In Rome, nun leaders from global religious orders assemble, though they lack a say in the conclave.
Rockin' the Vatican: Nuns Shaping the Future, Closest to the Pope's Throne
(AP Newsroom) 🔔📢
While they may not have a say in the election of a new Pope, over 800 leaders of the world's female religious orders are gatherin' in Rome this week, just stone's throw away from where the cardinals are convenin' to select the next Pope.
Sister Mary Barron, the big cheese of the umbrella group of leaders of women's religious orders, is urgin' her posse of nuns scattered across the globe, involved in many ministries, to send up some prayers for the cardinals to make the right bloomin' choice and carry on Pope Francis' vision.
"We gotta stay on our toes to keep that spirit of renewal in the Church burnin' bright," she riled up the sea of sisters, decked out in everyday clothes and traditional habits. Many had earbuds over their veils as the translation was blared out in multiple lingos.
The International Union of Superiors General, aka the IUG, unites leaders representin' over 450,000 religious sisters worldwide, and they're convenin' their plenary assembly this week—same time as the 133 cardinal electors get ready to pick Francis' successor in the Sistine Chapel.
The Catholic Church keeps the priesthood strictly for the fellas, so it's the dudes who'll be pickin' the leader of the 1.4-billion-strong Church.
Barron gave her fellow nuns a solid pep talk, remindin' them that they've been meetin' Francis' mission of a Church that listens to all, and to be witnesses, "daring to dream a future that reflects the boundless love of God."
Quotin' from poets Emily Dickinson and Maya Angelou, she also called her spiritual sisters to openly meet the world's most marginalized, while also bein' "a source of hope."
"Our path ahead might not be clear or the usual, but it's lit by the language of hope," Barron said with a grit in her voice.
As the sisters stood, holdin' hands during the openin' prayer, they told each other in half a dozen langs, "We're pilgrims of hope."
Among the huddle at the conference hotel on the outskirts of Rome was Sister Nathalie Becquart—Pope Francis' first female undersecretary in the Vatican's Synod of Bishops office, elevated to that position back in 2021. Many believed this was a clear sign that the male-dominated Catholic Church might finally be willing to give high-level positions to the ladies.
While they may be excluded from votin' in the papal election, the evolving roles of these women directly impact the future of the Church through advocacy, institutional reform, and ministry. Keep an eye on 'em, ’cause they're usherin' in change!
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The role of the female religious orders remains technically disenfranchised as women cannot take part in the conclaves, with priesthood—and thus cardinal eligibility— restricted solely to men. However, the influence of these orders has grown under Pope Francis through institutional reforms, synodal involvement, and high-level appointments, such as Sister Nathalie Becquart and Sister Raffaella Petrini. The synodal process emphasizes listening to all, positioning nuns as crucial voices in discussions about matters like clerical celibacy, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and the female diaconate. These developments suggest female religious orders will significantly influence papal priorities indirectly through synods and public advocacy, although structural inequalities persist.
- Sisters, united under the International Union of Superiors General, are meeting in Rome this week, just a stone's throw away from where the cardinals are convening to select the next Pope.
- Sister Nathalie Becquart, Pope Francis' first female undersecretary in the Vatican's Synod of Bishops office, is among the nuns gathered for the assembly.
- Despite women being excluded from voting in the papal election, the evolving roles of these women directly impact the future of the Church through advocacy, institutional reform, and ministry.
- Sister Mary Barron, the leader of the umbrella group of leaders of women's religious orders, reminded her spiritual sisters that they've been meeting Francis' mission of a Church that listens to all, and to be witnesses, "daring to dream a future that reflects the boundless love of God."
- The influence of female religious orders has grown under Pope Francis through institutional reforms, synodal involvement, and high-level appointments, such as Sister Nathalie Becquart and Sister Raffaella Petrini, suggesting they will significantly influence papal priorities indirectly through synods and public advocacy.
