Anne Tropeano, known as Father Anne, dreamed of being ordained as a priest. This ambition could only be realised by breaking the law of the Catholic Church.
The Catholic Church does not permit women to serve as priests. It references Jesus's example, who chose only men as his apostles.
This teaching is recorded in the Declaration of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith "Inter Insigniores" from 1976, the apostolic letter of John Paul II "Ordinatio Sacerdotalis" from 1994, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church from 1992.
Anne Tropeano, an Albuquerque, New Mexico resident, was well aware of the Church's teachings. For years, she contemplated whether to join the ranks of nuns or to become more involved as a lay collaborator of the Church. However, her desire to be ordained as a priest was stronger.
She wanted to become a priest. The Vatican severely punished her
She sought assistance from the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (ARCWP), which operates worldwide and conducts ordinations not authorised by the Church. ARCWP ordained Tropeano a priest. She adopted the pseudonym Father Anne.
Tropeano incurred the wrath of the Vatican. By accepting ordination against the Church's teachings, she subjected herself to excommunication. This means she cannot receive the sacraments or have a church funeral.
A woman as a priest? The harsh price of fulfilling a dream
She humbly accepted the punishment and still considers herself a devout Catholic. In her opinion, the Church is at a pivotal moment, and the ordination of women as priests is a matter of time. Anne believes this is God's desire.
"We've had male-only leadership everywhere for most of human history. Now we have war, poverty, global warming. It doesn't work," she said. "There's a massive dawning awareness in humanity of our relationships with one another and the earth," she said in a comment for NCR. She also added, "They can't remove me from the church; I will not be moved."