The course of the clash between the Vatican and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) was probably set four years ago when Bishop Leonard Blair of Toledo, Ohio, began the study that led to the critical doctrinal assessment from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF).
In a series of exchanges, Bishop Blair requested information on educational materials prepared by the LCWR and speakers at its annual assemblies.
Areas of concern included the formation of religious, the role of religious in the Church, abortion, ordination of women, homosexual activity and contraception. It was apparent that the LCWR and its invited speakers were generally either not comfortable with or not interested in what the Church actually teaches in these areas.
The LCWR seemed to view religious life as a process involving group dynamics and conflict resolution, rather than consecration to Christ in order to grow in His life within the Church.
The members of the LCWR are the leaders of congregations comprising about 80% of the women religious in the U.S. If they were faithful Catholics, one expects that they would have hastened to correct errors. Well, actually, one expects that they would not have wandered into the swamp to begin with.
Instead, they offered excuses to the CDF, such as the rather incredible claim that they didn’t know what their annual assembly speakers were going to say. But speakers have reputations; that’s why they are invited. And if a speaker goes beyond the pale, the host organization can always issue a disclaimer.
When the doctrinal assessment was published in April, the LCWR professed to be shocked that there was any problem. Its president, Franciscan Sister Pat Farrell, hastened to Rome to tell Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the CDF, that the process had been unfair. The LCWR announced that it would spend the summer conferring among its members before making a formal response. Perhaps they are consulting their conflict resolution manuals.
On July 17, National Public Radio’s program Fresh Air interviewed Sister Pat. The Register reported on that interview July 22. On July 24, Fresh Air interviewed Bishop Blair.
Where Sister Pat was evasive and equivocating, Bishop Blair was responsive and even concise. He could afford to be, because his purpose was only to state clearly what the Catholic Church teaches, not what he might wish the Catholic Church to teach.
The host of the program, Terry Gross, methodically ran through the topics raised in the assessment, on all of which Sister Pat had found the need for questions, reconsideration and discussion. On the evil of abortion, Bishop Blair did not mince words:
“The Church has been so strong in defending that right to life, you know, it seems that one would expect the Leadership Conference of Women Religious to stand up and be counted in upholding this right and working for its defense.
“And the reality is that there’s nothing really said by the Leadership Conference on this issue. They have had statements on things like human trafficking and immigration. ... Those kind of things should be addressed. They’ve had statements on ecology and climate change, militarization of space, nuclear weapons, but nothing on the issue of abortion and the importance of upholding the right to life.”
Gross pointed out that Sister Pat had defended the LCWR by presenting the many charitable activities of the sisters as more pro-life than just opposing abortion. To which Bishop Blair said:
““No one is questioning or criticizing the fact that they take care — that many sisters are involved in the care of the elderly or the infirmed, the needy, the troubled.
““But I recall something that Pope John Paul II said. He said that all other human rights are false and illusory if the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right, is not defended with maximum determination. You know, we also hear a lot about the Second Vatican Council. The Second Vatican Council said that life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception, and said abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.
“So to kind of relativize or say, well, you know, the right to life of an unborn child is a preoccupation with fetuses, or it’s relative in its importance, I can’t agree with that. And I don’t think that represents the Church’s teaching and the focus of our energies in trying to deal with this great moral issue.”
The NPR host recalled that Sister Pat had criticized Catholic doctrine on human sexuality, saying that it should be reconsidered in the light of new realities and that many people were being hurt and marginalized by it. Bishop Blair was not intimidated:
“Well, you bring up a very important point, that yes, there are a lot of people who don’t agree with the Catholic Church about these moral teachings and moral issues, but we would expect that a group of religious sisters who are Catholic nuns would accept the teaching of their Church.
“And I might add that this is not a teaching that we just dreamt up in recent years. It’s been the … from time immemorial, the God-given nature of human sexuality and marriage.”
“The bishops in the United States have written a guide for pastoral care of people with a homosexual inclination. So we want to extend that care to everyone, and we want to treat everyone with dignity and respect. But that’s very different than insisting, then, on the claims of a gay lifestyle or gay culture and trying to undermine the institution of marriage.
“And that’s something where I think Catholics would reasonably expect that a leadership group of women religious would, you know, subscribe to that and want to be part of that effort.”
Gross tried to be the peacemaker: “I know Sister Pat’s feelings were that it is not — that she would like to be in dialogue. She would like to be able to question and think and dialogue and talk it through, but what the assessment is asking for isn’t dialogue. It’s conformity — conform to the teachings. This isn’t the time to be dialoguing. It’s the time to just say follow these rules.”
But Bishop Blair was having none of it: “Well, I think we have to give a nuance about dialogue, because if by dialogue they mean that the doctrines of the Church are negotiable and that the bishops represent one position and the LCWR presents another position, and somehow we find a middle ground about basic Church teaching on faith and morals, then no. That’s — I don’t think that’s the kind of dialogue that the Holy See would envision.
