During the Francis papacy, the role of women in the church emerged as a pressing priority, with Catholics across the globe calling for change.

The Argentine pontiff listened, breaking some important glass ceilings in the Vatican when it came to appointing female leaders to senior positions. He chose to make gradual changes that, to the outside may have seemed like small steps, but were huge leaps to those on the inside.

The pope appointed the first woman leader of a department in the church’s central administration and the first female president of the office governing the Vatican City State. Francis also chose the first women to sit at the board level in the church’s central administration, including at the influential department for choosing bishops.

By 2023, 10 years into his pontificate, the percentage of women in the Vatican workforce had risen from 19.2 to 23.4%. More broadly, Francis gave women the power to vote for the first time at a major global gathering of bishops, known as a synod, and formally opened up non-ordained ministry roles as he sought to increase participation.

On Holy Thursday last year he broke with tradition by travelling to a female prison in Rome to wash the feet of 12 women prisoners. It was the first time a pontiff had only washed the feet of women in the annual ceremony that emphasizes humility.

But while the pope made some landmark reforms, many will be hoping that his successor moves further, and faster, and there was sometimes sharp criticism of his stance on the role of women in society.

Kim Daniels, the director of Georgetown University’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life and a Vatican adviser on communication, said the pope had “made significant strides towards greater inclusion of women in church decision-making” and that his reforms to broaden participation would be key to his legacy.

The lack of opportunity for women in the church is likely to come into sharp focus during the forthcoming papal conclave: Only members of the all-male body which is the College of Cardinals will vote on who will become the next pope.

It highlights a wider concern that Catholics across the world have raised in recent years: That while women frequently make up a majority in the pews on Sunday, they are scarcely represented at the church’s decision-making levels. Although lay people are increasingly more involved in church administration, it is primarily bishops and priests who make final decisions.

The problem is exacerbated by the fact that women are on the front lines of the church’s work on the ground, with nuns providing healthcare and education in developing countries and plenty of women leading Catholic schools and universities.

On the question of female involvement in a conclave, some have argued that women could be made cardinals, given the role of a cardinal is primarily to advise a pope and elect his successor.

Ordination questions

Sister Christine Schenk, an American nun, author and founder of international reform-focused group “FutureChurch,” said it was time to give a “deliberative voice” to women and lay people at “every level of the church,” adding that if the same model of electing a pope remains in place, “we need as many female cardinals as male cardinals at the conclave.”

A more realistic possibility in the short term is allowing women to once again become deacons, an ordained ministry distinct from the priesthood. Deacons can witness marriages, perform baptisms and preach during Mass. Those in favor point to evidence for female deacons in scripture and their presence in the early church right up until the Middle Ages.

Women deacons could also bolster the church’s presence in schools, hospitals and prisons, along with providing leaders for Catholic communities. Church leaders in the Amazon, where priests are in short supply, raised the question at a 2019 synod, calling on the pope to “promote and confer ministries for men and women in an equitable manner.” A 2024 synod concluding document, approved by the pope, said that the question of ordaining women as deacons should remain an “open” question.

To that end, several Vatican commissions were set up study the question of female deacons were established by Francis, although no findings were never made public.

Francis maintained the ban on women’s ordination as priests and deacons, something which disappointed those keen to see women in more visible church leadership roles, but insisted that decision-making and leadership doesn’t depend on whether someone is ordained. He repeatedly stated that the church is female and asked for theologians to help in trying to “de-masculinize” it.

Centuries of misogyny

Significantly, a live debate in the church about the role of women is being allowed to take place. Schenk described it as the most impactful shift during the Francis pontificate, ending the marginalization of “Catholics who wish to discuss full inclusion of women in every aspect of church ministry and decision-making.”

“The question Francis looked at is how to get more people involved in the work of the church, in as many ways and places as possible. That is why he appointed women to senior roles in the Vatican,” said Hofstra University Professor Phyllis Zagano, a member of the first commission on female deacons.

“On the question of women deacons, Francis was trying to deal with centuries of misogyny that misunderstood the role of women in the church and society. The synod process he started tried to get the church away from a male-only perspective and to look at women, rather than as a problem to be solved, but as able to be fully involved in the church’s work. Restoring women to the ordained diaconate reinforces the trajectory the church has been on.”

Despite the various ways Francis initiated reforms and made appointments, there is still a long way to go until women are given greater roles and responsibility in the church. The next pope is likely to find this topic right at the top of his in-tray.

