Swiss synodalists ashamed to be called Catholic and for whom the Church is "the last stand of patriarchy". Synod evacuated of all legitimacy.
A Surprisingly Different Catholic Experience
On May 23, 2025, Simone-Curau Aepli handed over responsibility for the Swiss Catholic Women's Federation to a new co-presidency. For nine years, she shaped this largest women's association in Switzerland with 100,000 members as president, was its public face, and led it into the digital age. Daniel Kosch met with her for a farewell interview.
Simone, before taking over the leadership of the largest Catholic association in Switzerland, you worked as an entrepreneur for many years. To what extent has this experience shaped your SKF involvement?
Looking back, I realize that my childhood in a politically motivated home, where volunteer work was a given, prepared me for this commitment: Working for a good life for all is part of life.
It makes a difference whether we get involved.
And in youth work, I've experienced self-efficacy: Even if we don't have control over the decisions, it's up to us. It makes a difference whether we get involved. In running our family business, I experienced both: a collaborative, mutually complementary collaboration with my husband. And at the same time, the recurring question, "Hello, miss, is the boss here?"
Your career also includes your political involvement at the head of the CVP women's group at the cantonal and national levels, as well as training in marketing.
I was actively involved in the founding of the women's section of the then Christian People's Party (CVP, now "Centre") in Thurgau. I also designed and offered courses on "Women in Public." Training, networks, and women's spaces are crucial for women when they run for office. The Women's Federation makes an important contribution to this.
The Women's Federation exists at three levels: national, cantonal, and local. Depending on the level, not only the tasks but also the concerns differ. How do you perceive this? And what does it mean for the association's leadership?
In the local associations, I experience both: complacency and skepticism towards the cantonal and Swiss levels on the one hand, and gratitude and appreciation for the services and thought-provoking ideas of the umbrella organization on the other. The cantonal associations aren't having an easy time at the moment. They are valued when their added value for local women becomes tangible. Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, the Swiss level was able to demonstrate what it's capable of: The "BeUnity" app made networking and discussion possible without physical meetings. Our support for proper data protection in association life received considerable attention, even beyond the Women's Federation. Two years ago, we also increased democratically legitimated participation in our delegate assemblies. This means our commitment at the Swiss level is better supported and is attracting greater interest at the grassroots level.
Equality. Full stop. Amen.
The strongest impression I had from your time as President was the campaign "Equality. Full Stop. Amen." The occasion was the women's strike on June 14, 2019, which was fundamentally about equality. What I remember most about the women's association's campaign, besides the slogan, were the images of women wearing pink bishop's miters. Has the SKF shifted its focus from socio-political issues to church politics?
No, church politics was not strengthened at the expense of sociopolitical engagement, but rather added to it: The shock over the MHG study on sexual abuse in Germany published in 2018, the worldwide demand for more women's rights in the church, and the associated international networking required and encouraged more active, publicly visible church-political engagement. The 2019 women's church strike and the "Alliance: Enough!" clearly signaled: Something must change – profound, concrete, and soon. The slogan "Equality. Period. Amen" addresses both church and social policy simultaneously.
The same was true of the highly acclaimed SKF position paper "Lesbians, Gays, and Bisexuals in Church and Society" from 2001. At the time, this statement in favor of the recognition and equality of queer people was the only and therefore most important statement from a church-affiliated organization. It was intended, not least, as support for parents and families who often struggled with the coming-out of a queer child.
What were the focal points of the women's association's socio-political engagement?
The focus has been and continues to be on political and social issues that particularly affect women. Hence our engagement with questions about the beginning of life, such as abortion, prenatal diagnostics, and surrogacy. Another issue on which we support our members in forming opinions and raise our voices publicly is the issue of retirement provision and social security. A third core concern is the preservation of creation, with key issues being climate protection and corporate responsibility.
How have you dealt with the fact that the positions of the Women's Association often do not coincide with those of the official church?
Unfortunately, the Catholic Church in Switzerland does not have a strong institution that deals competently and publicly with social and bio-ethical issues. They are content with poorly founded statements or resort to doctrinal positions. The Women's Association has always communicated its positions openly, and discussions have also taken place. However, in-depth discussions have rarely taken place.
Open and respectful dialogue makes it possible to convey ethical positions and reach a broader public.
Together with the Paulus Academy, the Women's Federation recently held a panel discussion on assisted suicide in cases of existential suffering. More than 100 people attended, but not a single member of a diocesan leadership. Many were positively surprised by the Women's Federation's position, especially by the stance of a Catholic organization on this sensitive topic. Open and respectful dialogue makes it possible to convey ethical positions and reach a broader public. I find it a shame that the Church of Switzerland does not deploy the necessary expertise or communication resources for this.
