Pope Francis Appointing First Women to Committee that Selects Bishops: 'Things Are Opening Up'

Christopher Furlong/Getty Pope Francis

Pope Francis is allowing women to access higher positions in the Catholic Church for the first time.

In an extensive interview with Reuters on Wednesday, Francis revealed his intention to appoint two women to the Dicastery of Bishops, a committee that meets twice a month and helps select new bishops.

"I am open to giving (women) an opportunity," he said during a 90-minute interview with the outlet. "Two women will be appointed for the first time in the committee to elect bishops in the Congregation for Bishops."

The 85-year-old pontiff added, "This way, things are opening up a bit."

The Pope's announcement follows the creation of the Vatican's new constitution, which states that any baptized Catholic, including lay men and women, are allowed to lead most Vatican departments, National Catholic Reporter reported Wednesday.

RELATED: Pope Francis Dismisses Rumors That He's Planning to Resign

Stefano Costantino/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Pope Francis greets and blesses a baby during the

Since being named Pope, Francis has named a number of women to Vatican departments, including nuns and lay women, Reuters reported Wednesday.

This includes Sister Alessandra Smerilli, who holds the number two position in the Vatican's development office, and Sister Raffaella Petrini, who is number two in the governorship of Vatican City.

Nathalie Becquart, meanwhile, has been appointed co-undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops, with Barbara Jatta made the first female director of the Vatican Museums, and Cristiane Murray the deputy director of the Vatican Press Office, Reuters added.

Pope Francis also stated Wednesday that he believed lay people may be appointed to lead certain Vatican departments in the near future. These departments include the Dicastery for the Laity, Family, and Life, the Dicastery for Culture and Education, or the Vatican Apostolic Library, Vatican News reported.

RELATED: Pope Francis Postpones Upcoming Trip to Africa 'at the Request of His Doctors' Due to Knee Problems

Dan Kitwood/Getty Pope Francis

During his interview with Reuters, the Pope also dismissed rumors that he will be retiring any time soon. Upcoming big events on his calendar, including a visit to the city of L'Aquila — which some believed signaled a resignation in the near future — are not the sign of something more significant, he revealed.

According to the Catholic News Agency, Pope Francis' predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, visited the burial site of Pope Celestine V (who resigned in 1294) in L'Aquila in 2009 before he resigned in 2013, sparking rumors that Francis may follow suit.

"All of these coincidences made some think that the same 'liturgy' would happen," Francis told Reuters. "But it never entered my mind. For the moment no, for the moment, no. Really!"

Despite this, the Pope did admit that he may resign one day if health issues ever prohibited him from running the church. If this does occur, it would be only the second time in the modern era that a Pope has stepped down rather than serving for life, as is tradition, following Benedict XVI's decision to retire at age 85.

Massimo Valicchia/NurPhoto via Getty Pope Francis shows a flag from Bucha, Ukraine

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Pope Francis recently canceled a trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan due to doctor's orders, Reuters reported, following a knee injury.

According to the outlet, doctors said he might also have to skip a planned trip to Canada later this month, too, "unless he agreed to have 20 more days of therapy and rest for his right knee."

The Pope shared that he had experienced a "small fracture" in his knee and said he was "slowly getting better."