“Previously the Vatican – indeed many, if not most, prelates – were leery of even using the words ‘women’ and ‘ministry’ in the same sentence,” said Schenk. “Now such issues are being openly discussed – something long overdue and a sign of newfound strength and maturity in a church that no longer fears discerning (and) discussing changes in how we walk together as the People of God.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that his country has regained control of Kursk, the border region where Ukraine launched a surprise offensive last year, though Ukraine’s army says fighting continues.

“The Kyiv regime’s adventure has completely failed,” Putin said Saturday, congratulating the Russian forces that he said defeated the Ukrainian military in the region in what would be a symbolic boost for Moscow at a crucial point in the war.

But the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said in a Telegram post that Putin’s claim about the end of hostilities in Kursk was “not true.”

“The defensive operation of the Ukrainian Defense Forces in the designated areas in Kursk region continues. The operational situation is difficult, but our units continue to hold their positions and perform their assigned tasks,” the Telegram post said.

Ukraine launched its shock incursion into Kursk in August, swiftly capturing territory in what was the first ground invasion of Russia by a foreign power since World War II.

Since then, Russia, with support from North Korean soldiers, has been fighting to oust Ukraine’s forces from its borders, while Kyiv had poured precious resources into holding onto its territory there, with the view of using it as a key bargaining chip in any peace talks. The operation was also launched to relieve pressure from the embattled eastern frontline.

In his address, Putin said recapturing Kursk “creates conditions for further successful actions of our troops in other important areas of the front.”

In a post on Telegram, Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian General Staff, thanked the North Korean soldiers, praising their “high professionalism, steadfastness, courage and heroism in battle.”

Ukrainian officials and Western intelligence reports found that about 12,000 North Korean soldiers had been sent to fight in Russia.

If Putin’s claims are true, hopes of using Kursk as a bargaining counter are now gone and Ukraine’s retreat has the potential to dent Kyiv’s political clout as well as its military’s morale after three years of war and with intense efforts underway towards finding peace.

Though the US has attempted to broker peace talks between Ukraine and Russia over recent months, tensions between the leaders of the three countries have meant that very little has come to fruition.

Another whirlwind week of diplomacy saw US President Donald Trump accuse Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of making it “so difficult to settle this war” for refusing to accept Russia’s annexation of Crimea but later saying Russia and Ukraine were “very close to a deal.”

On Saturday morning, at the funeral of the late Pope Francis in the Vatican, Zelensky briefly met with Trump for talks on potential peace negotiations. A White House spokesperson called the meeting “productive,” while Zelensky thanked Trump for the meeting, writing on X that it “has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results.”

This story has been updated.

A senior Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo early Saturday for talks with Egyptian officials aimed at brokering a ceasefire agreement, according to a statement by Hamas.

The delegation, led by Chairman of the Hamas Leadership Council Muhammad Darwish, includes other key leaders, among them Khaled Meshaal, Khalil al-Hayya, Zaher Jabarin, and Eng. Nizar Awadallah.

“The delegation began meetings with Egyptian officials to discuss Hamas’s vision for a ceasefire and an end to the war and a prisoner exchange based on a comprehensive deal,” Hamas said in the written statement on Saturday.

According to the statement, the talks will also address the impact of what Hamas describes as Israel’s “starvation tactics” against Palestinians in Gaza and the urgent need to deliver humanitarian aid, food, and medical supplies to the besieged territory. Israel imposed a complete humanitarian blockade on Gaza on March 2, stopping food, medicine, and more from entering the besieged enclave.

“Israel only reacts to offers passed on by the mediators,” the source said.

The head of Mossad, David Barnea, was in Doha, Qatar, earlier this week, for ceasefire talks. So far, there has been no clear indication of a significant breakthrough.

On Friday, US President Donald Trump said he had told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “We’ve got to be good to Gaza.” Taking questions on the way to Italy, Trump said, “there’s a very big need for medicine, food and medicine. We’re taking care of it.”

The president, whose administration has unapologetically backed Israel, offered no details about what steps the US was taking to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.

“The coming days are going to be critical,” said Jonathan Whitall on Saturday from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Gaza. “Today, people are not surviving in Gaza. Those that aren’t being killed by bombs and bullets are slowly dying.” One day earlier, the World Food Programme said it had run out food stocks in Gaza.

Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have made clear that the humanitarian blockade is part of a pressure campaign against Hamas, along with Israel’s increased bombardment of Gaza in order to destroy Hamas and bring back the remaining 59 Israeli hostages.

Earlier this month, Israel put forward a ceasefire proposal that called for a disarmament of Gaza without guaranteeing an end to the war, which violates two of Hamas’ red lines.

Since Israeli resumed its war in Gaza on March 18, more than 2,111 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Five people have been killed and more than 700 injured in a huge explosion at the port of Bandar Abbas in southwestern Iran, according to official Iranian media.

