An Australian nun named as a
possible candidate to be a woman cardinal would be willing to serve if
the Pope asked her, but does not expect a call, reports The Age.
Sister Maryanne Loughry, assistant director of the Jesuit Refugee
Service, was one of eight women listed as strong possibilities by
American Jesuit priest James Keenan in a recent Facebook post that has
gone viral.
Pope Francis has spoken of encouraging a deeper role in ministry for
women, leading to speculation he intends to appoint one at his first
consistory next February.
Although women cannot be ordained a priest in
the Roman Catholic Church, it is open to the Pope to decide that
cardinals need not be ordained, according to canon law.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York also fuelled interest when he said
last year it was theoretically possible for the Pope to appoint female
cardinals. He said Pope John Paul II asked Mother Teresa of Calcutta if
she wanted to be a cardinal, but she declined.
Sister Loughry is a Sisters of Mercy psychologist who specialises
in the mental health effects of trauma on refugees. She spends part of
the year teaching at Oxford and Boston, and returned last week from
Syria, where she was working with refugees.
Taken aback to be contacted by Fairfax Media, she said: ''Oh my
Lord!'' She had been aware that Father Keenan had named her, but not of
the worldwide interest.
'I actually said to Father Keenan that he should meet more Australian
women - there's a number who would be eminently able to do the job,'
she said. 'Women would make a fantastic contribution to decision
making.'
Asked if she would accept such an appointment, she said: 'I would
consider any role in which I can make a contribution to the Church.' She
did not think it was a possibility - 'not in my lifetime!' - but
welcomed the 'new reality' Pope Francis has introduced since his
election in March.
She welcomed the Vatican move, reported on Monday, to seek responses
from lay Catholics and parish priests about the church's teaching on
families for a synod next year.
'For us who work with refugees his
example has been wonderful - going to Lampedusa (the Mediterranean
island where many African asylum-seekers land) and the soup kitchen for
refugees in Rome.'