Your time as a board member and president of the Women's Federation from 2013 to 2025 is almost identical to that of Pope Francis. Can you relate to this parallel?
Since I love numbers and number games, I'll start with the date of Pope Francis's election. It was March 13, 2013. The number 13 appears twice in it. This is considered the "women's number," as the year consists of 13 moons (months) of 28 days. Women are connected to the moon and this rhythm through their monthly cycle.
Personally, I also share a common bond with Pope Francis in that we both came to the top as career changers. And his major themes, such as criticism of clericalism, climate protection, commitment to the disadvantaged, and the participation of everyone in responsibility and in important decisions, are identical to my own concerns and those of the Women's Association. Furthermore, Pope Francis has opened drawers, doors, and windows and ensured that everything can be discussed and even controversially debated. This, too, connects us.
If I understand correctly, the Women's Association has developed stronger international networks under your leadership, for example with the Catholic Women's Council (CWC). What has this achieved?
First, something anecdotal: On September 28, before feinschwarz.net officially launched on October 1, 2015, Arnd Bünker, then editor of this medium, interviewed me on this topic. The European collaboration of Catholic women's associations in ANDANTE has existed since 2006. But the abuse crisis and Pope Francis's cultural shift gave this network a boost: Moreover, the Pope, albeit tentatively, opened a window of opportunity for potential change.
For volunteer work, where time and money are notoriously scarce, digital communication options offer real advantages.
In 2019, the CWC network began planning a global women's synod. Then Francis announced the global synodal process. After intensive discussion, it was decided to invest energy in participating in this project. And then came the coronavirus pandemic. Paradoxically, the pandemic became an opportunity for this network: At Easter 2020, just a few days after the lockdown, the CWC organized a service on Zoom, which was still largely unknown at the time. This simultaneously translated celebration, with over 300 participants scattered around the world, became an experience: We can meet and even celebrate without being in the same place. For women's volunteer work, where time and money are notoriously scarce, digital opportunities for communication and encounter offer real advantages.
In Switzerland, too, you have worked to strengthen networks for church reform: for the Alliance Equally Worthy Catholics and for the Synodal Process that Pope Francis has prescribed for the Church. What is the balance between desire and frustration in this regard?
"Desire" doesn't fit for me; I prefer to speak of "motivation." The Alliance for Equally Worthy Catholics is opening spaces where committed people across Switzerland can recharge their batteries and gain energy for often sluggish synodal transformation processes locally, in associations and groups, or in the dioceses. "Equally Worthy on the Move," a practical tool that the Alliance aims to use to strengthen concrete progress with practical tools, will soon be launched. It's a stroke of luck that Helena Jeppesen-Spuhler, a member of the Alliance, was able to participate in the World Synod. Furthermore, with her, the World Synod also gained a female public face. What remains is concrete progress at the Swiss level. I hope that the work of the National Synodality Commission will soon gain momentum. As important as the "conversations in the spirit" are, it is just as urgent to take action.
The pressure to drop the "K" in the name comes from the grassroots.
At the last SKF delegate meeting under your leadership, the "K" in the association's name was up for debate. The "Swiss Catholic Women's Federation" will be called "Frauenbund Schweiz" in the future. What does it mean for you as a churchwoman that the "K" in the association's name is so loaded that it was dropped?
The pressure to drop the "K" in the name comes from the grassroots. We had to recognize that it is not within our power to define "Catholic" in a way that would make us understandable. For marketing reasons, we also want to move away from the abbreviation SKF and therefore refer to it as the Women's Federation. This does not change the church connection, especially since almost 90% of our local chapters do not have the "K" in their name. The name change is accompanied by a new slogan: "Surprisingly different from Catholic." This perfectly captures one of our core concerns: "The Catholic Church" is much more than the image that dominates public perception. In everyday life, it is diverse, contributes to the life of our communities, often has a female face, gives space to different viewpoints, and celebrates not only sacraments but also the good life for all.
A Last Stand of Patriarchy
Populism is rampant in global politics and partly in this country as well. Strong, authoritarian men are back, and crises are numerous. Gender issues and the promotion of greater diversity have slipped down the agenda on many issues. What will happen in Church politics under Pope Leo XIV remains to be seen. What do you think this means for the Women's Association's commitment in the near future?
I am convinced that this is a last stand of patriarchy. This development will reverse, because humanity is in a different place. The role of women is by no means just an issue of the progressive West. Women in the Amazon, Africa, and Asia are also demanding their rights in society and the church. The climate issue cannot be ignored in the medium term. A better balance will also emerge in the relationship between the individual and the community, between individual freedom and shared responsibility. This positive attitude shapes me. Without wanting to sugarcoat reality, I am and remain hopeful.
Thank you for this conversation and, above all, for your tireless commitment.
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