The head of the Iranian emergency services said four people had died in the blast. A spokesperson for the emergency services earlier said 516 had been injured.

A video distributed by the Mehr news agency showed surveillance footage of the moment of the explosion, which appears to have occurred in a warehouse at the port. Other footage showed helicopters dropping water at the site of the fire ignited by the explosion.

Debris was spread over a wide area and many buildings at the port complex were badly damaged, according to state media. Windows within a radius of several kilometers were shattered, they said.

Some reports said people were trapped in the wreckage of a building that was reduced to rubble.

The region’s governor, Mohammad Ashouri Taziani, said injured people were being transferred to Bandar Abbas medical centers and the fire had been contained. The port has been closed and maritime operations suspended, according to state media.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered an investigation into the causes of the incident. He wrote on X that the interior minister had been sent to the region to “examine the dimensions of the accident.”

State broadcaster IRIB said the explosion took place in the chemical and sulfur area of the port.

A government spokeswoman, Fatemeh Mohajerani, said it would take some time to establish the cause of the explosion – “but so far what has been determined is that containers were stored in a corner of the port that likely contained chemicals which exploded. But until the fire is extinguished, it’s hard to ascertain the cause.”

Shahid Rajaee is a large facility for container shipments, covering 2,400 hectares (around 5,900 acres). It handles 70 million tons of cargo annually, including oil and general shipping. It has nearly 500,000 square meters (5.4 million square feet) of warehouses and 35 shipping berths.

The funeral of Pope Francis gave Catholics across the globe the chance to bid farewell to a beloved pontiff – and for world leaders to rub shoulders at a fraught time for international diplomacy.

More than 250,000 people packed into St. Peter’s Square for Saturday’s service, the Vatican said, with members of the public there to mourn along with 55 heads of state.

The day’s most extraordinary meeting came just minutes before the service began. Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky held what American and Ukrainian officials described as a “productive” discussion in St. Peter’s Basilica, as Francis’ coffin was about to be brought into the square.

So, what was said, who met who, and where did everyone sit?

What was the seating plan?

St. Peter’s Square was split into quarters. Dignitaries, cardinals and bishops were at the front, nearest the basilica, while clergy and the general public were a little further back. The coffin was placed in front of the central altar.

Behind the seated sections, thousands more had packed into the square, standing for more than two hours in the Italian heat.

In the dignitaries’ section, politicians sat in alphabetical order in French, the traditional language of diplomacy.

This meant that Trump – president of “États-Unis d’Amerique” – sat between the presidents of Finland and Estonia, two nations that share borders with Russia, and which will be especially wary of a reduced US military footprint in Europe.

Finland’s President, Alexander Stubb, played a round of golf with Trump in March during an unofficial trip to Florida. Trump said Stubb was a “very good player.” The Finnish presidency said the pair discussed European security, including Ukraine.

During Saturday’s “Sign of Peace,” a rite where members of the congregation shake hands with their neighbors and say “peace be with you,” Trump was seen shaking hands with several world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron.

The only dignitaries not sat in alphabetical order were those from Italy – the host nation – and Argentina – Francis’ birthplace. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Argentinian President Javier Milei were sat near the front, with a cluster of other officials.

What happened at the Trump-Zelensky meeting?

In what was their first meeting since the explosive Oval Office meeting in February, Trump and Zelensky huddled in close discussion without aides in the ornate surroundings of St. Peter’s Basilica, shortly before the service began.

Both the White House and Ukrainian presidency said the talk lasted around 15 minutes, describing it as positive. Zelensky said the meeting was “symbolic,” with the “potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results.” The crowd in the square broke into applause when Zelensky stepped into the square.

“We discussed a lot one on one. Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out,” Zelensky wrote on X.

The US president and First Lady Melania Trump left Rome swiftly after the service, meaning the two leaders did not hold further discussions. Zelensky later met with Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The four leaders were pictured together in the basilica, after Trump and Zelensky’s one-to-one.

Who else was there?

Britain’s Prince William was among a string of royals in Saturday’s crowd. William, next in line to the British throne, sat next to Olaf Scholz, the outgoing chancellor of Germany. Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia, as well as Queen Mary of Denmark, were also in attendance.

Polish President Andrzej Duda and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban were among several other European leaders in attendance. The South American leaders there included Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva – who had a close relationship with Francis – and Ecuador’s recently re-elected president Daniel Noboa.

The heads of several supranational institutions were also there, including Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus – head of the World Health Organization, from which Trump withdrew the US in January – and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Julian Assange also made what was a rare public appearance since his release from Britain’s Belmarsh prison last year. The Wikileaks founder was seen with his wife, Stella, and their two children, at the Vatican.