Pink Smoke for Women's Equality As Conclave Begins 07 May 2025

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Press Release
For Immediate Release
07 May 2025
ROME, ITALY

As a group of 133 ordained men gather behind closed doors to make a consequential decision about the future of the Catholic church, advocates for women’s ordination released pink smoke over the Vatican to call for women’s full equality in the Catholic church.

Echoing the iconic white and black smoke released from the Sistine Chapel during the male-only conclave, the pink smoke sends a clear message: a woman’s place is in the conclave.

With song, prayer, and billows of pink smoke, global advocates called for the cardinals to heed the voices, vocations, and longing of women of the Catholic church who are denied ordination,  leadership and decision-making roles.

Our pink smoke is also a distress call that the cardinals cannot ignore: women’s equality cannot wait. The church has lost generations of women who endured the pain and humiliation of having to prove the validity of their calling and the value of their ministry

Pope Francis inspired a spirit of dialogue and great inclusion for women in the life of the church, yet that work remains painfully incomplete. Our prayer for the next pontiff is that he will courageously embrace synodality and correct the injustice of women’s exclusion from ordained ministry.

Representatives include members of:

  • Women’s Ordination Worldwide (WOW),  a network of national and international organizations working to end global discrimination against women in the church. WOW delegates represent Australia, Austria, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Ireland, Portugal, Poland and USA.

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Contacts:

Women’s Ordination Worldwide

Founded in 1996, WOW is an international network of groups whose current mission is the inclusion of Roman Catholic women in all ordained ministries.

Founded on the principle of equality, WOW opposes all discrimination.

'There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

Who Is WOW?

Women’s Ordination Worldwide (WOW) is an international leader in creative, prayerful action.  We bring visibility to the need for equality of women in the Roman Catholic Church.

An international network, WOW draws national and international groups together in common cause to end global discrimination against women in the Church.

WOW now includes nearly 20 reform minded member groups from Australia, Austria, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Ireland, Portugal, and USA.

WOW Is:

  • The Future: Working to make real a Catholic Church that includes women in all realms of leadership including ordained priesthood

  • Active: media voices, international vigils, globally connecting, raising awareness, moving forward, being the change

  • Spiritual: women's liturgies, vigils, leadership in prayerful action

  • Promoting: new found respect in the Church for women's gifts and presence and leadership ... and as a consequence, building new respect for the Church

WOW’s Facebook Page is moderated

to protect space

for respectful dialogue, community, education, prayer, and information.