“But if it’s a dialogue about how to have the LCWR really educate and help the sisters to appreciate and accept Church teaching and to implement it in their discussions and try to heal some of the questions or concerns they have about these issues, then that would be the dialogue.
“I think that the fundamental faith of the Catholic Church is that there are objective truths and there are teachings of the faith that really do come from revelation and that are interpreted authentically through the teaching office of the Church, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and that are expected to be believed with the obedience of faith.
“And those are things that are not negotiable. You can have dialogue about understanding these things, but it is faith seeking understanding. It’s not new understandings that then change the faith. And I think that’s what really gets to the heart of all that we find in this assessment, that they are promoting, unilaterally, new understandings, a new kind of theology that is not in accordance with the faith of the Church.”
Sister Pat had told Terry Gross that her vow of obedience was first to God and described the process by which she arrived at an understanding of God’s will for her. There was little room in it for either her superiors in her religious community or authorities in the Church. Bishop Blair did not hesitate to point out the problem with Sister Pat’s approach:
“My reaction is that it sounds very beautiful and appealing, and no one can argue that we have to be obedient to God and that we have to follow conscience. But on the other hand, it flies in the face of 2,000 years of the notion of religious life, that obedience means obedience to lawful superiors within the community, and it certainly means the obedience of faith to what the Church believes and teaches.
“Again, Catholicism understands Christianity to be a revealed religion, in which truths of faith, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, are authentically taught. So St. Paul talks about the obedience of faith. So it’s not just about a kind of vague sense of obedience, but it really comes to a very specific obedience in some cases, particularly for religious women or religious men.
“And it also applies to me as a bishop. I have to be obedient as a bishop. I cannot go out and say that I’m going to do my own thing or that I’m going to teach something contrary to the Catholic faith.”
Bishop Blair provided some intriguing new information about the process leading to the Doctrinal Assessment. He said that it began with the Pope, not the American bishops, directing the CDF to examine the LCWR. Well, thank God for the Pope. But this points up the problem for the Church in America, as elsewhere. The aberrations in the LCWR are not peculiar to them. They are found among many, self-identified Catholics. Two generations of poor catechesis, vapid sermons, irreverent liturgy and a prevailing culture drifting into moral chaos have taken their toll on Catholic identity.
Recently Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York acknowledged that the bishops have not been diligent in teaching the fullness of Catholic faith. He was speaking in particular about artificial contraception, but he might as well have been talking about most fundamental doctrines, especially a proper understanding of liturgical worship. If polls are to be believed, only 30% of Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Perhaps that is the 30% that regularly show up for Mass on Sunday. But why should they believe? For more than 40 years they have heard in great part either a distorted interpretation of Catholicism or silence on important issues, such as artificial contraception. The LCWR is not alone in the strategy of confuse or ignore.
Now that the Pope has moved to correct one of the more glaring examples of free-lancing in the Church in America, we can hope that the bishops will begin to recognize the same pattern among the faithful generally. If they can follow the Pope’s example in frankly recognizing error and Bishop Blair’s example in teaching clearly, we can begin the long process of rebuilding a Catholic culture and regaining souls for Christ.
Will the LCWR be part of that rebuilding? Here’s how Bishop Blair described their attitude so far:
“Now, you know, we want to do this collaboratively. We want to do it in dialogue with the LCWR, but I have to, you know, as they say in all candor, I have to say that up till now there’s been a lot of just denial. The refusal to — at least up till now — to recognize that there are any problems that the bishops — or the Holy See should even be concerned about the things that we’ve talked about on this program and that appear in the documentation.
“And if someone will not even acknowledge that this is a problem, then of course that creates a grave difficulty. So Archbishop [J. Peter] Sartain from Seattle, who’s responsible for this next phase of working with them, I think, you know, he’s going to have to, with the leadership, find some way forward.”
It doesn’t look good. But the sisters of the LCWR have given themselves the summer to talk about what to do. They can choose to cooperate in their own reform or they can persist in denial. If they won’t accept reform, the Vatican might decide that they will no longer be recognized as representing their congregations. They could continue as a kind of private club, but they would have no official standing. It would be a sad denouement, but given the steady erosion in the membership of the member communities, there is an air of inevitability about it.
Rome famously takes the long view. The average age of religious communities in the Church is only about 200 years, so hundreds have come and gone over the centuries. As some recede, others arise to meet new needs with fresh charism. And so it is happening in America, as new communities and older, authentically renewed communities rise and flourish. They are young and growing, enthusiastically faithful to the Church, attracting those who want to follow Christ in mutual support and common faith.
Let us pray that all religious women in America will find their way to such generous self-giving.
Donna F. Bethell is chairman of the board of directors of Christendom College.
Joseph Pronechen: Bishops Call for 'Rosary Novena for Life and Liberty'
Matthew Warner: Thank God for the HHS Mandate
Comments
Post a Comment
God gave each of us a free will. God does not force anyone to be Catholic.
