LCWR seeks full disclosure of Vatican visitation

The sisters must push back as hard as they can less they again be treated like children and forced into their millenary abusive and subservient position when it is they who should and can tell the single misogynist octogenarians what Jesus is all about for it is clear they do not know or even want to know as their main if not only goals are power, riches and the pursuit of their Curial carreers.

"The questionnaires are due Nov. 1 at the apostolic visitation office in Hamden, Conn. Once the questionnaires are analyzed, individual congregations will be selected for a visit by a visitation team starting in January. Not all religious congregations will be visited."

I hope that any and all questionnaires turned in by individual communities are at least PUBLISHED for their entire membership to read, if not made available to those of us interested in this continuing "process" - especially the choice of WHICH communities will be selected for the on-site visitations. My personal hunch is that Cardinals Rode and Levada and THEIR BOSS have ALREADY drawn up their own "hit list" anyway, and this business of info gathering and consultation using Mother Millea and Sister Ackerman is merely a charade to mask their real not-so-hidden agenda - but I really hope I'm wrong!

Hang tough, Sisters. We're with y'all! FIAT LUX! Let there be light - and when dealing with Rome, the more light the better!!

Doubt that "disclosure" let alone "full disclosure" is on the minds of vatican originators or the more local hierarchy who were party to instigation of the visitation or the investigation.

History suggests that intransigency is the easier route, despite its likely slow, inexorable, progressive decline effect on affection for the church (let's add credibillity, donations, respect, adherence, etc).

The women religious will not rebel, it's not their way. A few really discouraged and offended will, sadly, leave; a few security needy, obdurately loyal, pius will join. It will be largely over except of course, the further decline. There will be a few more "modified" but obvious habits and the self-rightious, naive, "nuns" of the past will again walk in pairs, fail to smell the flowers or gaze to the stars, but rather stare straight ahead, seek drives to where ever.

The issue still comes down to "Who is paying for all of this"?

Mother M. Clare, the Visitator, as reported Catholic News Service (July 31), did not wish (more like, Could Not)make a disclosure as to who is paying for this intensive "investigation" of the American Sisters--plus the included investigation of the LCWR (authorized by Cardinal Levada).

Dioceses, and individuals are encouraged to make donations to this enterprise. But the initial monies had to be in the Vatican coffers before this investigation began.

Apparently, deep-pocketed traditionalists can whine and the Vatican caters to them. Can donors really influence the Vatican, one asks? It has been reported that Archbishop Laghi [of fond memory] turned down a new Mercedes when offered by Legionaries of Christ founder Marciel…However Cardinal Rode, ‘founder’ of the US Religious Sisters Investigation accepted the previously turned down Mercedes…. And he gave a glowing report about the Legionaries---wonder of wonders!

This is nothing but a distortion of authority! As the head of a Roman dicastery (element of the Curia), Cardinal Rode can twist elements of Canon Law as he pleases. Operating in the element of secrecy (just like the Mafia), he can twist any aspect of this investigation to suit his own purposes.

The Pope, who is well aware of this investigation, can and does support his Curia, with a supreme, full, immediate, and universal power in the church. There is no separation of powers---no checks and balances---no recourse or appeal---from the decision of the Pope or his Curia.

As I stated in other places on this website, everything that Americans know about Canon Law---they hate. Most of all, it is the secrecy, the heavy-handed Magisterium---who constantly write encyclicals, and pastoral letters that sound 'fair and just' to the ears. But the problems arises when the theology of the church is not consistent or not coherent within itself.

For example, in Lumen Gentium and other documents of the Council, we see the church as a product of compromises, and where there are often deliberate ambiguities. These differences, after discussion and dialogue with all, would present to us an example of Church as sacrament and communion---the Church as the People of God.

But the actual practice of the hierarchy, is that they wish the Church to operate as a perfect society comprable to the Republic of Venice. And this is a principal flaw in the 1983 Code of Canon Law--no room for growth. But the Pope, the Curia and the hierarchy of the Church---prefers to see the Church in this light.

For Americans who are cheering the Sisters on---they should not expect to see justice, charity, understanding or horrors----a loving attitude coming out of Rome toward these Sisters. The Sisters will need to be as "innocent as doves and as wise as serpents" to deal with this situation. And perhaps the laity will take the lead in demanding from the Vatican, once and for all what it does not what to be---accountable and transparent---for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

In return, all of the congregations that make up the LCWR will fully disclose their role in the sexual, verbal, physical, and emotional abuse of children and adults. They will fully disclose their cover-up, their financial pay-offs, and take some pro-active steps to prevent future actions. The bishops have, now it is time for the women religious to get off their high horse of blaming men and own up to their own actions!

As I analyze the sorry saga of Rome's "visitation" of the Women's Religious Leadership, I ask: "Where's the faith? where's the reason?" And it is very clear to me that faith and reason are with the Religious Women's Leadership Conference.

