I could never have imagined, when submitting my sacred theology degree thesis to the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina in 2010, that I would one day be appointed to the Roman Curia as secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. Nor did it occur to me that the rector who signed my diploma would later serve as the current prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, and even less that the grand chancellor who signed it would ascend as the 265th successor of St. Peter, taking the name of Francis.
I also had no inkling, when choosing the United States church as the focus of my doctoral research, that I would later work alongside the first pontiff from that very country.
My thesis argued that the Catholic social doctrine originated in the United States and was brought to Rome through the efforts of 19th-century Americanist bishops who played a pivotal role in encouraging Leo XIII to advocate for workers. Now, history has come full circle with an American pope who has taken the name Leo XIV. This moment is obviously of special significance to a magazine called America.
Collaborating with the Vicar of Christ transcends the duties of a mere job. It is a mission. Yet work it is. Dignified work is being creative; in this work, we share as imago Dei the creative power of our Father. When we see work in this way, we can fulfill our historical responsibility, just as the church inspires us to always forge new paths.
Pope Francis honored me by calling me to serve in his pontificate. He did so from this perspective of creative work, which allowed me to listen to the particular churches in different nations and seek together with him creative forms of communion, participation and mission.
The “Building Bridges” initiative at Loyola University Chicago was born through dialogue with universities, labor unions, business leaders and bishops. Without a predetermined strategy or a clear vision of the outcome, we chose to unite and walk forward together, empowered by Francis’ challenge to face risks without fear of mistakes.
Being entrusted by Pope Francis with such a significant responsibility was a deeply meaningful affirmation of my role as a woman in decision-making. This trust brought a sense of dignity that women do not always feel. This recognition of women in the Roman Curia by bishops and cardinals is a sign of these times, and I hope it will be replicated in the local churches where many other professional women are more than qualified for management and coordination tasks.
When Bishop Robert Prevost was named president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America (which falls under the purview of the Dicastery for Bishops) in early 2023, he entrusted me with the same confidence as did Pope Francis, supporting the bridge-building mission. Working for nearly four years alongside the pope, two of these together with his eventual successor, was an extraordinary honor.
While I cannot yet fully anticipate what it will be like to work with Pope Leo XIV, I dare to say that women serving in the Curia will find their decisions respected and their creative contributions valued. I believe the new pontiff will treat them as true apostles, empowering them to move forward with confidence and without fear.
While questions of continuity between Francis and Leo may hold relevance from a secular point of view, the church—from an ecclesiastical viewpoint—is continuity always. Each pope, along with the Roman Curia, faces the call to be creative and responsive to the challenges of their time—distinct but not different.
Personally, I do not anticipate that Leo will be in perfect continuity with Francis, as such a repetition would risk trapping the church in nostalgia. Catholic Christianity, however, is dynamic: a people journeying in newness, continuously breaking free from the atavisms that impede the unfolding of a true economy of salvation. Women are part of that dynamic. They always have been, and they always will be.