It is time to get rid of all those within the Church who refuse to adhere to the “CATECHISM of the CATHOLIC CHURCH, Second Edition” in entirety. This includes the heretics and schismatics in the LCWR.
“The Church will become small.” - - Joseph Ratzinger (Benedict XVI), from his book Faith and the Future.
We all must encourage everyone including non-Catholics to read the CCC so they will know the TRUTH of what the Church teaches.
“….the Catechism has raised throughout the world, even among non-Christians, and confirms its purpose of being presented as a full, complete exposition of Catholic doctrine, enabling everyone to know what the Church professes, celebrates, lives, and prays in her daily life.” – Pope John Paul II (pg xiv)
CCC: ” 2089
INCREDULITY is the neglect of revealed truth or the willful refusal to assent to it.
HERESY is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same.
APOSTACY is the total repudiation of the Christian faith.
SCHISM is the refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him. “
SCANDAL: CCC 2284, 2285, 2286, 2287, 2326.
Bishop Blair must be a man of steel to keep his patience with Terry Gross. Ms. Gross has controlled her interviews for thirty years. She is a pro-abortion advocate and revels at throwing salt on minor wounds in the atholic church. Bishop Blair was a wise and considerate teacher, but you can be sure that Gross will have the last word.
If only these issue could be addressed in the UK! Any help for over here appreciated!
The only subject not touched upon was excommunication, of which, these way-ward women should be facing in order to save their souls. Now, I pray that the people at CRS will also read this, and then, maybe their eyes would open and they will see how horrible it is to be giving money to CARE, of which has they have lost their souls to the devil by supplying birth-control and money for abortions. I don’t agree with Bishop Blair wanting to keep us in slavery to the government with welfare, food-stamps, “free medical care” and all of the other socialist programs that we have been suckered into, as these are things that God wants the Church to be doing, not the government, but his remarks and answers, as you know, are right on target. Pray for all of the religious, Priests (including Bishops) and Sisters that are confused about OBEDIENCE to the Church. +JMJ+
This is a well written article assessing where the LCWR leaders and their supporters are in their mindset regarding the Magisterium’s invitation to accept the assistance of Holy Mother Church to renew the order’s charisms. As one who talks to many religious orders daily and keeps up with their “dialogue” through the media, I have observed that the sisters do not believe they need to change from dissent to assent. The dialogue they want is for the Magisterium to respond to their long-term lobbying efforts for women’s ordnation and approval of gay marriage. They have thrown out the analogy of faith in arriving at their own doctrines. Therefore, they no longer understand being a bride of Christ as a sister, or being obedient to the head of the body. They lobby against and see only the visible Church and have lost sight of the mystical body. They consider the “visible” Church only “institutional”. That term allows them to make it is subject to reform and not have to refer to “apostolic succession” or the Petrine ministry, etc., as they would if they referred to the Church as the body of christ. They also can’t shout “patriarchial” and “power hungry” against the Magisterium if they talk about the “body of Christ”. They don’t want to leap to denigrating Christ, but they can if they use different terms for headings in their dicussions. They bring in speakers that use new age and social justice terms, only, because it distracts from the traditional mystical theological language the Magisterium uses. A few years ago it was reported that some White House staff were creating a “another Magisterium”. This is what the sisters have tried to do. It all flows from the women’s movement that started in the 1960’s.
This problem is not new. Back in the 90s when Clinton was running for re-election the head of the Sisters of Nazareth wrote an op-Ed in the local paper endorsing the election of Clinton for Catholics just a week or so before the election. I thought maybe sister wasn’t aware of his opinions on abortion and his filandering, so I called her and actually spoke with her. When I asked her if she was aware of Clinton’s pro-abortion position, she got very angry with me and defended him.
It would seem to me that If these sisters don’t want to follow the teachings of the Church, then they are free to set up shop outside of the Church. That would be the honest path.
As a product of an era when “solid” Catholic teaching and charism was weak, I know in my heart that only through a strong Catholic mother, 4 “good Catholic years” in grade school and the sacraments was I able to form a foundation that would give me the grace to come full circle and return to the true faith. I consider myself blessed to be one of the 30% that believe! Over the last few years, I have gotten to know several religious on a personal level. It saddens me to know first hand how they think and what they teach. It is far from the truths of the Church and I can only imagine how many have been influenced by these errored teachings. It is no wonder so many have no idea what being Catholic is all about. The Review is absolutely necessary and the only comfort I have is that future generations will benefit. I will be one that will pray before the Blessed Sacrament early Saturday morning for the Holy Spirit to unite ALL to Christ through Love and faithfulness to the Absolute Truths of our faith.
Bishop Blair you are outstanding!
Well, since there aren’t that many women religious left we should simply disband the remaining and we would have a faithful all male religious. As for the homosexuals we could follow the practices of the Muslim world where there is no homosexuality, but then that would make a big dent in the priesthood. I wonder why the hundreds of thousands of incidences of child abuse were not mention in this article and the systemic decay that has occurred in our hierarchy? Thank God I turned to contemplative mysticism years ago!
