to acknowledge, too, that including women will not bring the sky falling down around their ears.