Is it just the way I’m reading this, or does this summary from the Vatican Press Office about this “open meeting” sound vague?  It has Who, Where, and When, but little Why, How and What’s Next for each group.

Terah, that’s because there is no “what’s next” for the Vatican.  This meeting was requested by the LCWR as a follow-up to the last meeting.  They met. 

The basic facts have not changed.  The LCWR assessment already took place over four years time.  The CDF found what they found.  They appointed someone to remedy the problem and that’s where they are.  The sooner the LCWR realizes this, the better off they’ll be.

Thank you, Midwestlady.  Yes, nuns with their own ideas (and I know many) must be reined in, the sooner, the better.  Problem is so many parishes know have “lay pastoral leaders”, and instead of lay men, married lay women with famiies lead the parishes, causing nuns (at least around here) to get big ideas.  I don’t know of even one nun I’d consider “orthodox”.  When I object to women leading parishes - as “pastors” without the title -I’m considered behind the times, portrayed as a dinosaur.  There is no consistency.

I hope to read very soon that the LCWR packs their bags and heads out the front door.

There was a time when I held nuns in the greatest esteem.  No more.  I’ve found that you cannot trust their advice.  Below is an example of the comments (email) from a “Sister of the Holy Names”.  She’s got it all wrong.  That order needs to be investigated/disbanded.

“EVERY citizen has a say in determining our policies and our future.  We need to support our country and our people.  Lately, the church’s care for Christian values is questionable;

Inconsistent with moral and religious beliefs: Acceptance of all God’s people, especially those who; may be a bit different.

For years and years we’ve been trying to make health care available to all who need it, as many other countries have been able to manage.  Most married people see a need for contraception,

Rather than over-populating the earth, which the earth can not support much longer, and families find very difficult to nurture a lot of kids.  So insurances have mandated to cover contraceptives. 

This is not taking away religious freedom.  All people are free to chose according to their own consciences, (as explained at Vatican II Council).  So, many many Catholic couples use contraceptives in good faith.

The bishops have lost touch with the sense of the faithful (also a Vatican II term) and continue to shout old outdated regulations.  Think of Galileo Galilei.  Not all those who care about this nation and Judeo-Christian values, follow lockstep with the bishops.  Catholics standing against this president are standing on quicksand.  Beware.  Altho the new health care is called Obamacare it is not his alone. 

      Until “Citizens United” the vote was the voice of the people.  Ideally that is what governs our nation.  Bishops can shout all they want.  The people need to discern and vote for the good of all.

By the way, have you heard of the private Christian schools opened in the south U>S>A> in which they are emphasizing the Bible?  especially the old testament, about removing and destroying the enemies.  They are teaching the students to kill and torture (following biblical quotes) anyone they deem enemy or infidel!  Awful stuff is being done in the name of Christianity.

JMDG: Many people and organizations pass themselves off as “Christian”.  I applaud Christian schools emphasizing the Bible.  The only way for a Christian to understand the NEW Testament is for him or her to understand the OLD Testament.  They go together, the New is concealed in the old, and the Old is revealed in the New.  It all points to Jesus.

So when a person understands the New Testament, he/she has the ability to put the “kill or destroy” aspect of the Old Testament into perspective. Further, it was meant for Israel, 3000+ years ago, *not for Americans*.

By the way, please tell me where “torture” was implemented by Israel?  Where are those biblical quotes?  What is the name of the “Christian” school in the south USA that is planning to teach “kill and torture” of whomever they consider enemies or the infidel, to American students?

Even though blogs are made so easily anonymous, we should provide FACTS to each other, and not pass on unsubstantiated drivel.

About the nuns: your point is well taken.  But we cannot paint everyone with a broad brush.  There may be some Orthodox nuns and orders left.  Perhaps not many, but some.

Let the CDC do some weeding, and perhaps they can keep their tools out, and weed out our priesthood too, so teaching in our parishes will be equally Orthodox.  Keep the weeding tools out for bishops too.

It’s been a mixed theological bag for too long, and our country is paying the price for it, with a lack of respect, across the board in Catholicsm.

Terah:  Sorry!  I didn’t close the quote from this Holy Names “sister”.  The entire statement, including the stuff about Christian schools in the south was from her. 
I do hope the our Church does some real good housekeeping and can sweep out all the heretics.  You are so right - we need to clean house with the priests, too, beginning in the seminaries.  Our parish recently was assigned a priest (middle-age, previously married/annulled and ordained about 3 years ago).  I actually know more about our Faith than he and I do not see dedication to his new role.  He treats it like a “job” not a priviledge.  Needless to say, we now attend Mass in a “Catholic” parish several miles away.

Thanks for the clarification, JMGD, I did read it incorrectly.  I know the kind of priest that sees their roles as “jobs” too, not as leaders of the church.  I’ve noticed there is almost a stunting of their growth as men, as a result of it.  Older vocations (or like the formerly married man) see their presence as a sort of “gift”, in a boasting way, not as a grace or as a spiritual gift.

One pastor, a widower who is a late vocation, got his colors done.  In Ordinary Time, he wears Slate Blue chasubles, not Green, because the latter is not in his color palate.  He carries his grandchildren up to the altar for Mass, as if they are royalty from “The Lion King”.  Remember that scene?

It’s as if people are so happy to have a priest, instead of a Communion service at Mass, they are willing to put up with almost anything.  I too, know more about the Christian faith (the Bible & church history) than all the priests I know.  It’s scary.

I’ve even written to disagree with rectors at seminaries.  They don’t respond.  It’s like intelligent feedback (that can be substantiated) is new to them.  The Vatican should really prioritize what needs to be done to correct this.  What’s important is not being taught in seminaries as far as I can see.

One young seminarian is learning Greek, but I asked him a simple question about the Bible, and he couldn’t answer me.  What’s worse is he didn’t care what I thought about it either.  It’s as if the Church is limited only to pomp and cirumstance of the Liturgy, and not about preaching the Gospel.  Our country suffers, as a result.

I applaud Rome for singling out the nuns.  But they ought not to have waited 4 years to do something about it.  They appear to be weak, not just patient.  They look like they don’t know how to handle it - so their competence is questioned.

It’s like teenagers in a family going wild, and a father waits them out, or expects mom to handle it, until they’re out of the house. That doesn’t solve the problem. It just postpones it and it gets worse.

Today, I read the bishops in America want better PR. That would be like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.  They don’t need PR, they need basic training in leadership.

We have a Vietnamese priest that I can understand little of what he says but we are privileged to have the Holy Eucharist from the alter at which he services. For the above two posters I suggest they read Teddy Roosevelt’s “The Man in the Arena” speech and then review the virtues. I think they will find Humility listed.

HillBill29: 
What does humility have to do with commenting about priests and nuns/sisters who have no dedication to their vocation and our spouting heresy?  I don’t get the connection.

How would you feel if your priest, from the pulpit, said that a female entertainer was “hot”? He didn’t participate in the Fortnight of Freedom until a parishioner explained it to him and pushed him to do something.  Then he did the bare minimum with only 4 days left, not the 2 week observance.  A priest is suppose to lead us in our Faith, not be lead.

As to your Vietnamese priest - give your “ear” time to adjust to his speech.  We became acquainted with many Vietnamese people inthe ‘70’s when the came to the US. At first we could barely understand a thing they said, but as time passed we had no trouble understanding them.