Free Republic

May 13, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) - According to a spokeswoman of the Catholic Diocese of Dallas, Bishop Kevin J. Farrell, is “communicating with the sisters” of the Ursuline Academy of Dallas, following statements attributed to the nuns that appear to support billionaire Melinda Gates’ campaign to inject millions of of impoverished women with contraceptive drugs. Diocesan spokeswoman Annette Gonzalez Taylor told LifeSiteNews.com that she could not make further comments regarding the situation, but that a statement would soon be posted on the diocesan website. The communique, which appeared on Friday at approximately 6 pm central time, speaks for Farrell, stating that...

Three respected Catholic publications are reporting that Cardinal Bernard F. Law, the controversial former Boston archbishop, played a key role in the Vatican's decision to tighten its grip on the largest association of Catholic nuns in the United States. The Vatican announced its initiative on April 18, naming three American prelates to ensure that US nuns conform to Church doctrine, which has grown more conservative under Pope John Paul II and his successor, Pope Benedict XVI. Earlier this week, a columnist for The Tablet, a British Catholic weekly, reported that the Vatican's initiative was sparked by William E. Lori, the...

MinnPost photo by Bill Kelley Sister Brigid McDonald on Pope Benedict XVI: "I can't even begin to imagine what he could say or do that would change religious women's beliefs." As a rule, Sister Brigid McDonald tries not to pay too much attention to papal pronouncements, but Pope Benedict XVI’s recent decision to rein in American nuns, found by a Vatican investigation to harbor “radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith,” caught her attention.Last month, Benedict announced that a four-year Vatican investigation had found the Leadership Conference of Women Religious has challenged church teaching on homosexuality, the ordination...

VATICAN CITY, April 19, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The announcement yesterday by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) that one of the most notoriously liberal radical feminist organizations in the American Catholic Church is to be the subject of a major reform effort has been met with surprise from the group and condemnation from some of its members. An initial statement from the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) leadership says they are “stunned” by the critical comments made by the CDF in their doctrinal assessment. The CDF had specifically criticized the organization for its refusal to...

WASHINGTON, April 18, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) has launched a 5-year reform of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), the association of the leaders of congregations of Catholic women religious in the United States representing more than 80 percent of the 57,000 women religious (nuns) in the country. Based on a 2008 investigation into the nuns, the Vatican evaluation was candid, noting, “The current doctrinal and pastoral situation of the LCWR is grave and a matter of serious concern.” The CDF doctrinal assessment, released today, criticized positions espoused at LCWR...

February 16, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Sisters of Life, a group of Catholic nuns who take a sacred vow to “protect and enhance the sacredness of human life,” say they don’t fall under the narrow religious exemption under the Obama administration’s new insurance mandate, meaning the rule would force them to break their promises to God. “This mandate will gravely violate the individual and collective religious liberties of the Sisters of Life and millions of others by forcing us to pay for abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization, and artificial contraception against our conscience,” said the sisters in a statement Thursday. The religious...

December 12, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Two Australian researchers have argued that the Catholic Church should make the oral contraceptive pill “freely available” to all her nuns to reduce the “risk of those accursed pests, cancer of the ovary and uterus.” The Comment that appeared in The Lancet December 8th stated that the world’s 94,790 nuns pay a “terrible price for their chastity” because not bearing children increased their risk of ovarian and uterine cancers. “If the Catholic Church could make the oral contraceptive pill freely available to all its nuns, it would reduce the risk of those accursed pests,” you...

Women religious at World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid. Washington D.C., Dec 10, 2011 / 08:05 am (CNA).- An article claiming that nuns should use contraception to lower their risk of breast, ovarian and uterine cancers drew criticism from medical professionals who say the study’s basis is seriously flawed.Karen Brauer, president of Pharmacists for Life International, said the argument was so poorly made that she initially thought the article was a parody.“It’s that bad,” she told CNA on Dec. 8, adding that the claims were not only outlandish but unsupported by the evidence presented in the analysis.Australian researchers Kara...

Lilies of the Field (1963) No-family enjoyed another of its favorite movies this weekend, "Lilies of the Field" starring Sidney Poitier and Lilla Skalla. Poitier plays Homer Smith, a handyman drifter whose station wagon is his magic carpet and whose domain is the world. Driving through Arizona, he stops for radiator water at a desolate farm in Arizona, which turns out to be the convent of a group of eastern European sisters. Mother Superior (Maria), played by Skalla is a battle-axe nun in the pre-Vatican-II mold: extremely high on the faith and endurance scales; extremely low on the social grace...

The fine parish church of St Jacques in Compiègne has a side chapel dedicated to 16 Carmelites martyred in the RevolutionI mentioned earlier this week a second French holy place that might interest readers: Compiègne. The town is only 40 minutes by fast and frequent train from Paris, and what drew me there was the famous chateau, a place beloved of Louis XV, who hunted in the nearby forest, as well as Marie Antoinette; and also a favourite place of resort for members of the Fourth Dynasty to rule France. Napoleon was fond of Compiègne and spent time there, and...

