Nun Of The Week

A new pope and an unexpected entry in his in-tray.

There has been a long tradition of monastic brewing and wine making and when Mother Superior Aline Pereira Ghammachi was brought in to help the cash-strapped Monastery of Saints Gervasio and Protasio in Vittorio Veneto, northern Italy, generate a bit of income in 2018, she hit upon the idea of making and bottling their own prosecco. However, for the Cistercians, who shun the outside world, this was a step too far, especially when she was photographed holding a bottle alongside the mayor at a local charity event.

Four of the nuns made the bold move of fleeing the convent and writing a letter to Pope Francis in 2022, accusing Mother Aline of violating their cloistered principles. News emerged on the very day that Pope Francis died that the Abbess had been dismissed. Now Mother Aline is consulting God and a few layers to decide what to do next.

It will be down to Pope Leo XIV to sort out this holy mess. A storm in a vat to be sure.