Vatican Official Warns of 'Dialogue of the Deaf' with LCWR

The National Catholic Reporter ^ | 6/12/12 | John L Allen Jr

[marshmallow]

ROME -- In the wake of Tuesday's meeting with representatives of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, the Vatican official responsible for a recent crackdown said he still believes the relationship can work, but also warned of a possible "dialogue of the deaf," reflected in what he sees as a lack of movement on the Vatican's concerns.

Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, floated the possibility that should the LCWR not accept the reforms outlined in an April 18 assessment, the result could be decertifying it in favor of a new organization for women's religious leaders in America more faithful to church teaching.

Levada strongly rejected charges that the move against the LCWR is based on "unsubstantiated accusations" or lacks transparency, both complaints leveled in an LCWR statement issued last week.

"In reality, this is not a surprise," he said, insisting that the process began four years ago and that its results are based not on secret accusations but "what happens in their assemblies, what's on their website, what they do or don't do."

Levada also denied press reports that retired Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston helped instigate the move against LCWR, saying, "He's not involved in this."

Levada made the comments in an interview with NCR held shortly after the meeting between officials of his office and Sr. Pat Farrell, president of the LCWR, along with Sr. Janet Mock, the group's executive director.

[marshmallow]

Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, floated the possibility that should the LCWR not accept the reforms outlined in an April 18 assessment, the result could be decertifying it in favor of a new organization for women's religious leaders in America more faithful to church teaching.

Yesssss!!! Do it, your Eminence.....you know you want to... :-)

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

Too bad he can’t put Mother Angelica in charge. That, I would pay to see.

[Friendofgeorge]

OK I am not Catholic,but it was obvious to me that these folks at LCWR would be fine with killing God`s unborn children/homostuff a quick read of the article confirmed my suspicions.

There are Christian Catholics and NON Christian Catholics,it`s as simple as that.

Am sure the Nuns bus tour for Democrats are NON Christian Catholics as well, why dont they just outright worship the devil, who do they think they are kidding?

They might want to start by asking Jesus into their lives.

Anybody that supports abortion Gay, marriage, and the removal of Christ from classroom public square does NOT have the Spirit of Christ within them....CASE CLOSED

It is possible that a Pope may not be a Christian, many Priests have never been saved, people need to wake up.Many Catholics go to Church on Sunday and listen to NON Christian teachings, from unsaved pastors, it`s the same deal in many/most denominations.

You wont find non Christian Priests at a Charismatic Catholic service

[Biggirl]

Is there an alternate conservative organization, I think called CWR?

[Biggirl]

Too bad, that Mother Angelica, being in ill health, if her health was better, she could very well have done it. She was a fire brand back in the day!

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

She is my ideal of a nun. Tough, loving, pious and down to earth.

Have you ever heard her life story? It’s amazing. I recommend her biography, by Raymond Arroyo, to everyone.

I remember her describing her childhood on her TV show. She’d often hang around her uncle’s bar as a young kid. She remembered that when he wanted to get her out of his hair, he’d sit her on the front stairs with a beer and some pretzels. She was about 6. Imagine the reaction today. LOL

[Biggirl]

http://www.cmswr.org/

That is the organization in question. Much more conservative.

[Biggirl]

Oh my goodness, she was one tough gal from the time she was a kid!

I think my mother has the book, not sure.

[koraz]

What I find most interesting about this is that it is seems to be a generally accurate report from what I have always thought to be a very liberal publication. It makes me wonder if the sisters are starting to realize that they need to get in line with the Church’s teaching.

I am also encouraged to see the Church working to bring these people in line. I would now like to see the Church holding our “Catholic” politicians accountable.

[RobbyS]

The bishops,led by Cardinal Mahoney, were trying to set up their own network, and undercut her work. She knew how feckless they were, and how liberal Mahoney is, and went her own way. Rome gave some help, but the amazing thing is how this single person was able to create a network that is not world-wide.

