The Pope has urged nuns to rise up against sexism within the Catholic Church, asking “where would we be” without female members. 

Pope Francis shared a video to his Twitter, encouraging “religious sisters and consecrated women” to “fight” when treated unfairly as a result of their gender.

He stipulated that they should rise up against inequality, even within the Church.

He told his Twitter followers to “pray together”, thanking women for their mission and courage. 

In the video, the Pope said: “What would the Church be without religious sisters and consecrated laywomen?” Francis said. “The Church cannot be understood without them.”

“I invite them to fight when, in some cases, they are treated unfairly, even within the Church; when they serve so much that they are reduced to servitude — at times, by the men of the Church.” 

This is not the first time he has spoken about the issue. In May 2019, during a meeting at the Vatican, he addressed an “abuse of power and abuse of conscience” committed against nuns.

He said: “Please, service yes, servitude no!,” he added. “You have not become religious to become the cleaners of a clergyman, no!”