There is no section on Cath Info for jokes.

http://www.newstalk.ie/Irish-woman-may-be-first-female-cardinal

Newstalk
13:50 Sunday 3 November 2013

International speculation grows that Linda Hogan may be appointed

The Catholic Church's first female cardinal may be Irish.

There is international speculation that 49 year old Linda Hogan (above), the vice-Provost of Trinity College, who's from Callan, in Co Kilkenny, may be appointed, with the Washington Post and Sunday Times both reporting the story.

Another name being suggested is former President Mary McAleese.

Theologian Gina Menzies says Linda Hogan is a respected academic who would be a challenging appointment to the College of Cardinals:

 :smash-pc:

Even if a woman is made a "cardinal" at least 99.9% of Novus Ordo Catholics will stay right where they are. Some might be shocked, some might not like it, but their religion will continue to be: worship the man in white no matter what.

Who will next female cardinal be?  "Sister" Simone Campbell from the USA?

This isn't real, right?

It refers to this being reported in The Washington Post.  The only thing I could find was this:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/could-pope-francis-make-women-cardinals-a-pipe-dream-and-an-opening/2013/10/17/b3d9fcec-376c-11e3-89db-8002ba99b894_story.html

I think this is all speculation (and wishful thinking on the part of some).  But nothing would surprise me at this point.

This is nonsense. There is no evidence that she will be made a Cardinal, in fact there are massive obstacles to ordaining women. Don't believe anything the media says about the church, the media is infested with Marxist lobby groups constantly trying to socially engineer society by throwing out suggestions and what ifs all the time. Brainwashing. Don't fall for it.
 :nunchaku:

It is a law that cardinals must be ordained, and popes are not bound to their predecessors.  There have been laymen-Cardinals, although in these cases they were ordained with tonsure at least to make them a cleric.

I do not know if Francis will actually do what is being floated around out there, but it would be a radical departure from tradition, and a source of grave scandal to say the least.

But, if this does happen, it would not surprise me, as this is the end of the logic of the revolution to push the boundaries as far as they can, while keeping Catholics on board.  

Maybe this is why they are allowing these news stories, to test the waters and see if it will be accepted.  The Vatican is not squashing the stories, so why do they remain silent?  

This is the fruit of having a line of heretical antipopes for 5 decades.  People also said that John Paul II would never allow altar girls as it is strictly forbidden, but they were proven wrong.

The Vatican has dismissed reports that Pope Francis could name women as cardinals.

Following the October 31 announcement that the Pope would elevate new members of the College of Cardinals at a consistory in February 2014, some journalists suggested that the Pontiff could include women among the new cardinals. But Father Federico Lombardi, the director of the Vatican press office, told reporters that possibility was remote.

“Theologically and theoretically, it is possible,” the Vatican spokesman said, explaining that it is conceivable someone not ordained to the priesthood could become a cardinal. But suggesting that a woman could be appointed in February “is not remotely realistic,” Father Lombardi said.

Speculation about a female cardinal was most intense in Ireland, where newspapers reported that Linda Hogan, a liberal theologian, was a likely candidate. London’s Sunday Times gave added credence to the report. But the suggestion of a red hat for Linda Hogan had not come from Vatican insiders; the story apparently had no basis other than a Facebook post by an American Jesuit, Father James Keenan, a theologian at Boston College with a history of support for liberal causes.

http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=19572