[Salvation]

Vatican Official Warns of 'Dialogue of the Deaf' with LCWR
Bishop Blair Pounds the Facts; LCWR Pounds The Table
Nun Who Leads Network Disparages Bishops, Hesitant to Call Herself Pro-Life

Analysis: Dispute With US Nuns Began Decades Ago
Vatican: LCWR under direction of the Holy See; must promote doctrine "taught through the ages"
“The Biggest Distortion of All” [LCWR vs CDF]
Nuns Brace for Vatican Meeting
Catholic Identity Once Again
Crisis of sisterhood: ‘Radical’ U.S. nuns clash with Vatican doctrine guardians
Franciscan Friars Back American Nuns in Vatican Spat
Pastor Completely Loses It Over LWCR
Roman Catholic Womenpriests-USA stands behind LCWR
Nun Too Accurate Reporting

Sisters of Mercy President Defends Farley, Criticizes CDF
Major Vatican Assault Coming in October, Says Former Maryknoll Provincial
Vatican Warns Against Errors in Mercy Nun's 2006 Book on Sexual Ethics
Priests Come to Nuns’ defense
Leaders of U.S. Catholic Nuns to Address Vatican Reprimand About 'Radical' Feminism
Split over nuns' role plays out online (LCWR nuns complain about blogosphere)
ANOTHER WAY TO BEAUTIFY THE CHURCH or 10 REASONS NUNS SHOULD WEAR HABITS (Warning-graphic images)
Dallas bishop ‘communicating’ with nuns on their support for Gates’ global contraceptive campaign
When Reverend Mothers Cease Being Motherly
Nuns Issue Statement Defending Billionaire Contraceptive Campaigner Melinda Gates

Important Background Information About the CDF-LCWR Situation
Nuns Gone Wild: A Trip Down Memory Lane
Exhibit A for Explaining the LCWR Report
Vatican Crackdown on U.S. Nuns a Long Time Brewing
LCWR: getting to the truth of the matter (the blogosphere response to CDF document)
Radical feminist nuns’ group ‘stunned’ by Vatican criticisms, reform plan
Vatican announces reform of US women's religious conference (more details)
Citing doctrinal problems, Vatican announces reforms of US nuns' group
In hard-hitting document Vatican launches clean-up of feminist nuns in United States
LCWR Having a Bad Day. Vatican Names Archbishop Delegate to Continue Watching LCWR and Network

[NYer]

Don't know why this article was extracted. Here it is in its entirety.

---

ROME -- In the wake of Tuesday's meeting with representatives of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, the Vatican official responsible for a recent crackdown said he still believes the relationship can work, but also warned of a possible "dialogue of the deaf," reflected in what he sees as a lack of movement on the Vatican's concerns.

Cardinal William Levada is seen in a 2009 file photo. (CNS photo/Tony Gentile, Reuters)Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, floated the possibility that should the LCWR not accept the reforms outlined in an April 18 assessment, the result could be decertifying it in favor of a new organization for women's religious leaders in America more faithful to church teaching.

Levada strongly rejected charges that the move against the LCWR is based on "unsubstantiated accusations" or lacks transparency, both complaints leveled in an LCWR statement issued last week.

"In reality, this is not a surprise," he said, insisting that the process began four years ago and that its results are based not on secret accusations but "what happens in their assemblies, what's on their website, what they do or don't do."

Levada also denied press reports that retired Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston helped instigate the move against LCWR, saying, "He's not involved in this."

Levada made the comments in an interview with NCR held shortly after the meeting between officials of his office and Sr. Pat Farrell, president of the LCWR, along with Sr. Janet Mock, the group's executive director.

The LCWR is the largest umbrella group for the leaders of women's religious orders in the United States.

Capping a four-year review, in April, Levada's office issued a stinging eight-page assessment of LCWR, citing "serious doctrinal problems" and "doctrinal confusion," including alleged "silence" on abortion and other pro-life concerns, a policy of "corporate dissent" on matters such as women priests and homosexuality, and the inroads of "certain radical feminist themes."

After Tuesday's meeting, Farrell and Mock released a statement describing the session as "open" and saying LCWR would ponder its further response in upcoming regional meetings and at an August national assembly. They declined to comment beyond the statement.

