Sunday, October 12, 2008

Voting Nun

A 106- year-old American nun living in Europe is going to vote for the first time in 50 years. She lives in a convent in Rome and is voting Democratic. I wonder if the blogosphere will pick up on this. Article from the BBC.

106-year-old voter chooses Obama

By David Willey
BBC News, Rome

Sister Cecilia Gaudette
Sister Cecilia has lived in the convent in Rome for 50 years

A 106-year-old American nun living in a convent in Rome could well be the oldest person to vote in the 2008 US Presidential election.

Sister Cecilia Gaudette, who last voted for President Eisenhower in 1952, has registered to vote and says she will vote for Democrat Barack Obama.

Although hard of hearing, she keeps herself informed by reading newspapers and watching TV at the convent.

"I'm encouraged by Senator Obama," she says.

"I've never met him, but he seems to be a good man with a good private life. That's the first thing. Then he must be able to govern," she adds.

Sitting in her modest office in the convent where she has lived for the past 50 years, the diminutive nun appears uninterested in the row inside the American Catholic church over Senator Obama's support for pro-choice policies on abortion.

Asked about her hopes for the US under an Obama presidency, she says: "Peace abroad. I don't worry about the Iraq war because I can't do anything about it. Lord knows how it will end."

"It is very complicated," she said. "Those Eastern people are not like we are."

But despite taking part in the 4 November election, Sister Cecilia does not intend to return to the US.

"I have no plans for the future. I am too old to go back to the US. Life has changed too much."

But she still watches "very important events" on TV. The election comes under this category.

2 comments:

Garpu said...

*waves* This is garpu from LJ! I haven't heard much backlash from the blogosphere about her, thank God. I'd worry for the Church, when people start attacking a 106 year old nun.

Maria said...

Hey There! *waves back*

I saw you added me to your flist on LJ and I did the same. :-)

This is my quiet place of discombobulated thoughts mostly.

I'd hate to see any backlash against her. I worry for the Church when I read all the stuff that spews forth from people who say they're Catholic sometimes, that's why I expected a whole outrage about her.