Rome - They did not vote in the Pope's election, but nearly 900 superiors of the World Women's Catholic Order held in Rome on Monday drew a course that would be gathered several miles from a meeting to choose the successor of Pope Francis.
Sisters Mary Barron, the president of the Leader of Women’s Religious Orders, urged superiors and over 650,000 nuns around the world to pray for the Cardinal to make the right choice and reflect on how to realize Francis’ vision.
She told the Sisters - some were wearing regular clothes, some were following traditional customs, and we had to be vigilant to keep the flame of the church renewal. ”
The International League of Superior Generals will hold a plenary meeting this week - coincidentally, with the meeting that opened on Wednesday.
The Catholic Church retains the priesthood of men, so only men will choose the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.
Among those attending the conference were Nathalie Becquart sisters Francis, who served as the first female deputy minister at a meeting of the Vatican Bishop’s Office in 2021.
Many view her appointment, as well as the appointment of sisters Raf Petrini, as president of the Vatican, suggesting that strict male Catholic hierarchy may ultimately place women in high-level decision-making responsibilities.
Delphine Kalisha of Zambia's merciful sisters said she hopes the new pope will continue to promote the leadership of sisters.
"This gives us hope for women in the church," Kalisha said.
Becquart told the Associated Press that the sisters wanted to "listen better like everyone else."
"Maybe you're a cardinal or a little sister, together we are called the protagonist to continue the mission of the church," she said.
Among the religious sisters, the command of meditation and seclusion has a unique mission of continuous prayer, as well as handicrafts that contribute to financial support.
Other orders were involved in the Public Department of Education and Health, among others. The superior general from Argentina to Zambia said that this was an important role in the frontline of the church’s social work that Francis emphasized.
Barron advised her sisters that they gathered for the last time at the 2022 convention to continue embracing Francis’s vision for the church, which listened to “boldly dreaming of a future that reflects God’s infinite love.”
She quotes poets Emily Dickinson and Maya Angelou, calling on religious sisters to meet the world's most marginalized needs.
"Our path forward may not be clear or traditional, but rather articulated by the language of hope," Barron said.
Topics discussed at the first working meeting include war, immigration and human trafficking, climate change and economic inequality.
Some say they hope that the next pope will continue Francis' propaganda and marginalized rule, both in the Vatican and in the poor border areas.
Sisters of Argentina, Graciela Trivilino (who is the head of the Franciscan Sisters of Bonlanden in Argentina) have worked with people who are addicted for many years and his goal is to "bring the gospel to the concrete facts of everyday life."
In Sicily, sisters Maria Agnese Ciarrocco work street ministry with the poor sisters of Don Morinello.
“We are all in a challenging atmosphere,” she said. “Let’s always hope that religious life can still attract people through the way we work.”
Several sisters say that even in Africa, the powerful Catholic continent is a major concern for the future.
"Even if it's just our existence, it's a lot of witnesses people need," said Theodosia Baki, sister of the Big Triangle Sisters of St. Francis, Cameroon. Her order focuses on the education of girls in five African countries as well as health and refugee care.
Barron said that despite many challenges, including the issue of ensuring visa missions, sisters contributed more and more.
“I think now in the church and in the world, there are many opportunities to make a difference in the dedicated life.”
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AP Vatican correspondent Nicole Winfield contributed.
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