Rome's patriarchal culture is historically, and now, a culture of distrust, not of faith; of irrational overreach, not of symbiotic intent (what "faith" is about). The Holy Spirit will prevail in trustful communication, in enlighteneed consciousness and communal conscience — Trimorphic Resonance, as in/with Trinitarian Community.

The Church is the People of God, the laity if one wishes to use that term, and it is time that the People of God began raising their many voices in joyful harmony because this is a time of renewal in the church.

Visit the home page of the American Catholic Council at:

http://americancatholiccouncil.org/

and add your voice.

Sister Maureen Paul Turlish
maureenpaulturlish@yahoo.com

Sisters, I posted recently to Sr Sandra Schneiders’ NCRonline piece. I post again to possibly reach a larger audience. I hope you will read what I said to her.

This phenomenon of 59,000 women challenging the Vatican is your defining moment. Do I believe in the concept of the “religious life” in the Roman Catholic Church? No. Do I think the concept of the vows, the structure, and function, of such a life has much legitimacy? No. Even many of the accomplishments are a mixed bag, in my opinion. Too much of the system is unnecessary, insufficient, irrelevant, counterproductive, and in some sense not ‘normal and natural.’ I base my judgment on about 70 years of dedicated, extraordinary practice and service to the Church as a girl, and then a laywoman. Could I validate my opinions? Probably I could to at least a sufficient degree. Despite all that, my point goes well beyond the personal.

The Church has run its course. Therefore, the religious orders have run their course. What you are witnessing are death throes and they are never pleasant.

Let me quote just a part of my post to Sr. Sandra.

“What is happening indicates a profound problem. But the problem has been totally misinterpreted! The Church has run its course and therefore religious orders have run their course. We are on an evolutionary journey and the Church is but one small segment of this journey. New Testament Studies and Christian Spirituality have and continue to serve their purpose in the evolution of knowledge, but they now point the way to a larger panorama.

We must accept this evolutionary change because we ourselves are a part of the evolutionary process. The change has happened many times before in history; it is cultural evolution! We live in watershed times. Aren’t we lucky!
I see this change as progressing to biblical and historical scientific scholarship, philosophy, and science as the basis in our search for the “Someone” you refer to, and Whom I call the Origin of our contingent being.

You live in the ivory tower of one of the more prominent bailiwicks of academia. But basic assumptions in biblical studies and in Christian Spirituality must be scrutinized with scientific biblical and historical scholarship; and this is undoubtedly a road you have traveled well. Equally important to the metamorphosis are critical thinking skills and other philosophical skills, particularly implementing epistemology, logic, philosophy of science, and empirical ethics as the foundation of those skills. The “empirical “brings us to the necessity of science. Christianity originated in the age of mythology, as we know. All the many mythical trappings of Christianity must be superseded with a twenty-first century scientific world-view. A twenty-first century faith and action enterprise supplants more or less two thousand years of an Axial Age religion that served its purpose for good and bad. This post-Axial Age faith (not religion) promotes evolution and thus it is a faith that commits to the search for life’s meaning i.e. the world, the universe, as we know it, and the implications thereof, not to the invention of life’s meaning i.e. a religion based on ancient myth, non-scientific thought and very early age, less developed human reasoning.”

Sisters, if you are willing to embrace the required metamorphosis, i.e. to morph into something very different, but that fulfills your most cherished reasons why you call yourselves “religious” in the first place, you could be a powerful force for assisting people and planet in this global turning point of the twenty-first century. We have to study the issues, prepare, and act as a species, Homo sapiens.

Fifty-nine thousand laughing, challenging voices has a nice ring to it! It would add to the world cry already in progress. Are you ready?

When each nun or convent receives their questions, copies should be made, and shared broadly with at least the others. Copies also should be made of each nun's or convent's answers, and similarly shared. Thereafter, we will just have to wait and see whether a copy of the later report to the Vatican is ever shared or leaked, so that it can be compared with the materials submitted for the report. (Will we learn from a leaked copy that the Report was not really based on the efforts to respond to the questions? These things do happen.)
I don't know if this just isn't too tall an order, and instead, we will be stuck with little information and, about three years later, with a statement from the Vatican that the Leadership Conference of Women Religious will be reorganized and their role "clarified".
Wife and I stood in St. Peter's Square in October 2001 and shuttered as we gazed at the buildings of the Vatican bureaucracy ranged along the side looking down upon us. I prefer to offer quiet prayers in a simple Northern European chapel, although I enjoyed praying in the Bascilica that day.
My point: I am sure they are busy in the Vatican performing the governmental and bureaucratic governance of the Church with only the most accidental attention to things democratic, egalitarian, or consistent.

God Bless everyone, and don't forget the poor.

Vincent

I applaude the courage and conviction of Sister X and her recent article in Commonweal dated 10-09-09. My thoughts and prayers are with her. Today's society need more leaders like her!