Pope Francis reaffirms Vatican’s call for reform of US nuns’ group

By Carol Glatz

Franciscan Sister Florence Deacon, president of the LCWR (Photo: CNS)

 

 

Pope Francis has given his backing to the Vatican’s reform of the US-based Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR).

Archbishop Gerhard Müller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, told the nuns’ group that he had “discussed the doctrinal assessment with Pope Francis, who reaffirmed the findings of the assessment and the programme of reform for this conference of major superiors”.

The doctrinal congregation met the LCWR leadership and Seattle Archbishop Peter Sartain, who had been assigned by the Vatican to oversee the reform, last week. In a statement on its website, LCRW said that “the conversation was open and frank”.

Representing LCRW at the meeting were the organisation’s president, Franciscan Sister Florence Deacon, president-elect Sister Carol Zinn and executive director Sister Janet Mock.

LCWR is a Maryland-based umbrella group that claims to have about 1,500 leaders of US women’s communities as members. Last April, the doctrinal congregation issued an assessment of LCWR, citing “serious doctrinal problems which affect many in consecrated life.”

The assessment called for the organisation’s reform to ensure its fidelity to Catholic teaching in areas including abortion, euthanasia, women’s ordination and homosexuality. LCWR’s canonical status is granted by the Vatican.

 

Comment:

 

ZuZuLamarr    South Saxon                               

 

Amen!

The sooner these ageing hippies fade away, the better. I, for one, am sick to death of them moaning and whingeing about being told off by the Holy Father for their disgraceful attitudes.
I'm sick to death of them. Full stop.

Sadly, though, they are too old, too complacent and too comfortable in their faded bell-bottoms or sharp suits to accept any admonishment from the Holy Father. To think that the respective orders they joined on the aching backs of hard-working nuns of the past whose founders toiled in their labour of Love of God are going to the wall because they decided to burn their wimples whilst Women's Lib (another con-job and falsehood) decided to burn their upper undergarments at the same time!
As long as 30 years ago (I wonder if this is still the case), orders such as the Missionaries of Charity (founded by Blessed Teresa of Calcutta) were inundated by young women from all walks of life who were attracted to their work amongst the poorest of the poor and their simple yet austere routine.
I believe that orders such as these are getting more of the lion's share of the vocations to the priest hood and religious life today. Thanks be to God and His Holy Mother! Not before time.
When someone I knew well was in the middle of considering her vocation to the religious life, the sisters from the local convent came across as somewhat bitter that the said person-I-knew made it abundantly clear she did not wish to join their order.
Their numbers were not attracting new blood. They oft protested that they were doing as good a job at looking after the poor in the community where they were based as anything Mother Teresa's sisters did.
So, why did this young woman decide to seek her calling elsewhere and was seemingly attracted to the most austere order she could pick?
The miffed and 'embittered' sisters who lost out on this woman's vocation decided to bin their wimples until they eventually looked like everyone else i.e. another housewife shopping in Tesco's. They formed cliques amongst parishioners and had little or no time for the rest who didn't appear to 'fit'. Their views on Church Teaching left a lot to be desired.
The young woman tried her very best to give her reasons nicely but ended up being pretty direct and blunt with it.
The Missionaries of Charity adhere to the Magisterium. Their sisters go about their business amongst the communities where they are being sent without the need to ditch their habits. If they ever attract hostility and abuse because of what they wear, then it is borne patiently for the love of Our Blessed Lord. They rely on the goodness and charity of those they meet to keep themselves and those in their care going. Their prayer life is full of joy. They are never without a smile when you encounter them and have the keenest sense of humour to dispel any adversity.
St Louis de Montfort wrote about jealousy and dodgy convents centuries ago in his book The Secret of The Rosary. The vain, dodgy ones eventually ended up in not a very nice place.
This phenomenon is not new ... but there are ways of making these orders pull their collective socks up.
And that is a good talking-to by Pope Francis.