CBS correspondent Mark Phillips singled out two radical feminists in St. Peter's Square, mere minutes after the white smoke went out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City on 13 March 2013. The two women, who wore pink "ordain women" pins, not only sought to change the Catholic Church's teachings on the priestly ministry, but spotlighted "LGBT issues [and] reproductive health care", a thinly-veiled reference to abortion and contraception, as issues that need to be drastically changed inside the Church.
The full transcript of the Phillips interview, which aired at 2:42 pm Eastern on 13 March 2013:
SCOTT PELLEY: Mark Phillips is down in that huge crowd. People have come from all over the Eternal City. They have filled the square and all the streets around it. Mark, what do you see?
MARK PHILLIPS: Well, I see the crowd getting larger and larger. And I see Marion and Erin, who are two women who were in the crowd, and they've had an interest in this whole thing. The next pope is about to be announced. You're wearing pins that say, 'ordain women', which is a bit of a hint. (Marion and Erin laugh) So, what are you looking for from this man that's going to walk out onto – onto that balcony – we hope quite soon?
MARION: We're looking for a man that is open to dialogue and inclusion; a man that remembers that his job is to be like Jesus Christ – the original; and to include women – to go out of his way to include women. And to accept that the Church needs to be healed, and that one half is being excluded-
PHILLIPS: Very high expectations. Erin, you're wearing the pin-
ERIN: Yes-
PHILLIPS: That says 'ordain women'
ERIN: Yes-
PHILLIPS: And presumably, that's what you want. You want even women – to go as far as women priests in the Catholic Church.
ERIN: Of course! Yes. I mean, that's my dream, as a child – is to see a woman up there on the altar. But, you know, a first start would be, as Marion said, [an] opening dialogue. That's so important. Our – our church has been – you know, really needs some healing from the abuse and the scandal, and there's so many people that have been marginalized from our church.
But we're really looking for a reformer – so, someone who's willing to meet the people of the Church, where they're at, and – you know, for us, as part of women ordination worldwide, really hoping for someone, again, to open dialogue, talk with women – be with us in community.
PHILLIPS: The woman's issue in the Church, of course, is a large one. But there are other challenges the Church has been facing-
MARION: Yes, absolutely-
PHILLIPS: We all know about the abuse scandal, of course, and the terrible things there. But also, in terms of the organization of the Church, what have you – is it just talk about communication? Is that – you want a church that you feel is more accessible to you?
ERIN: Transparent, accountable – those are very important words for the people of the Church – you know, when it comes to women's issues; when it comes to the sex abuse crisis; when it comes to LGBT issues, reproductive health care – the Church really needs to – to be transparent and open, and welcome women's voices into those issues.
PHILLIPS: Well, we're all here in anticipation and in suspense, to see whether the man who steps out there answers some of the questions that you've been posing.
MARION: Let's hope so-
ERIN: Yeah. We'll see soon. (laughs)