The pope needs some pointed talking-to by women who can say to him what you have written here, kag.  I do not think for a second that +Francis understands the full ramifications of what he thinks and says about women, and certainly not outside of his own traditional cultural bias.  He is a wonderfully compassionate and understanding man, so I have the sense that he is open to personal change if given a good reason.  There is a problem in Rome, just as there is in Latin America, that the freedom of women from being shoved into repressive roles has not yet taken hold to a great degree.  As a result, the man in white at the Vatican is not being made aware of the ripples occurring in the church about women in full and equal standing with men.  My prayer is that a woman, such as many of them who comment here at NCR, would sit down with the pope, and teach him what he needs to know.  So far, no one's done it.