The Pope reprimands Catholic Nuns in U.S.

[Lamplighter]

It will be interesting to follow...

NY Times
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN
Published: April 18, 2012
Vatican Reprimands a Group of U.S. Nuns and Plans Changes

The Vatican has appointed an American bishop to rein in
the largest and most influential group of Catholic nuns in the United States,
saying that an investigation found that the group had “serious doctrinal problems.”

The Vatican’s assessment, issued on Wednesday, said that members of the group,
the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, had challenged church teaching
on homosexuality and the male-only priesthood, and promoted
“radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith.”

The sisters were also reprimanded for making public statements that
“disagree with or challenge the bishops, who are the church’s authentic teachers of faith and morals.”
During the debate over the health care overhaul in 2010, American bishops
came out in opposition to the health plan, but dozens of sisters,
many of whom belong to the Leadership Conference, signed a statement supporting it
— support that provided crucial cover for the Obama administration in the battle over health care.

The conference is an umbrella organization of women’s religious communities,
and claims 1,500 members who represent 80 percent of the Catholic sisters in the United States.
It was formed in 1956 at the Vatican’s request, and answers to the Vatican,
said Sister Annmarie Sanders, the group’s communications director.

Word of the Vatican’s action took the group completely by surprise,
Sister Sanders said. She said that the group’s leaders were in Rome on Wednesday
for what they thought was a routine annual visit to the Vatican when they were
informed of the outcome of the investigation, which began in 2008.

The verdict on the nuns group was issued by the Vatican’s Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith, which is now led by an American, Cardinal William Levada,
formerly the archbishop of San Francisco. He appointed Archbishop J. Peter Sartain of Seattle
to lead the process of reforming the sisters’ conference, with assistance from
Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki and Bishop Leonard Blair, who was in charge of the investigation of the group.

They have been given up to five years to revise the group’s statutes,
approve of every speaker at the group’s public programs and replace a handbook
the group used to facilitate dialogue on matters that the Vatican said should be settled doctrine.
They are also supposed to review the Leadership Conference’s links with Network
and another organization, the Resource Center for Religious Life.

<snip>

[sexobon]

Bad penguins, bad, bad penguins.

[ZenGum]

I bet they all weigh the same as a duck, too!


Yeah, how dare women try to think for themselves, or question male Bishop's authority.

Sandwich-time, sister!

[sexobon]

Nuns don't kill faith, "bishops, who are the church’s authentic teachers of faith" kill faith.

[ZenGum]

Originally Posted by sexobon

Bad penguins, bad, bad penguins.

Originally Posted by ZenGum

I bet they all weigh the same as a duck, too!

totally unintentional, I hadn't seen Sexybon's post when writing mine!

[richlevy]

The Vatican’s assessment, issued on Wednesday, said that members of the group,
the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, had challenged church teaching
on homosexuality and the male-only priesthood, and promoted
“radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith.”

I am sooooo curious as to what the Vactican considers “radical feminist themes". I'm guessing wearing pants, having a career, and pretty much all that stuff that everyone else sorted out in the 20th century.

[infinite monkey]

Sisters are doin' it for themselves! You go ladies.

in elementary school one nun was very gentle, one was mean, and the principal was an amazingly strong and intelligent and compassionate woman. My mom and I still talk about her.

[ZenGum]

One Nun was a racehorse
Tutu was one too
One Nun won one race
Tutu won one too!

[Lamplighter]

Originally Posted by richlevy

I am sooooo curious as to what the Vactican considers “radical feminist themes".
I'm guessing wearing pants, having a career, and pretty much all that stuff
that everyone else sorted out in the 20th century.

I'm not Catholic, so this event is not really my concern. But during my career I had
about 5 years working with a particular Order of sisters in Oregon, Mississippi, and Quebec.
It took the first year to develop a trust between us, but eventually I came to appreciate
and truly enjoy and admire who these women were, and what they were doing with their lives.
I posted this news item because I anticipate this will be a momentous event for the Catholic Church in the US.

The role of women in the Church has taken a serious hit since the Pope declared
that women could not become priests, and were destined to play a secondary role in the Church.

This single decision essentially strangled the number of young women in North America
deciding to become nuns, and many, many women left their traditional roles as nuns.

Link

Sisters. 180,000 sisters were the backbone of the Catholic education and health systems in 1965.
In 2002, there were 75,000 sisters, with an average age of 68.
By 2020, the number of sisters will drop to 40,000
--and of these, only 21,000 will be aged 70 or under.
In 1965, 104,000 sisters were teaching, while in 2002 there were only 8,200 teachers

.
The question may turn out to be, will there be any sisters left in the North American Church after this reprimand from this Pope.

[maineiac04631]

The dark ages called, they want their religion back.

[DanaC]

Originally Posted by maineiac04631

The dark ages called, they want their religion back.

Awesome.

[JBKlyde]

The Vatican Owns America. FYI.. maybe IBRAM should think about trying to get a job as a nun..

[ZenGum]

LOLs, she should do it, just for the giggles.

[classicman]

JBK - you really are being a dick. Intentional or not.

[Griff]

Sister Simone Campbell touches on a lot of the Churches' problems in this short interview. The anti-Vatican II leadership, reactionary politics over gospel teachings, disparagement of women... it goes on. I wouldn't be too concerned about Klydes imaginings, the Church has enough real problems that the faithful need to face.