Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Vatican Crackdown on U.S. Nuns a Long Time Brewing
Reuters ^ | 4/20/12 | Stephanie Simon

Posted on 04/20/2012 7:40:01 PM PDT by marshmallow

(Reuters) - When Pope John Paul II arrived in the United States in 1979, the president of the nation's most powerful organization of nuns met him with a challenge. In a bold welcoming address, Sister Theresa Kane called on the pope to include women "in all ministries of our church," including the priesthood. The pope sat silent, his expression stony.

That moment did not change Vatican policy.

But it unveiled growing tensions between the Vatican and American nuns. The conflict would continue to mount for the next three decades, until this week the Vatican finally moved to reassert control over the aging but still ferociously independent conference of Catholic sisters.

In a stinging "doctrinal assessment," the Vatican accused the Leadership Conference of Women Religious - an umbrella group representing most American nuns - of numerous grave breaches of doctrine and decorum.

The report, four years in the making, found that the nuns promoted political views at odds with those expressed by U.S. Roman Catholic bishops, "who are the church's authentic teachers of faith and morals." The Vatican chastised the nuns for airing discussions about the ordination of women, the church patriarchy and ministry to gay people.

The Vatican also rebuked the nuns for spending too much time "promoting issues of social justice" while failing to speak out often enough about "issues of crucial importance to the life of the church and society," such as abortion and gay marriage.

Determined to cleanse the sisterhood of "radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith," the Vatican appointed Archbishop J. Peter Sartain of Seattle to effectively take control of the Leadership Conference, rewriting its statutes, supervising its meetings, and investigating its relationships with politically active groups.

Officials of the nuns' leadership conference said they were "stunned" by the crackdown. But Catholics who have........

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Ministry/Outreach; Theology
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-63 next last

1 posted on 04/20/2012 7:40:04 PM PDT by marshmallow
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: marshmallow

As a Catholic woman, I can’t imagine much that would be worse than having a woman priest.


2 posted on 04/20/2012 7:51:41 PM PDT by basil (It's time to rid the country of "gun free zones" aka "Killing Fields")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: marshmallow
The church is by nature a socialist organization. IMHO.
However that does not mean that they should advocate for a socialist government. Big difference.
3 posted on 04/20/2012 7:51:52 PM PDT by oldbrowser (They are Marxists, don't call them democrats)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: marshmallow
So... there's nothing in this story about hand-crafted specialty beer? Just a bunch of misfit NAG types?

Double disappointment.

The Church should whack them harshly. And the author should be more careful about using 'brew' in titles.

I do love me some Trappist Ales. And have paid a premium for real ones. I hope that money went to good causes.

/johnny

4 posted on 04/20/2012 7:52:12 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: marshmallow

Yikes.

So, I was right being suspicious of “nuns” who don’t dress like it.


5 posted on 04/20/2012 7:55:03 PM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Technological progress cannot be legislated.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: basil

I’m assuming you feel the same way about a pedophile Priest?


6 posted on 04/20/2012 7:55:03 PM PDT by Shadowstrike (Be polite, Be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: marshmallow

So when does the Fluke girl decide she wants to be a nun?


7 posted on 04/20/2012 7:55:06 PM PDT by OrioleFan (Republicans believe every day is July 4th, Democrats believe every day is April 15th.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: basil

As a protestant, I find it unbiblical to have a female preacher/pastor.


8 posted on 04/20/2012 7:56:58 PM PDT by doc1019 (Romney will never get my vote!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: basil

Conservative Catholic women who believe what the church teaches don’t want to be priestesses. At least a few would be on FR. If there are conservative folks calling themselves real Catholics on FR who think the seat of Peter has been vacant for 40+ years, then we would have plenty of conservative Catholis women who want to be priestesses on FR if they were around.

Freegards


9 posted on 04/20/2012 7:58:58 PM PDT by Ransomed
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Shadowstrike
I'm not Catholic, but I am a celibate. I think the whole concept is no sheep, no kids, no wimmins, no men, no horses, &ct. Nada. Nothing.

Why do you think the Trappists make such good ale?

They have to pray and concentrate on something.

/johnny

10 posted on 04/20/2012 8:00:28 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: doc1019
I find it unbiblical to have a female preacher/pastor.

I agree. It's pretty clear.

/johnny

11 posted on 04/20/2012 8:03:11 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: marshmallow

Women cannot be priests, but they can be saints. And some women saints have changed the world.

One thing for sure: Sister Theresa Kane and her ilk have changed the world only in the sense that they have pulled the rug out from under the orders of nuns that they “lead,” and thus caused immeasurable harm to the souls that those nuns should have been helping to guide in the right ways.

It is good that the Church finally intends to do something about this sad situation, although it certainly isn’t going to be easy. The dissident nuns will resist, kicking and screaming, every inch of the way, if the past several decades are any indication. Maybe the threat of being expelled from their orders may do some good. One can always hope.


12 posted on 04/20/2012 8:04:41 PM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: marshmallow

Just like the church should have cut off the pedophiles as they were found, they should have tossed the feminazis as they bloomed. Seems they wait until they have a major mess on their hands before they address the problem.


13 posted on 04/20/2012 8:07:19 PM PDT by SaraJohnson
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: marshmallow

I’m OK with it but I am wondering when they are going to crack down on Father Pfleger and his social justice crapola. Whats good for the goose is good for the gander.


14 posted on 04/20/2012 8:07:57 PM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JRandomFreeper

Which also no doubt explains your...usually, for the most part...erudite, and witty posts and comments..


15 posted on 04/20/2012 8:09:33 PM PDT by ken5050 (The ONLY reason to support Mitt: The Mormon Tabernacle Choir will appear at the WH each Christmas)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: marshmallow

***The Vatican also rebuked the nuns for spending too much time “promoting issues of social justice” while failing to speak out often enough about “issues of crucial importance to the life of the church and society,” such as abortion and gay marriage.***

About time.


16 posted on 04/20/2012 8:14:30 PM PDT by MichaelCorleone (Stop feeding the beast; spend money only with those who support traditional American values.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cicero
The dissident nuns will resist, kicking and screaming, every inch of the way, if the past several decades are any indication.

Look for them to go running crying and screaming to their allies in the media.

17 posted on 04/20/2012 8:14:34 PM PDT by Last Dakotan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: oldbrowser
“The church is by nature a socialist organization.”

You could not be more wrong.

Socialism is a coercive system in which a small group forcibly control the possessions and personal freedom of the vast majority of their fellow countrymen. Under socialism an individual has little or no freedom and is controlled by the small group in power. The possessions of the individual are taken by the elites and the people live in fear of the government. An individual is considered worthless and without rights. His only value is what the elites can take from him.

Christianity is a community of voluntary sharing and assistance to all members. Everyone is free to stay or leave and contribute as much as they choose. Every individual is considered to be precious in the eyes of God and worthy of love and respect.

18 posted on 04/20/2012 8:20:45 PM PDT by detective
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: ken5050
usually, for the most part.

I'll read that as "When he's lucid, he's not bad" ;)

/johnny

19 posted on 04/20/2012 8:20:54 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: MichaelCorleone

AMEN!


20 posted on 04/20/2012 8:23:10 PM PDT by doc1019 (Romney will never get my vote!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-63 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson