Conclave: Women Stage Protest Near The Vatican, Demand Inclusion In Choosing New Pope

• A women's advocacy group is trending after it decided to protest near the Vatican regarding the conclave
• The group labelled the move to have an all-male conclave, hence excluding women, who make up half of the Church, from any decision-making, as discriminatory
• They said their decision to stage a protest was to raise awareness and call on the next pope to address their concerns

A group which promotes female priesthood, known as the Advocates for Women's Ordination Conference, staged a protest regarding the ongoing conclave and the current leadership structure of the Catholic Church.

The protest was held on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, on the same day that 133 cardinals from across 70 countries were at the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican City in a closed-door gathering known as the conclave.

A video sighted by YEN.com.gh on the TikTok page of RTE showed the women from the group near the Vatican releasing pink smoke as they voiced their displeasure over the lack of female involvement in decision-making of the Church.

The Executive Director of the Women's Ordination Conference, Kate McElwee, labelled the decision to exclude women from taking key decisions in the church as discrimination and a sin.

She stressed that the next pope must answer this question and ensure that the issue is addressed.

Miriam Duigan, the Executive Director of the Wijngaards Institute for Catholic Research, on her part, bemoaned the decision to exclude women from deciding who became the next pontiff.

"Women are sending a clear signal that they cannot go in with 133 men to decide the future of the Catholic Church without half of that Catholic Church."

At the time of writing the story, the video had raked in over 50,000 likes and 3,000 comments.

Watch the video below:

Reactions to the inclusion of women in the conclave

Social media users who took to the comments section of the video shared varied opinions, with many disagreeing that an old-aged tradition of all made conclave should be changed now.

Adriana Beatriz Reyes reacted:

"As a Catholic woman, NO! The Pope, bishops, priests, etc., represent Christ on Earth. Jesus was NOT a woman. Women have other functions in the Church. We pray, become nuns, become mothers, or become Catholic educators. Women are as essential as men in the Church."

Joshua Leonard:

"Pushing for women in the conclave shows a complete disregard for the Church’s sacred traditions. Not every institution needs to bend to modern pressure or demands for representation."

Nini wrote:

"There’s no reason for women to be excluded, and if the Church doesn’t become more inclusive, then more people will drift away, leaving the gates open in the West for Islam. Choose wisely!"

Prophecy on the next Pope

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Bright the Seer prophesied regarding who the new Pontiff will be.

The famed Nigerian seer in a message to her followers, said the spirit showed her there was a general feeling that the next Pope would be Italian.

She also said she foresaw world leaders lobbying for the cardinal they prefer to assume the position of the next Pope.

Source: YEN.com.gh