Vatican tightens crackdown on U.S. Nuns

Vatican tightens crackdown on U.S. Nuns

In pursuit of the truth - http://www.cinopsbegoneblogspot.com - Thurs., July 3, 2014

Preface:                                                                                                                                                We love our nuns. But the "elite" leadership of "Leadership Conference of Women's Religious (LCWR) is a pain in the neck. (particularly in matters pertaining to pro-life, pro-marriage and pro-family).  The "elites" think they are smarter than the bishops. But prior to that,  they believed themselves much smarter than St. John Paul II's "Catechism of the Catholic Church" or Pope Benedict XVI. These elites are afflicted with the Obamaism Syndrome.

Let's have an update from The Seattle Post Intelligencer, May 5, 2014, by Joel Connelly.  {From Christi Fidelus - May 29, 2014, Ascensiontide, Vol. 32, No. 2)

"The Vatican is tightening its crackdown on the largest U.S. organization of Catholic nuns, decreeing that speakers and programs for its conferences must be approved in advance by Seattle Archbishop J. Peter Sartain, who was given the job in 2012 of making sisters toe the line.

The order came from the Vatican's top doctrinal official at an April 30 meeting that included Sartain and officials form the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR)

Cardinal Gerard Muller, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, sounded less like the embracing Pope Francis and very much like Francis' predecessor and fellow Pope Benedict XVI.

Muller accused the LCWR of presenting its 2014 Outstanding Leadership Award to "a theologian criticized by the bishops of the United States because of the doctrinal errors in that theologians's writings. He was referring to (but not naming) Sister Elizabeth Johnson, a nationally recognized theologian at Fordham University.

"This is a decision that will be seen as a rather open provocation against the Holy See and the doctrinal assessment. Not only that, but if further alienated the LWCR from the bishops as well," said Muller, in remarks posted on the Vatican website.

The Vatican, in a 2012 doctrinal assessment accused the LCWR, which represents 57,000 American nuns, of embracing "radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith."

Muller outlined a larger role for Sartain as overseer of U.S. nuns. "I'm therefore inform you that this provision is to be considered fully in force .... Following the August assembly, it will the expectation of the Holy See that Archbishop Sartain have an active role about invited speakers and honorees,: said Muller.

The LCWR said in a statement that Muller's remarks "accurately reflect the mandate" given Sartain and that the April 30 meeting was " an experience of dialogue that was respectful and engaging.

The Vatican crackdown on U.S. sisters is widely unpopular with American Catholics (not with Pro-life), particularly the accusation that nuns have spent too much time on social action and not enough on advancing church teaching about such issues as contraception and abortion.

Muller acknowledged that the Holy See has been criticized for a "a heavy handed interference" with the sisters' ministry." (From National Catholic Register, May 12, 2014.)

 George H. Kubeck