Catherine of Siena:
Charity the mother all virtue has inseparable daughters, obedience and patience. They are so joined together that one can never be lost without the other. Either you have both or you have neither.
Obedience has a wet nurse, true humility, and the soul is as obedient as she is humble, and as humble as she is obedient.
The sister’s of LWCR are doing The Lord’s work in ways the hierarchy and Bishop’s cannot begin to understand. It is shameful for you to diminish their charism’s and the personal in the street’s and on the ground work for Jesus that they do. Shame on you. God bless the sister’s who remain scandal free…just sayin, as the stones are cast at them. Hopefully they are bouncing off as judgement of them is folly. Pax et Bonum.
I listened in entirety to both radio interviews. This article perfectly encapsulates the facts and “spirit” of those interviews. And Donna Bethell’s assessment and opinion are spot on! I highly recommend this article if one would like a quick synopsis on the whole messy situation.
Why didn’t Bishop Blair directly answer Terry Gross’ question about why the Vatican has not “cracked down” on the bishops (in the US and elsewhere) who for many years hid horrible child sex abuse in the church? That’s what many US Catholics believe is needed; meanwhile, they simply don’t believe “cracking down” on the sisters is justified.
The overall situation does have some positive outcomes for Christianity. Most leaders in the other denominations have noticed this RCC plight of lack of dialogue - as the ordained men and the religious women just are not at all used to understanding each other or talking to each other - as the men and women to present have not really worked with each other. So actual “listening” is new. There aslo is a need that the “listening” be to the Word - and to listen with an ear to the heart. It is a learning curve for us all. As well Cardinal Dolan shares a point that is vital for Christianity - we all need to work harder - as the nuns say - to the end of our lives - as Christians - on internal and external teaching not just related to our own denominations but with each other. Every denomination has writers and speakers with new ideas and trends and we all need to be fully aware of them as they emerge - and to balance out - what do they all mean for Christianity now and in the future. As a non-Catholic I have nothing but respect for every sister I have met, prayed with and worked with - and am saddened that we all have not supported or cared for them enough over these past years. We all could and should learn from their faithful lives of prayer and work and Biblical based contemplation.
I love the comment from Sr Pat about obedience to God vs the Church. How exactly does she know what God wants her to do or what God wants her to believe (so that she can be obedient)? That knowledge comes from the Church not based on private revelation. Protestant religions teach private revelation of God’s will via private interpretation of the Scriptures.
Excellent article. I hope that good-sense will prevail and that with prayer and reflection that the healing process will bring about Hope for the future.
I pray that Mary will intercede on our behalf!
It is a sad time to watch this conversation and wonder what will happen. The loving catholic sisters, who believe they are right. I pray they remember, Christ’s example. His obedience to God’s will.
The love we feel for those facing abortions, or who have gay inclinations, are but a part of what we will face in the coming days as polygamists for instance come forward for their day in court. Then the age of consent will be lowered. The time frame for abortions will be raised to include up to 9 months gestation. What next.
Accepting the wisdom and guidance of the church is what we agree to. Peace.
I enjoyed both peoples talks on NPR. I have never been so happy not to be catholic. I really enjoyed what the Bishop called dialog, is in reality conformity. But, the Church is a theocracy, not a democracy so the only way to vote is with your feet. Glad my wife used hers.
Bishop Blair is refreshing and candid. I can only wish him and Bishop Sartain success in working with the LCWR to bring about a reformation in the Lcwr - and a renewed devotion on their part toward their vows and to Christ and His Church—also to the laity that many of them serve. Let the LCWR recall the great St. Teresa and her joy in obedience to Christ and His Church.
Ms. Stolarska, the “Catechism of the Catholic Church” is in effect World-wide - in every Country, and in most languages.
Start advocating the excommunication of those who publically and obstinately do not adhere to the teachings of the Church as stated in the CCC.
We don’t want or need heretics and schismatics trying to confuse anyone.
The Catholic Church is not a salad bar where people can pick and choose what they want to believe.
Since we have the TRUTH, we will not adopt lies in our Church.
Talk to your Diocese Bishop and your Pastor about actively promoting the reading of the CCC.
Be cautious about making these dissenting nuns into heroes. There are no saints who defied the church on matters of faith and morals. They are only heroes to political liberalism and marxism which are proven to ruin lives.
“Eternal, omnipotent, omniscient and loving God! You are my creator! You have known me since all eternity! You have loved me for all eternity! I have mattered to You since all eternity! Is it possible that any one of Your children do not matter to You? In particular those of Your children not yet fully formed in the womb who might be a financial burden or inconvenience to their mother? At any point in my formation in the womb did i stop mattering to You?So many of Your children cry out to You of the horrors of this life and how wrong it would be to bring a child into this world. You have always known all things and because of your infinite love and mercy You became man and suffered the most horrible death to the point of shedding every drop of your blood for my salvation. Almighty and merciful God, You are everywhere, even in our very hearts! You gifted me with life and the greatest of opportunities to know, love, and serve You alone! Is there anyone that You would like us to deny that same opportunity? I am Yours alone God! Thank You God for life!”
Posted by Karolina Maria Stolarska on Thursday, Aug 2, 2012 7:10 AM (EST):If only these issue could be addressed in the UK! Any help for over here appreciated!
***********
I have family in the UK & pray for the UK & Ireland every day.
God bless!
I confess I was away from the Catholic Church for 40 years, 20 of which I was an active Episcopalian. Everything the women religious are arguing for seems to be part and parcel of the culture-driven doctrines that evolved in that denomination from the 70s to present. Orthodox Anglicans like me were driven from the Episcopal Church by a series of overt departures from the Apostolic Faith. Those clergy who disagreed with novel idea that “the Holy Spirit was doing a new thing” were derided, brought up on charges, local church properties confiscated and lives were ruined. Thankfully Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) helped Pope John Paul II offer a way forward for serious believers to come home in 1980. In 2003 he had letter written to us grief-striken Anglicans to come home. My husband and I did and were accepted back into our diocese with joy. Pope Benedict’s pastoral concern culminated in the creation of a new Ordinariate for returning Anglicans. As one who has rediscovered my faith, I can shout: The fullness of Truth does reside in the Roman Catholic Church! With all its faults, the limitations of its leadership and the infections that have skewed its doctrines, the magisterium is the protection for the accurate transmission of the Gospel. Seems to me, these women religious would be far more comfortable in the Episcopal Church where their views would be mainstream. God is not mocked, His laws are not subject to changing cultural norms. We Anglicans who erred have humbly asked His forgiveness through the wonderful sacrament of Reconciliation. We are welcomed, restored and working for His Kingdom. That avenue is available to any cafeteria Catholic or separated Christian. With the exception of the Carmelites and new orders like SOLT, the women religious I know are far more infected by moral relativism, secular humanism, new age thinking and historical criticism of Holy Scripture than many lay Catholics realize. Those “new” philosophies destroyed orthodoxy and adherance to the Word in mainline Protestant Churches over the last 50 years. Sadly there are still Catholic Bishops who don’t hold to basics of Christian belief the Church Fathers outlined in the 3rd-4th centuries. I agree adherance to orthodox beliefs will make the Church seem smaller. But wishy-washy theology and sloppy liturgy not based on Holy Scripture doesn’t increase the fervor of those in the pews. Dolan has his work cut out for him. And so do we.
To James Wichlocz who said “It is shameful of you to diminish their charism’s and the personal in the street’s and on the ground work for Jesus that they do.” I don’t even know what you are trying to say. People that point out that the sisters are in error by distorting teaching on very important tenets of the Catholic Church have every right to do so and should do so. There are many,many faithful sisters young and old that we support with our money, prayers and time. Sisters that confuse people in the Church and outside the Church with their “new Theology” need to be corrected so that they do not lead others into error. It is hard to believe that sisters could be pro abortion. How many desperate women have been led to believe by a sister that abortion is o.k. if the circumstances are difficult. I have had a difficult pregnancy and know what despair is. Abortion kills a child and many (most?) woman never really get over their depression. Shame on any nun who is a party to this.
There is a name for a person who calls himself Catholic but who will not consent to the Catholic Faith. That name is “Protestant.”
The usual loving way such a person can be reconciled to the Church is to repent and confess his sins.
“There is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over the 99 who have no need of repentance” (Luke 15:7 ESV).
Sad to see there are no Catholcs posting here. Some should be ashamed to its this hate filled nonsense
How short are our memories!
obama signed an executuve order proising potections for pro-life in order to get a fewpro-life deocrats to voe for obaacare - REMEMBER!
Surely,noone in tne Church will count on all these pretenses of protection, will they?
Sounds like hosts ofCatholics of all kinds -even Brother Nights, are willing to cheer Obama under the pretense that after the elections, he will fulfill his promses! What precedent are we relying upon or are we too going to wait and see?
If we do,shame on us - we deserve the mud in our faces as Obama laughs his way through the next inaugural balls! Personally, I fear we will lose in Novemver because, we simply won’t do battle with evil when it occupies the Whitehouse!
MICHAELDONNELLY
Hamlton NJ 08690
609-838-0730
Lord, help me to use my time well, keep my responsibilities in proper perspective, and not allow stress and anxiety to consume me.
I second everything Rebecca said. People think I’m crazy. They don’t see polygamy and lowering the age of consent coming after homosexual marraiage. It’s a short road toward legalization of pedophilia.
I nominate Bishop Blair to be the next pope. Finally we are seeing bishops willing to stand up to the secular culture that is causing the moral decay in the American Catholic Church. We have had enough of the feel good Kumbaya sermons; it’s time for some substance.
