Pope: Women have 'legitimate claims' for justice, equality

Pope Francis, flanked by interim director of Holy See Press Office, Alessandro Gisotti, speaks to reporters on board the flight back to Rome from a two-day trip to Morocco, Sunday, March 31, 2019. Francis sought Sunday to encourage greater fraternity between Christians and Muslims in Morocco, telling his flock that showing the country's Muslim majority they are part of the same human family will help stamp out extremism. (Alberto Pizzoli/Pool Photo via AP)

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis says women have "legitimate claims" to seek more justice and equality in the Catholic Church, but has stopped short of endorsing more sweeping calls from his own bishops to give women decision-making roles.

Francis on Tuesday issued a document inspired by an October 2018 meeting of bishops on better ministering to today's young Catholics. The meeting was marked by demands for greater women's rights, and the final document called the need for women to claim decision-making positions in the church "a duty of justice."

In the lengthy document "Christ is Alive," Francis endorses no such conclusion. He writes that the church must be attentive to women's "legitimate claims" for equality and must better train men and women with leadership potential.