In his NCR interview, Levada said he believes the breach between Rome and the LCWR can be repaired.

"I believe it can work," he said. "That's my hope and prayer."

At the same time, Levada described the risk of a "dialogue of the deaf," saying the Vatican has been in talks with LCWR for four years, but along the way the group has made choices that, in Levada's eyes, signal it's not taking their concerns to heart.

Specifically, Levada cited publication of an interview with Fr. Charles Curran, a moral theologian censured by the Vatican in the 1980s for his views on sexual morality, in a recent issue of the group's Occasional Papers as well as decisions to invite Barbara Marx Hubbard, often described as a "New Age leader," to address the upcoming August assembly meeting and to bestow an award on Immaculate Heart Sr. Sandra Schneiders, another theologian sometimes critical of Vatican policy.

Levada acknowledged he had given LCWR the go-ahead to proceed with its August assembly, but said he wasn't aware at the time of the choice of speakers or honorees, and that "I wish they hadn't made these choices."

"Too many people crossing the LCWR screen, who are supposedly representing the Catholic church, aren't representing the church with any reasonable sense of product identity," Levada said.

Levada said while church officials cannot force LCWR to change course, if things come to an impasse, they can withdraw official recognition.

"What we can do, and what we'd have to do, is to say to them, 'We will substitute a functioning group for yours,' " he said.

Levada said he doesn't yet know what such a "functioning group" might look like, except it should be a conference "that would focus on the priorities of religious life, the life of holiness, which is the fundamental call of all of us in the church."

While there is already a rival umbrella group in the United States known as the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious, broadly seen as a more traditional alternative to LCWR, Levada said "it could very well be" that a new group would have to be created to absorb the official role of LCWR. He stressed he hopes things don't come to that.

"We would like to see an effective and strong LCWR," he said.

Levada also acknowledged that the Vatican cannot block the LCWR on its own from withdrawing from the official orbit and re-incorporating under civil law, but said that should the group make that choice, "the Holy See isn't going to give patronage to it."

In the short term, Levada said he would take as evidence that things are moving in the right direction if LCWR enters into "a sincere, cordial and open dialogue" with Archbishop J. Peter Sartain of Seattle, tapped by the Vatican to oversee the reform envisioned in the doctrinal assessment.

To date, Levada said, that hasn't happened.

On other points, Levada denied that the move against LCWR was motivated by a desire to assert control over property and other assets of women's orders in America and rejected suggestions that the aim of the overhaul is to bring LCWR under the permanent control of the American bishops.

Rather than "conspiracy theories," Levada said, the focus should be on the substantive issues in the Vatican critique.

"The church is a broad umbrella, and it doesn't quickly exclude people, even people who disagree on one point or the other," he said. "But ultimately, this is about a group that represents the church doing so in a way that is accountable to the teaching and tradition of the church."

[JustSayNoToNannies]

There are Christian Catholics and NON Christian Catholics,it`s as simple as that.

I'd say there are Christian Catholics and non-Catholic "Catholics."

[AnAmericanMother]

Three cheers for our Holy Father!

He really is the Pope of Christian Unity.

Doing his best to gently, firmly corral these straying sisters . . . and at the same time get the SSPX back into the fold on the other end of the continuum.

Judging from the videos I've seen of Bp. Fellay, it seems like there's a strong possibility that the SSPX may rejoin the Church. Which would be a wonderful thing. They have a lot to offer.

[NYer]

Just buy it! You can pick up a used copy for only $7 on Amazon.com. This is one book you will read over and over again.

