Theologian Sister Linda Pocher calls for women’s fuller participation in Catholic liturgy, urging reform toward equality and synodality.
Newsroom (26/03/2026 Gaudium Press )For Sister Linda Pocher, liturgy is not a performance reserved for a clerical few, but the living heartbeat of the entire People of God. The 46-year-old Salesian Sister from Rome has become an influential voice in the Church’s ongoing dialogue about women’s participation in liturgical and ministerial life. Her insights—rooted in theology, experience, and a sharp sense of ecclesial justice—emphasize that the Church can no longer afford to leave women at the margins of its sacred rites.
Pocher, a theologian and member of the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco, gained international attention in 2022 when Pope Francis invited her to advise the Council of Cardinals on the topic of women in the Church. Since then, she has championed initiatives promoting women’s visibility and agency within Catholic structures. “Liturgy should be an expression of the entire people of God,” she insists. “If the experiences and voices of men and women are not equally represented, something essential is missing from Church life.”
A Question of Equality, Not Power
Asked why women remain excluded from sacramental ordination, Sister Linda explains that the Church’s understanding of ordained ministry has long been framed within male exclusivity—a structure more cultural than divine. While the Synodal Process has revealed calls for change across continents, she notes that patriarchal systems, particularly in parts of Africa and Asia, continue to suppress women’s ecclesial voices. “If the growing awareness of equality is a work of the Holy Spirit,” she reflects, “then it is the Spirit who inspires reform.”
To critics who argue that Jesus ordained only men, Pocher points to the symbolic context of the Twelve Apostles and the wider community of disciples—which included women who first proclaimed his resurrection. For her, vocation transcends gender: “It’s about the calling and gifts of all the baptized.”
Collaboration, Not Competition
Pocher dismisses the notion that women would “celebrate liturgy better” than men. Instead, she envisions a Church where collaboration replaces hierarchy. “Together, men and women make the liturgical celebration more whole—closer to the Kingdom of God,” she says. Women’s gifts—their sensitivity, discernment, and creativity—belong not on the sidelines but at the center of worship. To limit their expression, she argues, is to impoverish the Church itself.
Her critique extends to Scripture readings that overwhelmingly highlight male protagonists. A more balanced lectionary, she suggests, would make room for female voices and experiences, enriching the theological imagination of the community. Preaching, too, could open new horizons if women were permitted to proclaim the Word during liturgy—something, she notes, that does not even require priestly ordination.
Recovering and Rethinking Tradition
History provides its own precedents. Pocher reminds that women once served the early Church as deaconesses, ministering especially to other women. Yet reviving that role today, she warns, must move beyond nostalgia. “The diaconate of our time would have a different form because society itself has changed,” she observes. “Today, personal charisms are more important than gender differences.”
For her, equality does not mean uniformity but mutual transformation. Allowing women into ordained ministries could redefine how vocation and service are understood—based not on anatomy, but on baptismal calling and divine mission. Still, she cautions that ordaining women alone will not solve the priest shortage. “It would be an important step, but not a quick fix. The deeper issue is the vitality of vocation in the Church.”
Signs of Hope and a Path Forward
On the question of papal support, Sister Linda is carefully hopeful. She sees promise in Pope Leo’s decision to publish the findings of the commission on the female diaconate openly—a move she interprets as a “commitment to transparency and dialogue.” This, she believes, keeps the door open for future developments.
Her reflection on Mary, a subject she teaches at the Marian Pontifical Academy, reveals another dimension of her thought. Pocher argues that the image of Mary has too often been reduced to passive obedience, reinforcing cultural stereotypes of women. “Scripture shows a free and courageous Mary—one who acts with dignity and responsibility in God’s mission,” she says. For Pocher, reclaiming Mary’s strength could help reshape how the Church understands female discipleship today.
Toward a Synodal Church
Pocher does not frame women’s ordination as the endpoint but part of a broader, ongoing transformation. “My first wish is for a synodal Church that constantly reforms itself,” she explains. A Church that listens, walks together, and values the unique charisms of all believers can, she believes, become prophetic in the modern world.
Whether or not the ordination of women comes soon, Sister Linda Pocher’s vision reaches beyond legislation—it reaches toward communion. In her words, “If we remain on the path and respect one another’s convictions, we can become a sign of God’s presence for others.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files from katholisch.de
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