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Complete list of Apostolic Visitation questions to U.S. nuns
by Thomas C. Fox on Sep. 09, 2009
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PDF versionDuring the Apostolic Visitation, women religious are encouraged to reflect personally and communally on the following topics in the light of Vita Consecrata, Starting Afresh from Christ, and other documents as well as their own Constitutions and Chapter decisions. No written response is required to these questions. During Phase 2, a more detailed questionnaire addressing these same topics will be sent to all Major Superiors and will require written responses. The Phase 3 on-site Visits will address these and additional topics as judged necessary.
Printer-friendly versionSend to friendPDF versionIn an earlier blog on this site today I posted some questions sent in from a reader, taken from the working paper, or "Instumentum Laboris" of the Apostolic Visitation. Those questions and others are to be answered by U.S. women religious as part of phase two of the Visitation process. As an aid to readers I thought it would be helpful to see the entire list of questions, all taken from the working paper. The questions follow a brief introduction:
1. Identity of your religious institute (Vita Consecrata, 1-5; 14-40; 87-91; Starting Afresh from Christ, 5-13; The Service of Authority and Obedience, 4-11; The Code of Canon Law, cann. 573-606)
A. What is the understanding of religious life in your institute in light of its charism within the Church?
B. What understanding of religious life is taught to prospective and current members of your institute?
C. How are ecclesial documents integrated into your theological understanding of religious life?
D. What are your concerns about the future of your religious institute in living its charism in the Church?
E. How do sisters in your institute understand and express the vow and virtue of poverty? To whom are they accountable for the observance of the vow?
F. How do they understand and observe the vow and virtue of chastity? How is their consecration positively expressed?
G. How do they understand and express the vow and virtue of obedience? To whom are the sisters accountable for the observance of the vow?
H. Do the sisters take other/additional vows? If so, how do they live this/these out?
I. Has your institute been involved in, is it now involved in or are you now planning a reconfiguration, federation, merger or union with another congregation or other congregations? If so, how has this integration affected the quality of the life of the institute and of the sisters themselves?
J. Is your institute moving toward a new form of religious life? If so, how is this new form specifically related to the Church’s understanding of religious life?
2. The governance of your religious institute (Vita Consecrata, 46, 49, 56; Starting Afresh from Christ, 14; The Service of Authority and Obedience, 12-15, 27-30; The Code of Canon Law, cann. 587; 617-633; 589-595)
A. Is the form of Government in your institute in accord with requirements of the Church regarding superiors, chapters, elections, religious houses etc.?
B. How is the form of government as stated in your Constitutions effectively operative in your institute?
C. To what extent is this form of governance evident in the daily, ongoing life of sisters in your institute?
D. In what way are non-members, including “associates,” involved in the governance of the institute?
E. What is the process of consultation employed for gathering input and opinions from sisters prior to decision making on significant matters?
F. Do superiors treat all sisters with fairness and genuine concern and deal compassionately with those who experience difficulties or hold divergent opinions?
G. What is the process for responding to sisters who dissent publicly or privately from the authoritative teaching of the Church?
H. What is the process for responding to sisters who disagree publicly or privately with congregational decisions, especially regarding matters of Church authority?
3. Vocation promotion, admission and formation policies (Vita Consecrata, 64-71; Starting Afresh from Christ, 15-19; The Service of Authority and Obedience, 13, 25; The Code of Canon Law, cann. 641-661)
A. Are specific policies, procedures and criteria for admission to the institute clearly specified and followed by those responsible for guiding candidates and admitting new members?
B. Does your formation program offer your members the foundations of Catholic faith and doctrine through the study of Vatican II documents, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and post-Conciliar documents?
C. How do your initial and on-going formation programs integrate the most recent documents of the Church concerning religious life?
D. Do you find your ongoing formation programs adequate and helpful for living your charism effectively in the Church today?
E. Are there reasons to be concerned about vocations or formation in your institute?
4. Spiritual life and common life (Vita Consecrata, 41-45, 47, 93-95, 103; Starting Afresh from Christ, 20-32; The Service of Authority and Obedience, 16-22; The Code of Canon Law, cann. 602; 607-616; 662-665)
A. How do you express the reality that the Eucharist is the source of the spiritual, communal and ministerial life of the individual sisters and your institute as a whole?
B. How does your institute express its commitment to strengthening common life
through the common celebration of the Eucharist, common prayer, and the sharing of gifts and resources in common?
C. Are daily Mass and frequent reception of the Sacrament of Penance a priority for your sisters?
D. Do the sisters of your institute participate in the Eucharistic Liturgy according to approved liturgical norms?
E. Do the sisters pray the Liturgy of the Hours according to your Constitutions using books approved by the Church?
F. Do sisters of your institute study and put into practice the approved religious and spiritual exercises which are indicative of your specific charism in the Church?
G. How does the manner of dress of your sisters, as specified in the proper law of your religious institute, bear witness to the dignity and simplicity of your vocation?
H. What are the current provisions for care of aging and ill sisters and what is your institute’s future plan for their care?
5. Mission and ministry (Vita Consecrata, 55, 63, 72-83, 96-109; Starting Afresh from Christ, 33-45; The Service of Authority and Obedience, 23-26; The Code of Canon Law, cann. 669; 671; 673-683)
A. What is the specific apostolic purpose of your institute as stated in your Constitutions?
B. Do you see the present apostolic endeavors of your religious institute as viable and effective expressions of your charism and mission?