A Deeply Grounded Image Of What Nuns Are All About The Catholic sisters don't fly, but they do have a history of rising to great heights. An exhibit at Mount St. Mary's College depicts the often-unseen realities of nuns' service and sacrifice. Sister Eileen McNerney founded Taller San Jose to help Santa Ana gang members learn trades and leave their violent lives behind. (Christina House, For The Times / June 26, 2011) By Steve Lopez June 25, 2011 The Catholic sisters have had it with "The Flying Nun." For 300 years, they've had their feet firmly on the ground and...

In Sauk County, there’s a convent, Valley of our Lady Monastery that is inhabited by 18 Cistercian nuns. These nuns take a vow of silence, with their main occupation being the making the communion wafers. I am not making this up, the website couldn’t be better: http://www.nunocist.org/page2.html. The majority of these nuns stay at the Monastery their entire life…living the simplest of simple lives. Every election the Town of Sumpter Clerk, Donna Ziegler, drops off 18 ballots so the nuns can vote. She later picks them up, prior to the election in a single, large, sealed envelope—not opening the large...

How to Address Priests and Religious:Titles and Signs of Respect Marian Therese Horvat, Ph.DIn times past every Catholic used to know some of the simple rules that have been set aside from disuse. The general protocol was taught by sisters in grade school, but more often was learned as in osmosis from everyday practice. No one dreamed of calling Father O’Reilly by the nickname “Bill,” or, addressing Sister Margaret Mary as “Maggie.”Everyone knew you rose as a sign of respect when a priest or religious entered the room. Speaking before a gathering that included clergy or religious, a Catholic...

The Rising of the Roses: A Reflection on How the Lord is Restoring His ChurchBy: Msgr. Charles Pope It is often a fact that we have had to discuss difficult subjects on this blog. For, it is also a fact that our culture is in serious trouble.  But it is also a notable trend that God is renewing his Church. I am seeing increasing signs of a springtime for the Church, at least here in America.As I walk past the rose bushes out front of the rectory I see the first red shoots emerging from the pruned stumps. Last...

It's funny

CARA Reports on Religious Life Confirm TraditionBy: Msgr. Charles Pope On February 2 the National Conference of Catholic Bishops released a report on Religious life. The study was conducted by the very reputable Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA).The Bishops’ report is interesting and informative for what it says, but also has puzzling omissions in the topics covered, which seem to amount to ignoring the “elephant in the room.”  The “elephant” is the rather obvious fact that religious communities that preserve traditional elements such as the habit, common prayer, communal life, focused apostolates and strong affirmation of...

Vocations Under the Christmas Tree? 2 children’s books help plant seeds...fruition in the priesthood and religious life. KATHRYN JEAN LOPEZ 12/20/2010   -snip-Into that breach steps Elizabeth Ficocelli, a New York City-born mother and author (of books like The Imitation of Christ for Children) living in Ohio and convert to Catholicism. This year she has penned the children’s books Where Do Priests Come From? and Where Do Sisters Come From?, the latter of which has just been released by here). Why would you want to encourage girls to be oppressed victims of a patriarchal Church? Haven’t you read any Maureen...

BALTIMORE – It's been a blessed year for the School Sisters of Notre Dame, who catapulted to prominence when they put a rare Honus Wagner baseball card up for auction to support their charitable mission. Problem was, the winning bidder never paid up. On Monday, the Baltimore-based order of Roman Catholic nuns got their $220,000 — the original bid — but have a different collector to thank. Dr. Nicholas DePace, a Philadelphia cardiologist, wired them the money and owns the card. He's been collecting sports memorabilia for 30 years, and he's a longtime client of Dallas-based Heritage Auctions. A staff...

Secrets of the Habit – A Fascinating Video and Reflection on the Wearing of the HabitBy: Msgr. Charles Pope  The video at the bottom of this post is a fascinating little exploration of the traditional habit of Religious Sisters. The video does not make it clear as  to what Order the Habit belonged. There are many things I learned about a habit I never knew. Things like hidden “saddle bag” pockets, opening crucifixes, symbolism in the pleats, and the purpose of the outer veil. I hope you’ll take time an view a fascinating video.Sadly,  the sister who recounts the hidden...

5-November-2010 -- Vatican Information Service Consecrated Life Is Of Benefit To The Whole Church VATICAN CITY, 5 NOV 2010 (VIS) - At midday today in the Vatican the Holy Father received prelates from the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (Region south 2), who have just completed their "ad limina" visit. Speaking of consecrated people, the Pope suggested that "they 'can be compared to a plant with many branches which sinks its roots into the Gospel and brings forth abundant fruit in every season of the Church's life'. Because charity is the first fruit of the Holy Spirit and...