It is crucial that church leaders are trained to be good communicators, which also means being good listeners. This training is especially important for priests, whose communications skills (or lack thereof) often set the tone for a parish.

“The ideal bishop does not exist,” Sister Reungoat said. But he has to be a shepherd who is “close to the people entrusted to him, he has to know how to involve priests, laity and religious, and people of different generations.”

Continuing with determination to open up new positions of responsibility for women in the Roman Curia, Pope Francis has appointed three women as members of the Dicastery for Bishops.

Francine Pirola, co-director of the Sydney-based Marriage Resource Center, said the council had produced a “vastly improved” revision of the section of the document on women, which had been the focus of a major disruption July 6.

The agenda for the Second Assembly of Australia’s Plenary Council was disrupted July 6 after more than 60 of the 277 members staged a protest over issues regarding women in the church.

Pope Francis said he plans to name two women to the committee that helps him choose bishops for the world’s Latin-rite dioceses.