Pope Francis has appointed Cardinal Robert McElroy as Archbishop of Washington, and Sister Simona Brambilla, an Italian Consolata missionary, as Prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Her appointment makes her the first woman to lead a major Vatican department and to have a cardinal as her deputy.
On this week’s episode of “Inside the Vatican,” hosts Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell discuss the challenges Cardinal McElroy may face in Washington, D.C., due to his views on issues like racism, migration, poverty, and climate change, which may conflict strongly with the incoming administration’s proposed policies. They also explore how Sister Brambilla’s appointment marks a milestone for the Vatican and consider Pope Francis’ ongoing efforts to elevate women to top leadership roles within the Vatican.
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Links for further reading
- Cardinal McElroy to lead D.C. archdiocese, Vatican announces
- Cardinal McElroy, named new D.C. archbishop, foresees conflict with Trump over immigration, climate change
- Cardinal McElroy on ‘radical inclusion’ for L.G.B.T. people, women and others in the Catholic Church
- A woman leads a Vatican office for the first time ever. Why now?
- Historic first: Pope Francis appoints woman as prefect of Vatican dicastery
- St. Peter’s Holy Door sees more than half million pilgrims in two weeks
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