Before becoming Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost presided over one of the most revolutionary reforms of Pope Francis’ pontificate by having women serve on the Vatican board that vets nominations for bishops.

Pope Francis has changed church law to explicitly allow women to do more things during Mass, Monday Jan. 11, 2021, while reaffirming they cannot be priests. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, FILE)ROME – Pope Francis changed church law Monday to explicitly allow women to do more things during Mass, granting them access to the most sacred place on the altar, while continuing to affirm that they cannot be priests. Currently, the ministry is reserved for men even though historians say the ministry was performed by women in the early church. Francis has created a second commission of experts to study whether women could be deacons, after a first one reported on the history of women deacons in the early church. “This closes the door on the diaconate for women,” she said in a phone interview, calling the change “a step backward” for women.