Do either of you remember the episode where she ripped into Cardinal Mahony over a pastoral letter he distributed to catholics in his diocese? Mother rightly denounced Mahony's "pastoral letter" on the Holy Eucharist as a Modernist obfuscation of the true doctrine of the Mass. Under pressure from Mahony's friends in the Vatican apparatus, Mother made an on-the-air apology; but the "apology" was even more defiant than the original commentary. For nearly an hour Mother "served up a point-by-point critique of the pastoral letter". An infuriated Mahony filed a canonical complaint in Rome. Arroyo quotes one elderly curial Cardinal as admitting that "Mother Angelica has the guts to tell him [Mahony] what we do not." Mahony's canonical complaint ultimately went nowhere, but he had already begun to agitate the Vatican apparatus to take action against Mother. Among the agreements reached, it was eventually agreed to never again publicly televise that particular episode.

[Biggirl]

Oh yes, I remember she went down the list on what was wrong with Cardinal Mahonney’s document. That cat fight got EWTN and Mother Angelica on the map in a way.

[SuziQ]

Levada also denied press reports that retired Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston helped instigate the move against LCWR, saying, "He's not involved in this."

So someone's trying to taint the results of the investigation by bringing Bernie Law into this, hoping the bad press on him will cause folks to doubt what the Vatican found.

Faithful Catholics all over the country have been complaining about the feminist nuns for years. Those complaints were around long before Bernie Law went to Rome, and I don't remember him having anything to say about the nuns when he was in Boston, so I don't see why else the press would be dragging him into this, other than to deflect from the real issues.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

——Do either of you remember the episode where she ripped into Cardinal Mahony over a pastoral letter he distributed to catholics in his diocese?——

Oh Yeeeeaaaah. That was sweet.

I read her biography and gave it to a friend. I’ll have to buy more as gifts. Her life story is simply incredible. I won’t spoil it with any give-always. Just get it, people!

My favorite TV moment was when a woman called in to discuss two sisters who were fighting over an estate.

Caller: “I have two relatives who are fighting over an estate.”

Mother: “Oh yeah? What are they fighting over?”

C (embarrassed): “You won’t believe it...”

M: “Try me.”

C (giggling): A toilet.

M: A what?!

C. A toilet (audience laughter)

M. Are you kidding?

C. No. Well, it’s not a regular toilet

M. (Mother rolls her eyes) Oh yeah? (Sarcastically) It’s not a regular toilet?

C. No, it’s inlaid.

M. It’s inlaid! (Audience laughter) Oh,... I see..

C. What should I do?

M. Well sweetie. I’ll tell ya. (expression turns serious. Audience quiets)
This is what I would tell them. I would tell them to take turns sticking their heads in it! (Audience roars).

I miss her. She was one of a kind.

[NYer]

Thanks for sharing that memorable moment. Her programs are rerun on Tuesday evenings and still just as poignant today.

One of my favorite stories was the arrival of the satellite dish. Before they would unload it, the driver said he needed the $600,000 down payment. Mother didn't have the money. She went into the chapel, knelt down and told our Lord: "I blew it!" As she approached the driver to tell him she did not have the money, Deacon Steltemeier pulled her aside. Some guy on a yacht in the Bahamas had just called to say he was sending her a donation for $600,000!

As they were installing the dish, one of the staff snapped a picture. When developed, the photo showed a transparent streak, like a laser beam, emitting from the center of the dish. Earlier that month, the sisters had gathered in prayer. Sister Regina had a vision of a white satellite dish before a darkened sky with a red flame shooting from its center. "no one will be able to extinguish this flame", she announced to the sisters, claiming it was a message from God. At the time, Sister Regina wasn't certain if the vision was authentic or the product of her imagination.

You be the judge. Here is the actual photograph taken on the day the dish was installed.

Anyone who doubts the power of prayer, needs to read this book!

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

Wow! I haven’t seen the picture before. Her life is full of stories like that.

Her life is about trusting God —stepping out in faith. If she felt that God was calling her to do something, she would act immediately, no matter what her stomach said. She always faced giant obstacles, but she always overcame them by the grace of God, and often miraculously.

She should be the patron saint of CEOs.

I remember a male caller to her show who was unsure of a calling to the priesthood, a common call.

She asked, “Do you think He’s calling you?”

“Yes, but....”

“Then do it. Why wouldn’t you?”

It’s really as simple (and scary) as that. That conversation has freed me to act decisively in my life.