Reminder to those who (deeply erroneously) wish things to be different: the Church is NOT a democracy; the teachings come to us from the Magisterium! Those who wish to change orthodoxy to suit their own ‘personal revelations’ about what the Church should promote should just leave the Catholic Church and set up their own new Protestant sect. I don’t see why they insist on staying in the Catholic Church when they willfully flout the Church’s unchangeable teachings on these issues. What is the point, I wonder?
We must remember that for every soul we “save” and keep in the “Church” there are four who leave, some because of the nonsense that is happening to the women religious. It is time to stop the blame of the secular world and start looking within the Church. The universal ecclesia (catholic church) will only grow in size and strength, but the Holy Roman Catholic Church may well be on a path of self destruction.
Mr. Seton, I’m sorry that you do not understand that all actions are ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. And we must not change right to wrong because of opinions of any individuals.
And that one of the purposes of Marriage is to help your spouse get to Heaven for eternity. (Not to be glad when they sin.)
When you belong to any Church (since God gave all of us a free will), you should espouse to their beliefs - I hope you will agree with that.
The heretical and schismatic Nuns in the LCWR do not believe or teach what the Catholic Church teaches, and therefor after discussion they need to attend a Church that suits them.
Anyone who tries to change the true beliefs of the Catholic Church is merely being ignorant and their silly machinations will never happen. These truths are contained in the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition” for all to read.
If the LCWR Nuns (a minority of Nuns) continue to be against any Church teachings, they should simply leave, and do their own thing. Has the public media asked them why they do not?
I was at an event this weekend and had the opportunity to speak with some Religious Sisters at length about the state of te relationship. They seem to be very willing to discuss and engage on matters of faith and morals - and are not standing pat on the issues.
What they were very serious about though, was resistance to the idea of being under a male hierarchy, may (or most) of whom they don’t trust. I think both sides need to come to terms with the trust issue first before they even begin to address theological issues.
I know many of the posters here will say that if the nuns refuse to the respect and trust the leadership of the Church, then they should just leave. And frankly I believe that is going to be what happens in the end - tragic, tragic, tragic.
Bishop Blair was not intimidated by a rouge group of Sisters unfaithful to their vows! and neither are many other Bishops…these Catholics-In-Name-Only have always attempted to derail The Holy Church - to NO AVAIL! Shepherds like the Gloriously Reigning Pope Benedict XVI and Bishop Blair are among the outstanding leaders of our day that God has “raised up” to defend HIS Holy Church. Sr Pat and the LCWR are an embarrassment.
+JMJ
DONNA F. BETHELL - well done. Excellent article!
Thank God for Bishops like Bishop Blair and Pope Benedict who are leading the Church back to vibrancy and truth. After years of listening to priests and nuns tell me that the Catechism of Church was basically a ‘Rule of Thumb’ that I could choose to go along with, I left the Catholic Church. How could I believe in a God who could write his rules of living in the Bible but could not direct his Church.
Sadly, I didn’t understand that he was guiding his church but I was listening to sinful men (clergy in name only). Finally, I have come back to the church after 30 years, recently with intense Bible study that lead me right back to the Catholic Church. I have to drive 50 miles each way to go to a church where the priest’s teachings are in line with the Magisterium and slap you along side the head to get you back on track. His sermons sometimes point directly at me, but they cause me to repent of my wrong thinking so my thinking reflects better God’s teachings. If only more priests and bishops would knock us along side the head (verbally) so we get back in line. Again, God Bless our Priests. Let God give them the drive to give us straight truth once again.
It seems the Vatican has extra clergy and to keep them busy they have to crackdown on Sisters. But they are not busy because they are not doing what they should, cracking down the sex abusers. The Vatican should send these extra clergy to El Salvador and Chile, to work with the poor as Sr. Pat Farrel did for more than 10 years.
August 3, 2012
It amazes me that the Church has shown so much patience in dealing with these rebellious nuns who claim a leadership position representing a broad section of working nuns. I commend the Bishop who debated the issues on public television. His explanation of Church teachings was clear and excellent. The nun was not able to present a reasonable counter argument. The nun seemed to be way off on Catholic teaching . I was lucky enough to have good nun teachers when I started off in Catholic school in the 1930’s. Those women were nothing like the women today who seem to know nothing about the Church .I think the Church has spent enough time on this investigation and should move on to determine if the nuns are ready to repent and accept Church teachings.
What a terrible shame that his approach is to “take on” our religioous sisters.
Ever wonder how many of the trolls here are actually LCWR? Yes, they can use male names.
So would we have kicked out St. Catherine of Siena, Joan of Arc, Mechtild of Magdeburg and other women who challenged the hierarchy, especially those of Rome?
Rock on Bishop Blair. Will keep you in my prayers on the list of my favorite Bishops! Keep the Catholic Church Catholic!
Margaret Bitz,
Comparing St. Catherine of Siena, Joan of Arc, Mechtild of Magdeburg is terrible. How they must feel looking down on us when they were trying to support the truths of the Bible and the Catholic church against some self serving ones in the Hierarchy.
