How a French religious sister broke the voting barrier in the Catholic Church

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Nathalie Becquart, a member of the Congregation of Xavières, made history in 2021 as the first woman granted voting rights within the Catholic Synod of Bishops. Her path from marketing consultant to Vatican undersecretary reflects a broader shift toward integrating diverse voices into the highest levels of church governance.

Born in Fontainebleau in 1969, Nathalie Becquart followed an unconventional trajectory before her rise in ecclesiastical administration. After graduating from HEC Paris in 1992 with a focus on entrepreneurship, she spent time volunteering in Lebanon and working in marketing-communication. Her transition to religious life began in 1995 when she joined the Congregation of Xavières. Her early ministry was marked by hands-on work, including leading scouting programs in working-class neighborhoods and guiding spiritual retreats on sailboats.

Becquart’s administrative career gained momentum through her dedication to youth outreach. Between 2008 and 2018, she directed the French Bishops' Conference efforts regarding youth evangelization and vocational discernment. This expertise made her a natural choice for the 2018 Fifteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, where she served as an auditor and general coordinator for the pre-synod gathering of young people.

Her appointment as a consultor to the Synod of Bishops in 2019 signaled a new openness within the Vatican. Pope Francis, seeking to foster synodality across all levels of church life, recognized the value of women's contributions. By February 2021, this culminated in her role as undersecretary, a position that granted her the unprecedented right to vote in the Synod. Becquart views this not merely as a personal milestone, but as a structural evolution, even suggesting symbolic gestures like having a woman lead retreats for the Roman Curia to further integrate feminine perspectives into the heart of the institution.

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