By Emily Drooby
Lucetta Scaraffia, one of the most prominent women to work at the Vatican, has quit, along with the entire female editorial board of publication she founded.
‘Women Church World’ is the Vatican’s women’s magazine, published monthly by the Vatican’s newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano.
The magazine was created seven years ago under Pope Benedict XVI. Ms. Scaraffia said that until recent, ‘Women Church World’ had editorial independence and support from Pope Benedict and then from Pope Francis.
Scaraffia claimed after a new man took over the L’Osservatore Romano newspaper, there was a campaign to discredit them that increased after her publication denounced the sexual abuse of nuns by clergy. There were also attempts to put the women’s magazine under the direct control of men.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Scaraffia said, “After the attempts to put us under control, came the indirect attempts to delegitimize us…”
Further, different articles were written for L’Osservatore Romano, with a quote, “editorial line opposed to ours.”
She said that practice undermined the women’s magazine and its freedom to speak freely.
Pope Francis has frequently urged women receive important roles within the church and was said to be an admirer of the magazine.
Sister Maryann Lopiccolo is the delegate for religious in the Diocese of Brooklyn. She knows what it’s like to be a high-ranking woman working for the church.
Sister Lopiccolo, explained, “And in the seven years it’s been effective and it’s been recognized as the complementary women’s voice in the church. Coming from Vatican publications I think that holds a prestigious place.”
Sister Lopiccolo adding she’s she has always felt valued in the church. She said, “I have never felt disrespected, I have never felt not listened to. I have always been included where I am appropriately included in conversations and planning. So I feel sad, for these women, but for our reality, it’s not something that’s here in our Diocese.”
The resignations were announced in the planned April 1st edition of the magazine and in an open letter to Pope Francis.
Currents News did reach out to Scaraffia for comment but have yet to hear back.
In a statement to the AP, the man in charge of L’Osservatore Romano, Andrea Monda, denied meddling with the magazine, adding he has supported its autonomy.