No, these couragious women didn’t talk against Bible truths and teach heresy, they taught the truth of the Bible and solid church teaching. Some in the hierarchy at that time needed to be challenged because of their selfishness and doing things detrimental to the church. Now these nuns are acting more like those hierarchy, not the saints. They are the ones hurting the church with their self serving attitudes. Where do you get this ‘us women’ against ‘you men’ thinking? This is where the problem lies. We are all Catholics. We all serve Jesus Christ and God the father. If you and the LCWR leaders don’t think they can do that, there are over 35,000 other religions that would be happy to lead you away from Gods will. Jesus teachings are plainly taught through the Bible and the church. He said that unrepentant sinners would be destroyed. He didn’t accept sinful actions, he accepted repentant sinners.
Thanks, Margaret Bitz, for trying to make a sane point in this incredibly mean-spirited and ugly discussion. But it’s useless. Our sisters and brothers who have written in this combox have set themselves up as their own authority. They have decided ahead of time that the sisters of the LCWR are “heretics,” and “trolls,” even though the work of Bishop Blair has only begun and no such definitive statements have been made by legitimate church authority. (The Vatican has investigated and begun an action, but note: Not one of these sisters has been placed under interdict or has been excommunicated or otherwise canonically censured. The sisters are all, in the precise canonical meaning, Catholics in good standing.) Our angry and hateful sisters and brothers writing here think they know theology, and more surprising, they think they know the minds, hearts and consciences of the sisters involved! Sadly, they have been stirred up by this one-sided, poor-excuse-for-journalism article written by Donna Bethel. As a college president, our sister Ms. Bethel might be expected to know that you speak to both sides in an issue before writing an article. Instead of presuming to know what Sr. Pat Farrell and the LCWR intend, why didn’t she ask and quote them here? Because she is more interested in simply repeating what Bishop Blair said. Ms. Bethel might also want to check her facts. The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate has disproved the facile breezy assertion that the congregations that belong to the LCWR are dying faster than the orders that do not belong. But facts don’t matter here, where slander and calumny rule the day. How any of this ugly, and I suggest sinful, talk in this combox and on most of the blogs that this newspaper promotes is supposed to bring people to Christ and the Catholic church is beyond me. How terribly sad! But, Margaret Bick, thanks for trying to make this a true conservation.
It is sad that most of the comments seem to be coming from fundamentalist Catholics. We have to learn to use communication and dialogue to resolve this issue and about all prayer. Pray without ceasing! The Church needs the Sisters and the Sisters needs the Church! The Sister’s uses Mary as their model and guide through Jesus Christ. The ultimate hallmark of Mary was her “obedience” to the will of God.
The article is well written and thus it highlights some of the concerns of the Bishops. I myself became concern with some of the things I personally have witnessed within some religious communities. Some shocking! However, let’s remember that their are some sister’s within the LCWR that are also grieving at the direction that some members want to take the community to.
Let’s pray that hearts are opened to listen to the movement of the spirit.
The Sister’s were far ignored for too long and were left on their own to discern their ministry. They have been lowered to the ranks of the Laity after Vatican II and maybe this is the reaction that was allowed to be developed.
When last was a program put in place by the Diocese/Archdiocese to support the Sister’s in their Ministry? I think a number of us are unhappy with the Sisters because we miss them not being in the Schools and preparing our children for Baptism and Confirmation and the teaching of Sunday School. But how many parishes are allowing or have invited in the NUNS to participate in the life of the Church by taking back these roles?
I have witnessed and seen where Sister’s are ignored in Parishes and the positions are given to (some) Lay Persons who are not trained to do the work and the Sister’s are ignored.
LET US PRAY THAT DIALOGUE PREVAILS AND GOD BE THE FOCUS OF THIS SITUATION!
David,
I admit that my own comments might have been a bit strong. It isn’t that I don’t understand that these nuns very well mean well and are compassionate but if Jesus had meant well and been compassionate in the same way to the woman at the well, she wouldn’t have to repent, because what she was doing was okay, right.
In your efforts to seem kind and compassionate, you in fact are attacking yet others. Saying thing like ‘Our angry and hateful sisters and brothers writing…’ isn’t any more kind than many other statements here. I pray for our church where for 50 years those who try to push their own agenda rather than preaching the truths of the Catholic church, have helped to cause millions of Catholics to doubt the church, the Bible, and God. Now we see Churches closing, half the number of clergy in the US as was in 1962, and millions of lost souls. I consider those lost souls, something worth fighting for.
I guess I am a bit angry. I was one of those lost souls. Due to some priests preaching their own pro homosexual, pro abortion, pro contraception agendas, I doubted the churches truths, left, and wasted 30 years of my life. Thank God a Godly priest and Holy Spirit reached me before it was too late. Let us all pray for unity in our mother Church and the conversion of those in the clergy that teach and preach anti-Catholic teachings.
