To date women haven’t been able to vote—not even the religious superiors who participate as representatives of the world’s 641,000 nuns.

The appointment makes her the highest ranking woman in the Roman Curia.

The three women join a prestigious group of around 80 scientists in all who are members of the Academy, 20 others of whom are also Nobel laureates.

“Rebel Hearts” is an immensely satisfying experience for the viewer, especially for anyone who has chafed against the church’s powerful male hierarchy, but still yearned for belonging in its fold.

“My hope is that the church can use the immense power of its storytelling to move toward more compassion, more kindness.”

Discovering that a pivotal figure like Esther, who saves her people from death, also happens to be childless, can help us understand that childlessness in Scripture cannot be understood only as a curse.