C. Which current apostolic projects best represent the focus and purpose of your charism?
D. What means are being taken to ensure that the charism of the congregation will continue in the case of diminishing presence of your sisters in congregation owned or sponsored institutions?
E. What are your institute’s expectations for ministry in the future?
6. Financial administration (Vita Consecrata, 63; Starting Afresh from Christ, 19; The Code of Canon Law, cann. 586; 634-640; 668; 670)
A. What is your institute’s approach to stewardship of resources and financial administration?
B. How are individual sisters, including those in positions of authority, accountable for good stewardship of resources?
C. What are your financial concerns for your institute?
D. Has the institute transferred ownership or control of any property in the past ten years? Does it anticipate any further transfer of ownership or control of ecclesiastical goods? If so, has it been done according to Church norms? Have the members in the institute been a part of the process?
Inquisition! A very long,
Inquisition! A very long, long interrogation! The questions are extremely questionable!
Look too at the ones about property, asking repeated questions if any transfer of ownership or control of ownership , like a significant reason for this "visit" is so that the bishops can seize control, and "transfer" the nuns' institute property to the bishops.
Is the decline in revenue of the bishops -- due to their criminal complicity and massive loss of credibility with Catholics,---- and the bishops desire not for poverty for themselves, has the bishop's greed been the motivator for this 'visit' of nuns?
Also note the emphasis on nun's obedience, nun's poverty, nun's chastity .... yet the priests , bishops, cardinals, archbishops have not got a poverty vow and too many male clerics were not chaste with Catholic children victims, or youth victims, or seminarians victims of the male clergy.
This visit of the nuns should be stopped. The nuns deserve praise and appreciation, not this contemptous unfounded condemnation and grab for their property.
Tom - I appreciate that you
Tom - I appreciate that you have posted ALL the questions, which have long been available on the Visitation's website.
Sincerely, as a professional who has spent 20 years working in local offices/branches/chapters of national non-profits, state agencies, etc., I have a hard time reading these questions as anything other than the obvious ones giving the reality that hundreds of orders exist and each has itsvery own complexity with regard to each of these factors, etc..
I also see the questions as an opportunity to any order or sister with a "target on its/her head" (and I have no don't doubt that the Vatican sees some as a "problem" and that those sisters and communities know exactly who they are and why, with or without these questions) to tell their story in their own words and, at the least, address some of the myths about who they are.
Take away the canonical relationship and these questions are an outrage and should be tossed in the fire this minute. Maintain the canonical relationship and these questions seem wholly unremarkable.
I sincerely think your issue is with the struture of the basic structural nature of the Roman Catholic Church. A whole other discussion.
How can nuns control getting
How can nuns control getting the Eucharist ?
How unreasonable and dishonest of Rode, Millea, Levada to ask that of these women who can not do mass themselves but must arrange for a priest --- so few priests ! because the pope will not let women or married be ordained -- to provide it to the nuns! The bishop and priests control access to the eucharist NOT the nuns!
Like making sure no food is available , then criticizing the starving for not eating! What a travesty this "Visit" of American nuns is! Catholics must recognize how cruel and wrong this "Visit" of the American nuns is!
Q: "Are daily Mass & requent
Q: "Are daily Mass & requent reception of Penance a priority for your sisters?
A: "No, we have feminist liturgy!" "We confess our rare transgressions against Mother Earth to Wicca directly!"
Actually the questions seem
Actually the questions seem rather fair and straight forward. The questions look at the institutional, communal, religious and financial dimensions of the hundreds of Catholic women's religious orders in the US. Some of the responses here have been worthless rants. Having worked with women religious for years, many of these questions cut to the heart of many important issues. How are communities dealing with smaller and aging communities? Can communities provide for the well being of their older members? Remember there is a yearly collection for aging religious - Catholics respond generously to the collection, and the need is increasing. Many communities are in extremely difficult situations - particularly after the financial collapse of the last years or so. If the Church does not become involved - what conditions will communities be faced with over the coming years. And if a community becomes destitute - who will know or respond?
And yes there is the dimension of a religious community's relationship with the Church. If a community sees itself as moving in a different direction from the general universal Church - perhaps an honest acknowledgement of that direction - or even separation - is what is necessary. Relationships - by their very nature must go both ways - religious communities and the Church are intimately linked. The Church has a responsibility to all religious - they have given their lives in service - the Church has a responsibility to be involved.
Some many complain about the privacy shown in the present visitations - perhaps that is a very healthy thing in todays demand for every detail and dirt. But privacy can also be a matter of respect for all those involved. Some may sees questions as inquisition - but the alternative to ecclesial involvement is not some idyllic vision. Within 10-20 years many women's religious communities in the US will cease to exist. As these communities disappear - will these aging and ailing sisters and communities simply be forgotten or ignored. Is this what we really want - too many Catholic children grow up today without the joy of being taught and cared for by sisters and nuns - many young people do not even know what a nun or sister is. They have never met one. So what do we want?
Joseph, i am happy you are
Joseph, i am happy you are concerned for the sisters and the relationship of The Church's responsibility to them if ever they reach a level of destitution, however, how often I have heard the benevolent Church does not even take care of the diocesan priests when he retires, and thus he needs to be taken in by either his family - neices or nephews or by a totally dedicated family who will "adopt" him into and through his old age and death! The Church takes care of Rome!
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