Thank you David and Margaret Bitz for your clear and rational comments…
Indeed, this article by Donna Bethel is devisive and, I believe, sinful.
It basically sandblasts the sisters and the LCWR in a spirit of hate and
rightiousness. Her one sided comments only increases the division in our
Church and illustrates a closed mind. How can she be a college president?...It is doubtful she communicates with her students and hears
different perspectives on todays issues…or perhaps the motto for her college is “Go Catholic…and leave the thinking to us”. I surely hope the enrollment in that college is very low.
Precious ones,
This discourse saddens me. The way for Christ’s family to resolve problems is not the same as the world.
He who is without sin…....
Pray for our precious family of Christ that we will stand together with our faces turned to God, our hearts open to receive His graces.
If one weakens, lift him or her up. Don’t let them go or slip away. If they are weary, give them hope. Each is so very precious. Hold them close and tenderly.
The world is watching the problems we as the family of God face. What a wonderful opportunity to show the world the way Christ solves problems.
This time of having many uncomfortable issues in the media, is our signal as children of God, to pray ceaselessly, love unconditionally, serve tirelessly, spread hope , and give thanks always as we watch in joy how God works…. and sometimes , as St. Francis said….use words. God has it all under control.
Peace
JOHN 6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
45 It is written in the prophets, `And they shall all be taught by God.’ Every one who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me.
This is part of Our Gospel today… : )
God can directly Love-Hold and Teach as We Catholics are aware.
Through the Very Awesome Holy Spirit He Is Here
With This in mind…Have These Women of LCWR Given Any Sign of Divine Intervention?
The Catholic Church is His Church!It seems that so many commenting here want to chase people away from His Church.
Who are you people?...What Authority Have You Over God?
We Do Agree That God Is The Giver Of Life.
It is up to Him who is Born to Life…
It is up to Him who is not Born…The Un-Born
God has the right to Choose.Nobody but God.He has the Power!
I feel it important to repeat some words from Rebecca the poster before me.I Love these comments from Rebecca:
Pray for our precious family of Christ that we will stand together with our faces turned to God, our hearts open to receive His graces.
If one weakens, lift him or her up. Don’t let them go or slip away. If they are weary, give them hope. Each is so very precious. Hold them close and tenderly.
The world is watching the problems we as the family of God face. What a wonderful opportunity to show the world the way Christ solves problems.
Once again the “princes” of the church have tried to put us women back to our “second-class” status. It does not matter what these sisters do or say, they (we) will never be equal to men in the eyes of the church hierarchy. Priests can abuse children and be excused in the eyes of the church but heaven forbid a sister places the life of a mother as equal to her baby and she is a monster. Get women involved in every aspect of the church (woman priests!!!) and you will see a revitilized church that grows.
If you can’t understand why Jesus chose 11 men to rule his early church, and why Jesus gave those men the power to make the ‘rules’, and why Jesus gave them Holy Spirit to guide his church such that it would last 2000 years without changes to its core teachings, there really is no need to go any further. All I see here from supporters of the LCWR is this worldly humanistic attitude of ‘we’ know better than the ones God put in charge. The Church was NEVER a democracy. God didn’t give Adam and Eve a vote in the rules. But he did give human kind the option to make their own gods and follow them to destruction.
Nobody here who supports the LCWR has yet answer me as to why you are Catholic. You don’t believe the Pope and his power, you don’t believe in many Catholic teachings, you don’t believe in Apostolic succession. You have 35,000 protestant churches to choose from, I am sure one of them matches your ideal.
@Grok Hadrian
I remain Catholic because I am Catholic
Sisters are an important partof mylife. My father was blinded in WWI and Irish sisters raised us in a childrens home. When he got partial vision , we were reunited and educated by sisters. MY MOTHER WAS THE MORAL ANCHORIN OUR FAMILY.,AIDED BY THE SISTERS. WOMEN AND THE SISTERS ARE SO IMPORTANT. PLEASE DON’T LEAVE US BECAUSE YOU DON’T FEEL APPRECIATED!!
There is somebody asking why are we Catholic..He said that the core teachings of the church have not changed for 2000 yrs.
The core Teachings have changed and that is the problem!
2000yrs ago…We Knew that GOD IS the GIVER of LIFE.
We KNEW that if GOD wanted a child born to life…There was nobody who COULD stop that.
We started thinking in the 60’s that we have the power and really we never have had it. God has the Power.
God…You Know…God who has given You Birth
the same God ...God who is the giver of Life.
We don’t decide Life…God is the giver of life.
He is the God of the Living.
If God wants a child born to life…It will be born to life…
It Lives when it is Born and Breaths the Breath of Life.
Gen 2:7 He Breaths life.
His Will not ours!
Post a Comment
By submitting this form, you give The National Catholic Register permission to publish this comment. Comments will be published at our discretion, and may be edited for clarity and length. For best formatting, please limit your response to one paragraph and don't hit "enter" to force line breaks.