(National Catholic Reporter) The vast majority of U.S. women religious are not complying with a Vatican request to answer questions in a document of inquiry that is part of a three-year study of the congregations. Leaders of congregations, instead, are leaving questions unanswered or sending in letters or copies of their communities’ constitutions.
“There’s been almost universal resistance,” said one women religious familiar with the responses compiled by the congregation leaders. “We are saying ‘enough!’ In my 40 years in religious life I have never seen such unanimity.”
The Vatican initiated the study in January, saying its purpose is to determine the quality of life in religious communities, given the decline in vocations in recent decades. From the outset, the women have complained they were never consulted before Vatican officials announced the investigation and there is no transparency in the process. Some have called the effort demeaning and intrusive.
NCR contacted more than a dozen women religious familiar with the responses. Almost no one would allow her name to be used, citing fear of reprisal against their congregations and the desire to have the apostolic visitator receive their letters before word of the actions became public.
She said women religious have been virtually unanimous in spirit that they have been living out their missions, as directed by the gospels and by the Second Vatican Council…
“Vatican II took us out of the ghettos and into ecology, feminism and justice in the world,” she said. “The Vatican still has a difficult time accepting that…” [reference]
Some sources have said that only on percent of these religious communities replied to the questionnaires. Not sure how no answer is going to do anything other than to show exactly why the Apostolic Visitation was needed in the first place. Rampant disobedience does not exactly show that there is not rampant disobedience. Though if they had answered the questionnaires truthfully they would have the same problems. But if they really believe that there way is the truth than they should not have a problem responding. The martyrs died for their faith, can’t even one of these dissidents standup up for what they believe is the truth? Trying to hide behind canon lawyers and other tricks is in no way a sign of obedience. Their actions are the actions of a guilty party who know that they are not on the right side. They are not the actions of innocents being guided by the Holy Spirit.
12 comments
I think you hit the nail on the head: “Rampant disobedience does not exactly show that there is not rampant disobedience.”
The LCWR are merely demonstrating by their intractable behaviour that the Apostolic Visitation is certainly required. If push comes to shove, the LCWR will most surely try to paint its membership as martyrs. The conceited hardly merit the mantle of sainthood and usually settle for the approval of the world. To my mind, real martyrs are too busy doing Christ’s work to be concerned about how they are marketed. The reward of serving Christ is enough.
The orders belonging to the LCWR are withering. Meanwhile, the membership of the CMSWR is thriving. Could it be that the Holy Spirit blesses those who are faithful to Christ and His Church. Duh!
I’d think it would depend on the questions being asked. One-size-fits-all questions generally fit no one very well, requiring long essays to answer them adequately.
Besides, I’d imagine the women are too busy doing their good works to take time out and document those good works for the Vatican. Most busy people are.
Some of the questions definitely make one think.
http://apostolicvisitation.org/en/materials/index.html
I have a busy life as well, but I’ve filled out some beautifully long forms on census, tax, and jury matters. To help my beloved Church be even better, I’d be there, pen in hand/keyboard at the ready! 🙂
Most of the “modern” congregations already have meetings, discussions, discernment, studies, etc., they willingly do themselves. Why should one more study in obedience to the Holy See be a problem? The study document is posted on the visitation website for all to see. It is thorough and to the point but only requires short answers until the last part where the congregation members may choose to write more lengthly comments if they wish. It is disgusting and adolescent to refuse to cooperate with the study.
Surely we all remember the story that broke a few weeks ago of the
Dominican sister who was found to have been volunteering for years
at a midwestern abortion mill. Her superiors were evidently
aware of her activities, and their bland press release showed neither
shock nor concern. However, they did seem irritated to have been so
publicly busted.
For me, that story perfectly captures the need for the Visitation.
Not because of the sister lending material cooperation to abortion–
she’s not the first nun to have done a stupid, evil thing. Rather,
it’s the complacency, the decadence, the “so what’re you gonna do
about it?” attitude of her congregation. Such women have lost their
way, and if the Apostolic Visitation can help them find their way back,
then please, bring it on.
“I’d imagine the women are too busy doing their good works to take time out and document those good works for the Vatican. Most busy people are.“
That’s a good answer. The CEO of our firm stops by our branch once a quarter or so. Next time, if he happens to stop by my desk and asks, “So, Marion, tell me about what you’re working on and how things are going with your job?”, I will reply, “Nothing doing, J.P., I am too busy doing my work to answer your questions. Most busy people are.”
I like it!
I can smell my next promotion, and it’s going to be a doozie!
“I’d imagine the women are too busy doing their good works to take time out and document those good works for the Vatican.”
Yet they’re not too busy to take a reporter’s phone call and answer (anonymously, of course) media questions.
Like Marion, I’m reminded of corruption in a multinational corporation for which I worked. The “industrious” people who brooked no intrusive questions were lining their pockets at our customers’ and business partners’ expenses.
I do, however, like this quote: “Vatican II took us out of the ghettos and into ecology, feminism and justice in the world….” It’s like a list of catchphrases from UN documents. Better to live in the ghetto and care for the people there, then pursue a nebulous cloud of lofty-sounding goals which are secondary.
Raise an urban community garden alongside the poor, as many Cappuchins do, and you’ve contributed mightily to ecology. Give an unmarried mother a place to stay, an education, and the knowledge that Christ loves her enough to have died for her – and she’s learning to see herself as a worthy child of God. That’s feminism. Stand up for the unborn child who has no voice and no choice – and that’s justice.
THANKFULLY THE MORE ORTHODOX ORDERS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ARE GAINING VOCATIONS. THEY DONT WEAR HABITS, THEY DONT DESERVE TO. THE LIBERAL ONES, THE REMNANT HIPPIES AND FEMINAZI CROWD ARE DYING OUT AND JUST BEING THE REBELLIOUS AND OBNOXIOUS HERETICS THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN. Let these mean self willed old bitties and their orders die out
if they dont want to be attached to the vine. Does anyone really take any of them
seriously anyway, the cropped haired rainbow suspender wearing ambiguously lesbian mean faces. They are rebels without a cause and
women on an agenda without authority.
I am dismayed by most of the comments above mostly because of their un-Christ-like comments. I am amazed at the judgmentalism and the nastiness of the comments from supposedly good Catholic people. I am especially appalled at “Joe Seminarian.” Where did he learn words like feminazi and why use words like obnoxious and heretics. Most hateful was his phrase “Let these mean self-willed old bitties and their orders die out . . .ambiguously lesbian mean faces.”
I would like to make a suggestion: I hope whoever is in charge of Joe Seminarian has an apostolic visitation to investigate Joe’s suitability for the priesthood. Anyone that mean and hateful should never stand before the altar of God without asking for forgiveness first of all those whom he has decided to hate. How can he even consider priesthood and where will the people he serves find compassion.
When my cousing the agnostic received a request for an annulment from his ex-wife, he sent it back to the diocese blank, with an expletive written accross it.
He was granted the annulment.
Perhaps that is what these sisters are seeking; an annulment from Rome.
Sorry to the sympathizers but I agree with Joe Seminarian. There are many GOOD Traditional religious orders that are obedient to Rome. Why do these women (the graying orders) think they can be disobedient? This is not a Democratic convention. Perhaps they SHOULD be granted their “Annulment”.
“Where did he learn words like . . .’Let these mean self-willed old bitties and their orders die out. . . ‘”
The actual word is biddies, (singular: biddy), an old-fashioned slang term for an ill-tempered or bothersome older woman. It derived from a once common nickname for a once often-bestowed women’s Christian name, Brigid or Bridget.