Simone Campbell '77 Comments for National Media on Election of Pope Francis

Sister Simone Campbell '77,executive director of Network, a social justice lobby in Washington, D.C., and a Catholic nun, was interviewed by media including CNN, National Public Radio, CBS's 60 Minutes, and the Sacramento Bee on the prospects for changes in the Catholic Church following the election of a new pope. 

Campbell made headlines last year when she and other American nuns were investigated by the Vatican for supporting the Affordable Care Act, which Catholic officials criticized as being supportive of contraception and abortion. Campbell responded by organizing the "Nuns on the Bus" tour to advocate for health care reform, and also spoke at the Democratic National Convention.  Recently, she was interviewed on National Public Radio's "Faith Matters" and CNN's "Starting Point with Soledad O'Brien" as Cardinals of the Catholic Church gathered in Rome to elect a new pope.  Following their selection of Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, she provided comments on the prospects for change under the new pontiff for media including the Sacramento Bee.

"I don't expect any structural changes like ordination of female priests," she said in her Sacramento Bee interview. "But he is coming from Argentina where there is a woman president, so he's used to working with women in power positions, which is very different from previous popes. I'm hoping he will be able to work with women and see the value of our contributions."

NPR "Faith Matters"

CBS "60 Minutes"

CNN "Starting Point"

Sacramento Bee

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