Her name is María Luisa Berzosa. She’s known as a trailblazing woman religious who participated in both the Synod dedicated to young people, and that dedicated to the Amazon.
She made headlines in May 2019, when Pope Francis appointed her one of three women consultors to the Synod of Bishops.
“The flower of all gardens, Berzosa.”
“Here I am again.”
MARÍA LUISA BERZOSA
Consultor to Synod of Bishops
“During the [Synod] on youth, the Pope modified the rules and used his authority to allow superiors general to vote, whether priests or not. That’s when it no longer made any difference to the superiors general whether I was a woman or a man, and that led us to ask ourselves: why make this distinction?”
A vocal advocate for the role of women in the Church, Sr Berzosa says reviving the spirit of the Second Vatican Council is one of the main focuses of Pope Francis’ pontificate.
MARÍA LUISA BERZOSA
Consultor to Synod of Bishops
“I’ve been hurt by the Church, but I never wanted to leave, I always wanted to stay. I mean, this is it: this is the Church of Jesus. Jesus and the Church are one and the same to me, not separate. The Church leads me to Jesus, and Jesus leads me back to His Church.
Sr Maria Luisa Berzosa says the Church must search for creative ways to address the challenges of our time. But above all, the Church must listen, and give a voice to all people.
MARÍA LUISA BERZOSA
Consultor to Synod of Bishops
“What's my everyday life like as a woman in the Church? I offer spiritual guidance, give spiritual exercises, I listen to people and accompany them in formation. I’m an educator, even if this not a school. In our groups I emphasize how our's must be a synodal and participatory Church.
As a member of the permanent body that prepares and organizes the Synod’s general assemblies, Sr Berzosa will be involved in the next one, which is scheduled for 2022 and is set to address the topic of synodality within the Church.
Daniel Díaz Vizzi
TRANS: JM
