| Father Anne | |
| Birth Name: | Anne Tropeano |
| Birth Place: | Massachusetts |
| Nationality: | American |
| Education: | Jesuit School of Theology |
| Occupation: | Catholic Priest (disputed) |
| Organization: | Catholic Church (excommunicated) |
| Known For: | Women's ordination, Catholic feminism |
| Movement: | Women's Ordination Movement |
| Website: | https://www.fatheranne.com |
"Father Anne", born Anne Tropeano, is a Catholic who attempted ordination as a Catholic Priest through the Womanpriest Movement.[1] Upon her purported ordination, Anne was excommunicated from the Catholic Church, though she continues to refer to herself as "Father Anne.” The Universal Catholic Church has always held, as a matter of divine revelation, that women are incapable of receiving ordination to the Sacrament of Holy Orders, and therefore, her "ordination" is not recognized by the Catholic Church.
Anne Tropeano was born in Massachusetts and resides in New Mexico.[2] She earned a Master's degree in Divinity from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, California. Anne had a varied background working in nonprofits and small business administration. She studied marketing and promotions and earned a Master's degree in Rhetoric and Writing Studies from San Diego State University. She managed an independent touring band for five years. Tropeano received Catholic sacraments when she was a child but she only began to be an active Catholic in her late 20s.
The trend of advocating for the ordination of women by a minority of Catholics, began during the 1960s.[3] Tropeano's work is part of this movement as she works within the womanpriest movement.[4] She attempted ordination in her home state of New Mexico at the Cathedral of St. John in Albuquerque, an Episcopal church, in October 2021.[5]
Anne Tropeano is celibate and presents herself in the typical dress of a Catholic priest. She has said God called her to the priesthood saying, "God is asking me to do this and so it came down to either being obedient to the church teaching or being obedient to God, and we all know the church has changed its teachings over time on other issues."[6] In 2020, she was a recipient of the Lucile Murray Durkin[7] Scholarship, named after a visionary Catholic activist.[8]
The Catholic News Agency reported promptly on her "supposed ordination" and her "simulated Mass" at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Albuquerque the following day. Glennon Jones, the vicar general of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, confirmed the impossibility of the Church to ordain women.[9]
According to National Catholic Reporter, there are about 250 self-proclaimed Catholic women priests around the world. Many of these women were ordained through the womanpriest movement. Pope Francis has maintained, as a matter of revelation, the impossibility of ordination to the Catholic priesthood for any women.
Tropeano plans to tour the United States to raise awareness about the need for women's ordination. She has publicly shared she will use the hashtag #FatherAnneInTheVan.
In December 2022, the BBC World Service published a documentary about Anne titled "The Women Fighting to Be Priests" which included film of her ordination.[10] After the release of the BBC documentary, Father Anne called upon Pope Francis to meet with women who want to be recognized as Roman Catholic priests.
Anne Tropeano is an open supporter of LGBTQ Catholics and has been quoted as saying, "I especially want to minister to the LGBTQ community." In June 2022, she marched in the Albuquerque pride parade.[11]