.png)
On 28 August, Pope Leo XIV received Sister Lucía Caram, an Argentine-born Dominican nun who has lived in Spain for nearly three decades. The encounter was not included in the day’s official bulletin of papal audiences issued by the Holy See Press Office, which listed other appointments but omitted the meeting with Sister Caram.
Sister Caram, who resides in the Convent of Santa Clara de Manresa in Barcelona, is well known in Spain as a television personality and social commentator. She has promoted interreligious dialogue and humanitarian initiatives, including aid convoys to Ukraine, where she has personally delivered supplies and returned with refugees. She is also the founder of the Fundación Rosa Oriol, which provides assistance to disadvantaged families. A friend of Pope Francis, she has previously met him to discuss her projects.
Born in Tucumán to a Lebanese family, she was educated in a religious school and entered the Dominican order after experiencing the turmoil of Argentina’s military dictatorship. In Spain she has combined her vocation with public engagement, often through the media, where she has not shied away from controversial topics.
In recent years, Sister Caram has repeatedly drawn criticism for statements that appeared to contradict Catholic teaching. In 2017, during a television interview, she questioned the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, saying she believed Our Lady and St Joseph had the relationship of a “normal couple”.
The Dominican Federation of the Immaculate Conception, representing monasteries in Spain, Argentina, and Chile, issued a statement at the time saying her media activity was “not compatible” with her vocation, especially when “the most sacred truths of our Catholic faith are denied and ridiculed”.
She has also sparked debate with her views on homosexuality. In a 2023 appearance on the programme Cuentos Chinos, hosted by Jorge Javier Vázquez, she expressed support for same-sex unions in the Church, declaring: “God always blesses love.” Asked whether homosexual acts were sinful, she replied: “I am nobody to condemn anyone,” adding that she would not judge others who did not share her vow of chastity.
Despite repeated controversies, Sister Caram has retained a high profile in Spanish society. Earlier this year, she again visited Pope Francis, bringing with her proposals to establish field hospitals in Ukraine. The decision of Pope Leo XIV to receive her privately has already prompted speculation, particularly given the omission of the audience from the official Vatican bulletin.
